Later that day after lunch Antonia and Klaus had went to check on Gloria the witch while Rebekah tired of all that decided to go straight to the warehouse. Klaus and Antonia arrived a little later only to find Rebekah backing away from Stefan.
"Gloria's gone" Klaus said as the door shut behind him and Antonia as they quickly made their way to where Rebekah and Stefan were. "She's cleared out completely, we need to find a new witch immediately" he finished as Antonia quickly came up behind him.
"Good riddance in my opinion…" Antonia trailed off once receiving side eye from Klaus and she saw the odd body language of Rebekah with Stefan.
Klaus took notice too, "What's going on?" His focus and demeanor completely shifting.
"Somethings wrong, he was asking about Mikael" Rebekah informed her brother who was looking more and more murderous by the second, "He's not with us Nik. I can sense it"
If a vampire could sweat Stefan would be drowning in sweat, he was trying to stay calm but he was transparent. Even Antonia could see something was amiss, she took a step back to stand behind Klaus feeling very uneasy.
Shaking his head Stefan tried to cover up his obvious lack of team mentality, "She's wrong. Klaus-". Klaus flashed forward and snapped his neck with a sickening sound. Antonia covered her mouth holding back a gasp, not sorry Stefan's neck was snapped just as the sheer surprise at the action.
Everything happening after happened quite rapidly, Klaus got his minions to load up the caskets into a moving truck, Rebekah pulled Antonia into a SUV and they just left. Antonia knew from their faces that she shouldn't ask any questions, and in her defense, she made it three hours on the road before she said one peep.
"So, I take it Stefan not supposed to know about Mikael?" Antonia asked leaning forward to hold onto the back of Klaus' seat as he drove.
Klaus slammed on the breaks sending everything and everyone in the car lurching forward. The car behind them swerved and beeped as they sped past. Still stopped in the middle of the road turning around his seat Klaus narrowed his eyes as he dangerously low asked, "What do you know about Mikael?" His eyes flashed gold and for a split-second Antonia was terrified.
"Just what 'Rin told me…" Antonia said rubbing her neck where her seat belt had dug into her flesh at the abrupt stop.
Rebekah looked like she was about to both cry and murder her, something reflected in Klaus' eyes. Just as he was about to open his mouth Antonia beat him to it. "I swear I didn't say anything to Stefan, I swear it! It's not my place to tell him about your father" the girl spit out.
"Are you lying! Antonia don't lie!" Rebekah screamed much to both Klaus and Antonia's surprise. Rebekah lunged at Antonia gripping her shoulders, "Tell me the truth did you tell Stefan about Mikael" She compelled Antonia as an angry tear rolled down Rebekah's cheek.
"No" Antonia said monotoned.
"Rebekah!" Klaus yelled at his sister pushing her off of Antonia. "Don't you dare ever, EVER, compel Antonia again!"
"She could have been lying! We needed to know!" Rebekah snapped defending her actions as she shamefully eyed Antonia who pressed herself up against the car's inside.
"I told you I wasn't lying!" Antonia said finding her voice holding eye contact with Rebekah. Klaus let out a sigh and pulled the car over to the side of the road seeing as cars were coming down the road in the distance.
Turning back around in his seat Klaus glared at Rebekah before speaking to Antonia. "What has she told you?"
"'Rin only told me that he was your father and was made into a vampire hunter. She was scared more of him than she was of you, she swore me to secrecy"
"Katherine was smart to swear you to secrecy. He-"
"Compel her not to say anything, Nik!" Rebekah screamed interrupting Klaus.
"Rebekah!" Klaus scolded his sister for interrupting but also for the suggestion. Internally he was battling himself, whether or not he felt comfortable having someone walking around with so much knowledge of Mikael but also not being comfortable with compelling his mate. His mate.
"That's not a bad idea" Antonia said, Rebekah and Klaus both turned from glaring at each other to snapping their heads in surprise. She had to suppress a chuckle at their faces, "I'd never say anything but this way I can literally never say anything, besides if it keeps my neck from being snapped..."
