Seriously guys, I don't know how you put up with me. My updating is terrible but fortunately I've got a lot of time off coming up in a few weeks so maybe I'll improve. Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews.
As usual, I do not own any rights to Characters of the Vampire Diaries/The Originals.
"What did you just say?" Elijah repeated; the tightness of his voice betraying the simmering anger behind his carefully calculated words.
Tearing her gaze away from the eldest of the Mikaelson brothers, Lacy turned to Katherine and saw her own panic echoed within the eyes of her sister. She felt as if she had been thrown within the depths of hell, but not even her own wildest nightmares could have foreseen her facing the accusing looks of Kol and Elijah.
Remaining silent as her mind desperately raced to concoct an excuse that would placate Elijah's furious curiosity, Lacy was caught off guard when she heard Kol address her. His eyes held so much betrayal and accusation that she felt the blow of his words deep within her heart.
"Lacy."
It was one word. There was absolutely no reason why it should have affected her so much. Kol had not shouted nor berated her for omitting relevant truths. Still, with just the simple calling of her name, he had managed to cut her and pick at her conscience. Hardly bearing the atmosphere of the room, Lacy lurched forward and barged her way through the imposing structure of the two men. Catching her straight in her arms, Kol gripped her firmly but held her away from him; the thought of holding her any closer both excited and sickened him. His stormy glare kept Lacy from fighting, and he was glad of her continued silence as the words spilled from his mouth with no consideration for the environment and the presence of his brother.
"You should have told me."
"Get off of her, Kol." Katherine snapped, taking a protective step towards her younger sister.
"I deserved to know." Kol preserved, paying no attention to Katherine's demand.
Assessing the situation, Elijah swallowed down his own negative emotions and questions and unclenched the fists he had not realised he'd been making.
"Everybody… in my office. Now."
His tone called for no objections of any sort and without a moment's hesitation Kol released Lacy and followed his brother into the room. Immediately, his attention was back on Lacy and he watched her step over the threshold before Elijah gently closed the door and blocked out the prying eyes and ears of employees.
With carefully chosen movements that still retained her signature air of unrepentant confidence, Katherine approached her former husband. No matter how Elijah would react, Katherine was certain that she would not waver in her steadfast belief that keeping their daughter's existence a secret was the most selfless and justifiable act she had ever committed.
"Elijah-"
Snapping his head up from where he had been staring at the ground, Elijah glared so ferociously at Katherine that the woman recoiled instinctively and stared back in panic.
"You…" he began, holding up one hand to show that he would not tolerate any interruptions. "I don't want to speak to you right now, Katherine. We will deal with your… deceit… at the appropriate time, but there are more pressing matters for me to attend to at this moment."
Refusing to entertain the notion of any conversation with Katherine, Elijah sighed with weary anger and focused his attention solely on Lacy. Her brown eyes - so filled they were with obvious guilt - were enough to confirm the suspicions he had held for the previous two days ever since Klaus had confided in him of Lacy's sudden and unexpected pregnancy. Being the smart and observant man that he was, it had not escaped him that Kol's behaviour had been erratic and self-destructive in the weeks since Lacy and Klaus had changed the dynamic of their relationship.
"Niklaus is under the impression that he is the father of your baby and I will not do anything to hurt him. He's suffering enough as it is and this -" he gestured to Kol and Lacy. "- would destroy him."
"Now wait a second, Elijah, that's my baby. Why the hell should Nik get to play happy families with my kid?!"
By now, Kol had closed the space between himself and Lacy. Only a few minutes had passed since his discovery that he was to be a father, but he was so overwhelmed with a sense of purpose and possessiveness that the mere idea that his own flesh and blood would be raised by another man enraged him beyond belief.
"He is our brother and we will not cause him any harm. You have brought this on yourself, Kol."
"This is madness! It's not like we had an affair. She wasn't even with Nik when we were sleeping together."
Clenching his fists once more, Elijah pushed on to his forehead before pleading with his brother. It did not escape his notice that Katherine had remained so uncharacteristically quiet throughout the conversation and despite his own conflicted feelings towards her, he had never wanted her support or input in a matter in as long as he could remember.
