Hello, my lovely readers. Sorry for the long wait. Hope you're well. On with the show…
Chapter 8: The Out Of Towners: Part I
After having an awkward conversation with Hayley in which I, artfully, dodged the truth of how, and why, Bonnie used a body-switching spell on me and Elijah; I was left to wait out the spell. In the time remaining, Caroline, Hayley, and I went down to the living room and sat down to watch rom-coms that Caroline favored. At the moment, we were watching the 1999 version of the Out of Towners, with Goldie Hawn and Steve Martin. I couldn't decide who was more crush-worthy: Goldie, or her starlet daughter, Kate Hudson. I settled onto the perky blonde to my left who was giggling around a mouthful of popcorn.
Momentarily forgetting whose body I still occupied, I wrapped an arm around Caroline's shoulders. A low, but loud cough, coming from my right, accompanied by a frown, made me move.
Hayley held out a hand and Caroline passed her the popcorn. The older girl relaxed into the couch while Aiden played with his toy fire truck, rolling around on the floor.
The movie finished and I got up to change DVDs. "Can we order Chinese?" Caroline asked me. "I have had a craving for orange chicken and brown rice. And eggrolls. Oh, and extra fortune cookies!"
For a moment, I wondered if Caroline had forgotten my identity, and thought I really was Elijah. Then she titled her head and fluttered her eyelashes at me. No. She clearly knew who I was. I hoped...
"Stop that!" Hayley snapped. "I don't care who's in the wrapper, you are freaking me out!"
"Sorry...Mom!" Caroline shot back with a giggle.
Hayley opened her mouth to retort when Aiden cried out, "Mama!"
"What, honey?" Hayley went to her child.
"Want Daddy!" Aiden cried, pouting.
"Uh?" Hayley looked to me.
Aiden pursed his lips at me, narrowing his eyes. "Not my Daddy. Doesn't smell like Daddy. Smells like Nucle Icky!"
Clapping her hands together, Caroline laughed so hard, tears came to her eyes. "Nucle Icky! Oh, Damon's going to love that!"
"Car-o-line!" I growled back.
"Nucle Icky!" she laugh-shouted, pointing at me, bent over with laughter.
"Aiden, what is your name for Auntie Caroline?" I coaxed.
Aiden grinned. "Car-a-hinny!"
"What?" Now, Caroline looked horrified and placed her hands on her hips. "You take that back, Tiny Mikaelson!"
Aiden continued to grin. "Car-a-hinny!" he sang. "Pick me up. Car-a-hinny!" He held out his arms.
"Ugh!" Caroline picked Aiden up. "You're lucky you're so darn cute."
Aiden pressed his face into her shoulder. "I'm cute."
Shaking my head at my nephew's antics, I went into the kitchen to retrieve the Chinese take-out menu and to make a call.
Pulling a drawer open, I dug through it, wondering at how many pizza menus we had before finding the sole Chinese menu. The virtues of living in a small town: fifteen pizza parlors, and one, decent Chinese take-away.
Rolling my eyes, I closed the drawer with my hip before moving across the room, toward our landline. Picking up the phone, I found Hayley leaning against the breakfast bar.
"Come to place your order, too?" I inquired, brows lifting.
"Yeah. Sort of. More like ask a favor," Hayley paused, sucking on her bottom lip, then she continued, "This might be awkward..."
"More awkward than your thinking that you'd walked in on your ex and your kid sister?" A little smirk played at the corners of my lips.
"Probably not that awkward. Hayley laughed and ran a hand through her long locks. She was obviously unnerved about whatever this was, and she was making me nervous, too. I wished she would just spit it out.
"I'm seeing someone-in New York-and I like him. This could be serious. But I need someone else to meet him and tell me if they get any kind of weird vibes. I have Aiden to think of..." Hayley trailed off, pinning me with a doe-eyed stare.
"Okay, Bambi. I suppose you can bring the new guy home, on break, and we'll figure him out. Hell, it can be a dare." Warming to the plan, I did not have time to begin planning out the dare before Hayley interrupted my thoughts.
"Klaus! I don't want the whole club. Just you. And Care." Hayley braced herself against the counter. "This is between the three of us. If you guys don't like him; then I have some thinking to do."
"Why not ask Elijah? He's discerning-unless you count Kat... You're friends, still, and you talk..." I was trying to lead her to the logical conclusion.
"You're right. Usually, I would ask Elijah. He knows me better than anyone..." Hayley blew out a breath. "But he's Aiden's dad. And he's going to worry about anyone who is around our kid. I do. So, I want the other person who knows me the best to go: Caroline. And you're pretty good at reading people, too."