"It would protect us Nik" Rebekah pointed out. And for the first time in a long time Klaus actually looked like he didn't want to compel someone, "What is the hesitation about?" Rebekah asked nervously.
"Rebekah just do it, it's the right thing to do I don't want my knowledge to be used against you" Antonia urged as she threw a pleadingly looked at Klaus. She knew it was impulsive, wanting to be compelled in order to gain trust from them but also in the long run keeping her Alpha, her mate, safe was her only concern. No, Antonia wanted to do this for Klaus.
Rebekah wasted no time sitting forward taking ahold on Antonia's shoulders. Just as she was about to compel her into silence Klaus broke from his frozen state.
"I'll do it" He snapped taking ahold of Antonia's chin directing her to face him. Klaus' gaze roamed her face as he still held her chin searching for uncertainty but all he found in her eyes was trust and good intentions.
"It's for your protection, it's okay" the words were soft but held great weight. Never had Klaus had someone willingly give up something like their freewill to keep him safe, to protect him. Antonia swore she saw his eyes go glossy with emotion before he spoke.
"You will never speak to anyone other than Rebekah and myself about Mikael"
Antonia blinked out of the compulsion, "Okay now that we've got that settled can we stop for food?", tension immediately left the air as she spoke.
Rebekah let out a light laugh, "We compel you and you're already thinking about food? I will never understand you Antonia" earning an eyeroll and a playful shove from the human.
"So where exactly are we headed?"
"Back to Mystic Falls, Stefan's behavior is making me suspicious I'm missing something." Klaus answered turning around to star the car. Antonia nodded mindlessly as she hoped that Katherine would still be around.
One burger king and a very hours later, "Antonia move to the front I want to take a nap"
"Excuse me?" Antonia mumbled as she sipped on her milkshake.
"I said- "Rebekah started with a snarky tone.
"Please, is the word you're looking for" Antonia quipped playfully serious as she unbuckled climbing to the front seat beside Klaus shake and fries in hand. Rebekah just rolled her eyes before stretching out on the seats before trying to sleep. She almost made it but a sharp turn by the Hybrid had her doing the splits over the middle console. Klaus tried to steady her by her elbow, "Careful there".
"Careful there with your driving" she teased as she managed to pull her other leg over the middle, settling in to her seat buckling in.
"Didn't know you were so flexible, sweetheart" He smirked as he looked over at Antonia who was stuffing her face with fries.
"Oh, stuff it"
"Just like you're stuffing your face?" It was teasing but Antonia's face still turned bright red, she set down her fries in the console aside her shake. "I'm just teasing, love"
"I know" Antonia said trying to hide behind the music she turned up the dial. A Michelle Branch song was on and as Antonia situated herself she started to hum along as she scrolled through her phone.
I didn't know that it was so cold
And you needed someone to show you the way
So I took your hand and we figured out
That when the time comes I'd take you away
Klaus glanced over at the beautiful girl in his passenger seat. Wearing a matching shorts and top set in a lilac shade he was almost too distracted by her beauty that he started to force himself to concentrate on staying in his lane as he drove. Part of him was really starting to believe that Antonia was his mate, it was the little things that were adding up for; the touches filled with …with that energy, the way she looked at him, trusted him and finally the way she wanted to be compelled in order to protect him and his family.
If you want to I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside So busy out there
A smile graced Antonia's face as she read a text from Katherine as she continued to hum along.
And all you wanted was somebody who cares
I'm sinking slowly So hurry hold me
Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on
Please can you tell me
So I can finally see
Where you go when you're gone
The song ended and transitioned to a commercial as Antonia typed out a reply, "You have a beautiful voice, I can see why that man asked you to sing in his club" Klaus complimented referring to the man who asked Antonia to sing in his club when he spotted her on the streets singing for food.
"I was singing?" Antonia looked up shocked, she swore she was only humming.