"That isn't the point."
"Yes it is!"
"Kol! You've known for years how Niklaus has felt about Lacy and you went after her. You betrayed his trust. He won't care whether or not he and Lacy were a couple. You still crossed a line and now she's pregnant."
"Exactly, and you want me to just step aside and let Nik raise my kid!"
The booming inside her head having begun to reach unbearable levels, Lacy rubbed her temples in a feeble attempt to alleviate the building tension. Unable to cope any longer with the quarrelling, Lacy screamed out in frustration and huffed heavily once stillness had descended the office.
"I'm barely four weeks pregnant, you stupid jack ass." she aimed towards Kol. "I didn't tell you because I only found out two days ago and I only took the goddamn test because I missed my period."
"I won't have Nik -"
"Oh my god. Just shut up, Kol! Nik isn't going to be doing anything. The only kid he'll be looking after is Caroline's."
Puzzled, Kol stood stock still as his brain processed the information it had been presented within. As much as his heart wanted to entertain the scenario that Lacy may have chosen to pursue a romantic relationship with him instead of Klaus, he was not so delusional as to assume that her love for his older brother was breakable. Yet, his brain was starting to fit together the pieces and decipher the meaning of her words and the alternative option was not one he wished to be true.
"What?"
With a scoff, Katherine finally spoke. "She's getting an abortion, you idiot."
All colour draining from his face, Kol spluttered out his complaints.
"What? When? - No - Just no."
"No?" Lacy replied, her own fury blowing up inside of her chest.
"You can't just kill our baby. I won't let you."
"Let me? Do you have any idea how much of a misogynistic dick you sound right now? I don't need your permission to do this, Kol. It's my body and my life."
"It's my baby!" he argued.
Reaching the end of her tether, Lacy decided to change tactic. Instantly, she felt ashamed of herself but she knew she was left with very little choice in the matter. Her guilt would just be added to that which she was already carrying around with her since allowing Klaus to believe her unforgivable lies.
Cupping Kol's clean shaven cheek in the palm of her hand, she stood on her tip toes to reach him and pressed her forehead against his; ignoring the sense of intimacy that warmed her heart as she did so. With eyes tightly closed, she let out a breath and hated that her mouth had become dry and her hands sweaty.
"If you love me at all - if any of the time we spent together meant anything to you - you won't stand in my way. Forcing me to do something you know would make me miserable and goes against everything that makes me who I am, shows me that you don't truly love me."
Not like Nik. She thought; her heart almost breaking as an image of him appeared before her mind's eye.
Feeling ever so voyeuristic, Elijah and Katherine caught each other's gaze and a million words left unsaid were exchanged between them. Lacy's actions were manipulation at its best and showed evidence of her biological connection to Katherine. Elijah's unyielding stare was grim and exposed Katherine's soul bare. It was clear that he would not forget about their daughter and any attempt from her of any similar manipulation would not be stood for.
Breathing in her soothing scent of vanilla and strawberries, Kol let himself revel in her touch and tried hard to dispel his feelings of betrayal and heartbreak. The entire situation was cruel and free from remorse for him. His emotions were silly and unimportant and the universe was ensuring he knew so, and in spite of the injustice of it all he nodded once.
"I won't stop you and I won't tell Nik."
Sighing with joyful relief, Lacy pressed her lips to Kol's cheek and thanked him; still loathing herself for her manipulative ways and toying of Kol's feelings, but ecstatic that her love for Klaus would not be facing any threat.
Allowing himself to indulge his whims, Kol pulled Lacy into a hug and embraced her with the passion a dying man exuded when gasping for the breaths of air that would prolong his life. Letting herself enjoy the comfort, Lacy contemplated speaking further and apologising but decided against it.
"Just so you know…" Kol whispered against Lacy's chocolate brown hair. "I won't stop fighting for you."
Smiling sadly she replied. "I wouldn't expect anything less, Kol Mikaelson."