"I'm not a roll, no need to butter me up," I said. "Where Caroline is; is where I should be." Then I thought of something. "How you going to bring this new suitor, here, without Elijah running into him?"
Hayley hesitated. "I thought you and Caroline could come back to New York, with me. Just for a couple of days. Not for, like a month, or something." Her eyes were wide and hopeful.
"You want Caroline, and I, to go to New York?" The idea pleased me. Other than our brief time haunting the halls of the boarding school in Salem; we had been virtually nowhere of note.
"New York?" Caroline had entered the kitchen without Hayley, or I, noticing. "Yes! Nik, you have to say 'Yes!' It's New York! Shopping! Broadway! Shopping! Museums! Shopping! Food! Did I mention: SHOPPING? Ple-ase! Say: Yes!" My girl was literally jumping up and down with excitement. How could I say: 'No?'
"Yes," I said and Caroline came running over to throw her arms around me, squeezing Elijah's neck, moving in for a kiss when Hayley let out a half-shriek.
"Later." Caroline patted Elijah's chest and I smiled in anticipation.
The next day, I woke to find myself in my own bed and in my own clothes. Sighing, I closed my eyes. After a long moment of momentous relief, I recalled my conversation with Hayley. What if our little secret was out? Sitting up, I frowned and searched my mind for memories of what I had been up to in the past twenty-four hours. I drew a blank as to where my body had been. Good. But not good enough. I needed to test my theory.
Getting out of bed, I made short work of dressing and headed upstairs. Elijah was already up and buttering a slice of toast. The smell of brewing coffee and eggs made my stomach growl. I wondered what Elijah had fed my body; I felt half-starved, per usual.
"Morning, Niklaus," Elijah greeted me. "Hungry?"
"Starved." I moved to the counter and grabbed a slice of toast, eating it dry. Chewing on the bread, I waited for Elijah to question my current plans, but he said nothing.
"Brother," I began, "do you recall anything I did, in your body, yet?" I attempted to make the question sound casual.
Elijah shook his head. "No, do you?" He pinned me with a look.
"Not a thing," I replied, coolly, turning to the eggs. "I believe they're done."
"Niklaus, what have you done?" Elijah demanded, moving the eggs to an unused burner and switching the knob off.
"Nothing!" I got up and went to open a drawer and withdrew a fork. Taking a couple of steps closer to my brother; I stopped go take a bite of the eggs. "Your best scrambled yet."
"Niklaus..." Elijah hissed at me. "What have you done, in my body?"
"Hayley caught me kissing Caroline!" I snapped, tossing the plate in the sink. I had to explain; so she did not think you were a dirty pervert!"
Elijah's eyes rounded. "Klaus," he growled, "of all the bloody stupid..." He shook his head. "Thankfully, the spell is over."
"Yes, it is," I muttered, feeling satisfied that he knew nothing.
"What do you mean: He'll remember, eventually?" I demanded that evening. I stared at Bonnie, who was sitting in Enzo's lap. Their fingers were intertwined, like they had been together for years, instead of less than a week.
"I believe you heard her, mate. Elijah will recover his memories." Enzo leaned back in the chair he sat in (which happened to belong to me) and acted like it was his own bloody room.
Caroline placed a hand on my knee. "Is there anything we can do?" she asked her friend as if Bonnie had just diagnosed me with a dread disease.
Bonnie looked thoughtful, "Well, performing another spell-to temporarily transform Klaus' physiology might stall the effects of the first spell... But there could be dire side effects..."
"Like what?" I demanded, annoyed. "A second head?" Damon snorted a laugh and waved me off when I shot him a dark look.
"Could be worse. You could end up with wings, or scales, or tail, of -"
"Shut up, Damon!" Caroline and I shouted.
"Why did we even invite him?" Caroline added, to no one in particular.
Damon shrugged. "Sor-ry!" He wasn't.
"Go on," I urged Bonnie.
Bonnie sighed. "I might not be able to reverse the spell, or you might die. Or lose your memory. At the very least -"
"Die?" Caroline gasped. "No! No way! This is not worth it. We should tell Elijah."
"No." I shook my head. "I'll just drink some vampire blood. If anything happens to me, I'll be young and handsome and -"
"Carded. At every liquor store-forever!" Damon said with a smirk.
"Damon," I groaned.
"How are you going to acquire Vamp blood?" Enzo's brow quirked.
"Lexi gave me a vial. 'To use in case of emergency.'"
"I doubt this is what she meant," Caroline called to me as I went over to my dresser. Opening my underwear drawer, I found the little vial where I'd seen it last. F*** it, I marched over to Bonnie while Caroline muttered curses.
"Do your worst," I addressed the witch.
Bonnie blinked at me before Caroline jumped in. "Don't you need a potion, or something?"
Shaking her head, Bonnie got up. "No. I just need Klaus." Eyeing me, Bonnie inhaled. "Spirits, hear me, I beg you, exchange this youth for maturity." Closing her eyes, Bonnie's head titled back. I felt something go through me at the same time that a pair of fingers slid through mine.
"Nik?" Caroline cried.
Eyes rounding, I found that Caroline's top had moved up two inches. Her breasts and legs had grown. Her hair flowed down her back longer than I remembered it being seconds ago. "What happened?"
Placing a hand to my own face, I felt a full day's stubble. My hands slid over my own body and I found muscles I did not have before.
"Hey, buddy. Other people in the room," Damon called, "you might want to halt the self-examination for private time." His eyes flicked down and I realized my hand was nearly on my... Well... Right, then...
"Caroline! Oh, crap!" Bonnie's hands clapped to her cheeks. "Oh, no!"
Caroline ran to the mirror and her hands went to her hair. "Roots!" she bemoaned the hair dye that did not seem to accompany the spell. Then she spun in front of the mirror. "I'm hot," she said, looking at her body.
"Yeah, you are," Damon crowed, lacing his fingers behind his head and staring.
"Ahem!" I snapped, glowering. "El-en-a!"
"Psst!" Damon waved me off. "I can look."
"Not if you like your eyeballs where they are." Moving over to Caroline, I slid my arms around her waist and placed my head on her shoulder, enjoying the sight we made. "Are you ready for an adventure, love?"
"Yes." Caroline's eyes connected within in the mirror. We were both pleased with our new forms and soon we could test them out in the city that does not sleep.
The next morning, I woke up happy. Caroline lay in my arms. Her hair was spread across my pillow. Leaning over, I kissed her long neck, and she moaned, rolling over. "Good morning," she whispered. "Ready to ride the friendly skies to the Big Apple, today?"
"That's not the only place I want to ride today," I moaned, tugging her legs around me.
"Klaus?" My father's voice sounded from the top of the stairs.
What would be worse: My Father finding me in bed with my girl, or my Father finding a twenty-something version of me...and Caroline?
Before Father could flip the light on, I jerked the bedcover on top of me and Caroline. "Yes, Father," I croaked out.
"Niklaus...are you feeling well?" Father sounded concerned and I heard the top stair creak with his weight.
"Damon and I went to a party, last night, and I think we might have overdone it. Quite a bit. Beware of the bottom of the stairs, there's evidence of how much I overdid it, there." Waiting, I heard Father sigh.
"Right. Well then, you should probably stay at home and remember to drink plenty of fluids. Not alcohol!" Father warned me. "I'll be home late. But call me; if you need me." The sound of Father leaving made me sigh in relief.
The remaining hours were spent waiting for everyone else to leave the house. Afterward, Caroline and I waited until Hayley knocked on the door. The coast is clear," she told us.
Opening the door, we came out. "What?" Hayley's round eyes became huge.
"Do you have something I could borrow?" Caroline asked, waving at the top she borrowed from me that barely covered her underwear.
"Yeah." Hayley shook her head. "I am sure there is a reason for this," she eyed us.
"We'll tell you on the way," I replied. "After I 'borrowed' some of Elijah's things."
My eyes went around the airport. Other people were busy gathering their bags, but Caroline and I were too busy gawking at all the sights and sounds that New York had to offer.
"Come on, guys!" Hayley waved at us, Aiden's small hand clutched in hers. They were already headed for the exit.
Taking Caroline's hand, I followed the girl who might be a girl few years our junior; to the eyes and ears of those anyone who did not know our true identity.
Hayley was managing her own bags, as well as Aiden's bits; whereas Caroline and I had no luggage. Currently, we did not have any belongings we fit into properly. We needed clothes and Caroline could not be more pleased.
"Just remember, you only need enough for a couple of days," Hayley reminded Caroline.
As a group, we exited the airport and went outside. Hayley hurried over to a cab while a man tried to sell us knock-off watches. "Come on," she called, waving us over. "Scram, buddy!" she yelled at the "salesman," who glared but moved on.