"You don't have to go." Lacy sulked as she watched Katherine carefully fold a pair of jeans in her beige coloured travel bag.
"Klaus said a week and it's been a week."
"Since when have you ever listened to anything Nik said." Lacy replied, snatching a silk top from between her sister's fingers and throwing it down onto the bed.
Walking over to the dressing table, Katherine grabbed her bag of cosmetics and threw it into the travel bag before doing the same with the top Lacy had just taken from her. Zipping it up, she clutched the bag between her fingers and exited the room. Following her sister down the stairs, Lacy continued to pout but remained quiet until they reached the hallway.
"Katherine, please. I know I told you to go home but I didn't mean it."
Pulling the younger woman into a short hug, Katherine released her after a moment and shrugged on her favourite black leather jacket; gifting her sister a knowing smile in the process.
"I need to go back."
"You came to help me."
"And I have… or at least I tried. Lacy, you said no to marrying Klaus. I'm pretty confident you won't sacrifice everything for him. You don't need me but if you do, you know where to find me."
"But what if-"
Placing one hand on either shoulder of her sister, Katherine frowned.
"I need to go home. It's been four days since I've seen Elijah and I am not stupid enough to believe my luck won't run out. I know that he deserves to know about Nadia but I have every right not to tell him. She's my daughter and I won't do anything to risk ruining her life."
With great reluctance and one last parting hug, Lacy conceded to Katherine's wishes and looked on as her sister walked down the steps and into the taxi waiting for her on the curb side. The sight of the vehicle driving away filled Lacy with so much despair that it shocked her and made her feel unbearably vulnerable.
"Love?"
Klaus' gruff tones permeated the air and Lacy finally closed the door. Coming up behind her, Klaus wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face into her neck; wisps of silky hair tickled his nose and the stubble of his chin scratched at the soft skin of Lacy's collarbone.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just thinking."
"About?" he prompted; curious to know what was running through the mind of his emotionally distant girlfriend.
"How much can change in three weeks."
Twirling her around so she now faced him, Klaus swept the stray strands of hair away from Lacy's face and grazed his fingers against her pale, cold cheek. Her skin felt clammy and worried began to niggle away at his core.
"I'm not going to pretend to be sad that she's gone, especially after how she lied to Elijah about his daughter, and I don't understand this sudden attachment you seem to have to her."
"Nik-" Lacy chastised, attempting to pull away.
"But I want you to be happy and if having her in your life makes you happy then I can deal with having her around."
"Thank you." she whispered, rewarding him with a kiss.
"Just remember that I am your best friend. I'm the only one who can protect you."
With an inexplicable lust coursing through her veins, Lacy pressed her mouth against Klaus' and moaned at the salty taste of his lips. Sneaking her hands under the fitted grey t-shirt he was wearing, she greedily devoured the hard planes of his torso with feverish delight; her nails raking over his muscles and round towards the bottom of his back where she did them in so hard she heard Klaus let out a low hiss.
"Take me to bed."
Hours later, their naked bodies entwined and tangled up with the sheets, Klaus woke startled as a high pitch scream pierced the soundless night atmosphere. Dread gripping his heart like a vice, it was a moment before Klaus recognized to whom the agonizing shrieks belonged to. Averting his eyes from the ceiling, he turned to Lacy and saw her claw at her bare tummy.
"Nik!"
Frozen with shock and pure terror, Klaus willed his brain and body to take action as he watched the woman he loved more than life itself writhe around on the bed helpless and tortured by an invisible force. Another yell and Klaus was pulled from his stupor.
"Lacy!"
"Nik! Something's wrong. Oh god. Nik… please…"
Her world gone black, Lacy did not hear Klaus cry out her name. She did not remember the journey to the hospital or the room full of doctors as they raced her down to surgery. As her body was cut and ravaged - her growing child removed from fallopian tube it had no purpose being in - and consequently sown back together, she remained unaware of the life existing around her. It was not until she awoke many hours later, disorientated and blinded by the light that penetrated through the open blinds, did she sense that her world had shifted irrevocably and Klaus was no where in sight.
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