We got into the cab and Hayley gave the driver an address. "I though you lived near campus," Caroline remarked.
"I do. But you can't stay in my room. I have a narc for a roommate and its hard enough bringing a baby into the mix and those three nights when I get super testy." Her eyes flicked to the cab driver who did not seem to be listening. "Don't worry. Klaus can afford this place." My brows shot up at Hayley's words. Did I wake up with an over - flowing bank account?
We pulled in front of a building with a familiar name scrawled above the tall, glass doors. Getting out of the cab, I waited while Hayley tipped the driver. We went inside and walked to the front desk. "Welcome to Mikaelson Resort and Hotels. Checking in?" the front desk clerk asked.
"Yes." I removed my freshly made fake ID.
"Mr. Mikaelson! What an honor to have you, here!" The clerk said, straightening up. "You will want the penthouse?"
"Yes," I replied, taking Caroline's arm.
"Right away, sir!" The clerk could not type quickly enough. Seconds later, the clerk waved a hand for a bellboy to join us. "Please, see that Mr. Mikaelson, and his guests, are taken care of."
"May I tale your bags, miss?" the bellboy asked Hayley.
"No. I'm not staying," Hayley said, shouldering her bag and picking Aiden up.
The bellboy led the way to the bank of elevators. An elevator opened and we entered it. The bellboy pushed a key into a slot marked PH. Soon we exited the elevator and Caroline ran into the room. "Oh, my God!" she shouted. "Look at the view!"
I pulled out my wallet and tipped the bell boy. Once he was gone, I turned to Hayley. "How did you know about this place?" I felt confused. How did my Father get his hands on enough money for this place?
[Same paragraph] Would he end up back in prison if the authorities found out about it?
"It's not what you think," Hayley sighed. "This place belongs to Elijah."
"What?" That could not be possible. My brother worked far too hard at the Mystic Grill to own a luxury hotel in New York.
"Your mother left him money, to invest, and after her loss, he invested the money in stocks that grew rapidly. He's been waiting, to make sure that your father doesn't..."
"End up back in jail, again," Caroline stated while I tried to understand my brother's secret.
"Yup." Hayley rolled her eyes. "This," she spread her arms to encompass the space around them. "This is for the whole family."
"So, this is Elijah's big secret?" I shook my head. "I would have never dreamed of this on such a grand scale."
"Ooo! Bedroom!" Caroline ran toward a pair of spring doors and jerked them open. "King-sized bed!" she shouted, racing toward the bed and threw herself on top of it. "I never want to leave!"
"Well, you have to!" Hayley called. "Remember why you agreed to come here in the first place."
"Yes. I know." Caroline sat up. "So, when do we meet your boy?" She smirked and shot me a look.
"In about fifteen minutes. I agreed to meet him at Serendipity." Hayley consulted her phone as Caroline slid off the bed.
Caroline grinned. "I saw that movie."
"Just remember: You're not Klaus and Caroline," Hayley said, "too many questions."
"We're Elizabeth and Nick. No Beth. Caroline's cousin," Caroline supplied, smiling at me. Now, that we had aliases it looked like we were ready to meet Hayley's mystery man.
"Jack!" Caroline and I had been acting like typical tourists, taking in sights, sounds, and horrid smells that New York had to offer when Hayley quickened her pace. "Jack-son!" she shouted to a tall man with black, curly hair.
Jackson did not seen to hear Hayley, at first. He was busily watching people around him until Caroline added her voice. "JACK-SON!" Caroline shouted through cupped hands.
Now, the older boy turned to stare at us. He looked at Caroline the way you would ordinarily look at a stranger who you'd never seen in your life, shouting your name for those in Northern Maine to hear. Then Jackson caught sight of Hayley and he turned toward us, opening his arms. Hayley looked back at us and I took the handles of Aiden's stroller nodding for her to go ahead. She ran forward to throw herself into her new boyfriend's arms.
Caroline and I found other things to occupy our attention until all of the kissing and "I am kissing you-s!" had ceased. "Jack," Hayley began. "I'd like you to meet my friends, Beth, and her boyfriend, Nick."
This was Caroline's and my cue. I held put my hand. "Nice to meet the new step-daddy." I followed my comment with a wide grin.
Hayley let out a nervous laugh. "We're not married, Nick." There was a slight growl as my name was pronounced.
"Ah, my mistake. Don't want to confuse Aiden about his paternity. Wait until he forgets his father's face."
"Kla-Nick!" Caroline cried out, glaring at me before shooting Jackson a quick smile. Sorry, Nick is a good friend of Elijah's. So, he's going to roast any new guy Hayley likes. Won't you, dear?" She shot me a look. "But Nick is all bark. Don't pay attention. If I did, we wouldn't still be together."
Staring at us like we'd just lost our minds, Jackson nodded. "Anyone want some ice cream?" he asked, looking at Aiden who did not respond. Jackson let out a breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I think we could use something to cool off with that's all ages friendly." Caroline and I traded looks, thinking for a moment that Jackson had figured, out the truth, but he said no more.
Shrugging, I pushed the Aiden forward. Jackson held the door for all of us and I ran over his foot with the stroller. "Mother fu-" Jackson bit off the end of his profanity-laced cry of pain.
"Jackson?" Turning around, Hayley came back to the door, and stared as her boyfriend gritting his teeth before making his way inside the store. "Nick!" Hayley stared at me.
"Did I...?" I looked from Jackson to Hayley, and then at the stroller wheels. "These things should come with warnings." Shaking my head, I turned to join Caroline.
"You did that on purpose!" Caroline hissed at me through a tight smile. We are here to find out what kind of guy he is, not to torture him into dumping her!"
"You're idea of the vetting process and mine seem to differ, love," I muttered.
Fuming, Caroline not-so-casually stepped on my foot and I stifled a cry of my own as she helped the stroller from my grasp. "Wouldn't want any more accidents, now, would we?" She smirked at me and turned to join Hayley and Jackson.
Minutes later, we were all settled at a table, with far more ice cream than Mother would have approved our eating before, or after, dinner.
At the thought of my mother, I found I had lost my appetite. "Not a fan of ice cream, Nick?" Jackson inclined his head toward my still-full serving in between bites of his own.
"I was thinking of my mother, actually. She would not have approved of this," I waved a hand at the treats.
"We probably shouldn't tell her," Jackson chuckled at his own joke until he noted no one else was laughing. Sitting back, he put his spoon down. "Okay. I know when I put my foot in my mouth..."
"His mother...passed away." Hayley put her own spoon down.
Caroline placed her hand on top of mine and squeezed. "Sorry, man, I didn't know. You mind if I asked what happened?" Jackson's pale eyes met mine.
"Cancer." It was not a lie. Depression can be a type of cancer that eats a person up, until there is nothing left.
"My parents were in a car wreck," Jackson said. "I was ten. My grandmother raised me."
"Oh?" Nodding, I looked at the melting ice cream. "My mother also disapproved of waste," I said, picking up my spoon.
"Ice cream?" Aiden cried to me, waving his arms. "Nucle Icky!" He grinned up at me.
"Did he just call you: 'Nucle Icky?'" Jackson gave me a quizzical look.
"Oh!" Caroline cried, grabbing the whole group's attention. "He does this ALL the time. Elijah's brother's name is Nikaus. Sometimes, he's Klaus."
Sometimes, he's Nik. It gets confusing for Aiden." She said this with such an airy manner that even I loved her, for a second.
"Huh." Jackson turned to Aiden. "You want some of mine, little guy?" He spooned some ice cream up and held out the spoon to Aiden. Aiden looks at the spoon, his mother, and me. Pouting, he turned his head.
"Aiden," Hayley called. "Say: Thank you."
Aiden looked at me, again, took Jackson's spoon and flung the ice cream all over his mother's new suitor. Bursting into giggles, the little boy clapped. "Again!"
"No!" Hayley scolded.
I took my spoon and offered it to my nephew while Jackson tried to clean up with a napkin. He probably had a closet full of plaid shirts, one chocolate-stained one in the bin wouldn't kill him.
Aiden ate my ice cream without a fuss, or new decorations on my borrowed clothes. There was no trouble until the third spoonful. This time, Aiden took the spoon, and held it back, like a sling, with his index finger, before he up-ended it on Jackson, again.
"Aiden!" Hayley cried, taking the spoon away and handing it back to me. She shook her head at her son. "What has gotten into you?"
Jackson placed a hand on Hayley's arm. "It's not a big deal."
Caroline jumped up. "I need to go shopping anyway. We can get Jackson something that's in a not-plaid material," she said this while collecting her purse.
I got up and started to follow my group to the door. Suddenly, I felt funny. "I have to go to the bathroom!" I called and moved to the back of the store.
Once inside a stall, I began to feel better. Coming out, I went to a sink and then blinked at my reflection in the mirror. "Bonnie!" I growled at my sixty-something reflection. How did I explain this away?
Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing. :)
Be safe,
-J