"You were"
"Oh gosh" She buried her face in her hands.
"Don't be shy, love, you're a great singer" Klaus flirted.
"It's been a long while since I've sung in front of anybody I must be really rusty" Antonia let out a groan.
"Trust me you aren't rusty" He gave her a genuine smile as she pulled a piece of hair behind her ear returning his smile.
"Can I ask a question"
"What is it?"
"Is this how it always is?"
"How so?"
"Are we going to always stay on the road do you have a home, one like one in Mystic Falls?"
"After I've got my Hybrids and I'll find a place that is suitable for all of us I don't see why we couldn't settle down. Is that what you want?" Klaus asked his eyebrows furrowed in question,
"Maybe, I don't know? I guess I'd like to have some sense of normality, I guess I want a place to call home, what do you want?" Antonia shifted in her seat to face him feet up on the seat as signs for Virginia came into sign.
"A place to call home doesn't seem so bad" Klaus glanced back through the rearview mirror at his sleeping sister, "What you don't like trekking all around the East coast with me, love?"
"Not when in involves hiking" Antonia chuckled.
Silence soon filled the car as the sun started to set. Antonia watched as the trees passed by, Rebekah continued to sleep with Klaus watching over both of them. It was nearly dark by the time Klaus pulled up to the mansion. After a moment of just sitting looking up at the mansion from the car Klaus got out. Antonia unbuckled turning to wake Rebekah in the back.
Once inside they found it bustling with maids and compelled employees cleaning up the house.
"This isn't terrible, Nik" Rebekah stated as her heels clicked after her following a maid up to her room. Klaus made a sound of agreement as he stalked off to probably yell at someone.
Antonia stood in front of the grand stair case looking at the maid with her bags that she should follow but her feet kept her in her place.
"Can I help with anything?"
"I'm sorry I don't understand" the woman said as she cocked her head in confusion.
"I'd like to help clean or something, let me be useful" Antonia said reaching forward taking the bags from the woman's hands who gave her a shocked look when she set them down by the stairs. The maid started to stutter, "Maybe I can help organize or dust things?"
Realizing that Antonia wasn't going to back down the woman conceded, "You can help me put the groceries away in the kitchen".
They walked to the kitchen to find it filled to the brim with groceries all still in their bags, "There isn't a system so put them away however you see fit, I'll be in the other room" she said shortly as she left Antonia.
Antonia was able to be mindless as she started to put the food away in the cabinets. She didn't mind, rather she enjoyed being what she considered useful. It brought back fond memories smiling as she worked she thought of the summers spent in the forests picking blueberries with the other girls in the pack. It didn't take very long to get everything put away and soon Antonia moved on to mopping the floors in the foyer.
Klaus must have left sometime during the time she was cleaning because suddenly the door was opening just as she was mopping in front of it. The door suddenly was hitting her in the ass causing her to knock over the bucket of dirty soapy water sending it splashing everywhere she just mopped.
"Woah Antonia" Klaus said clearly not expecting someone to be so close or even anywhere near the door. Setting down what he was carrying on the table in the entrance as he turned the bucket up right. "What are you doing?"
"I was mopping the floor" Antonia laughed out hysterically as she realized she was going to have to mop the entire foyer again.
"I have maids for that, so why are you doing it?" He asked pointedly grabbing the boxes off the table putting a hand behind her back bringing her along to a ballroom of sorts where maids were working to clean and put the room together.
"I wanted to help out, I didn't think it was a big deal" Antonia said as she brought along the mop she still held as she let Klaus guide her.
Klaus gave her a look of irritation that she even wanted to help clean, addressing the maids and other people working he spoke loudly for them all to hear. "Antonia is to under no circumstances be given a job that belongs to you. If someone so much as gives her another bloody mop" Klaus boomed taking the mop from her holding it up, "I will personally be slicing off your hands. Have a goodnight". For dramatic effect he threw he mop into the middle of the room with a twisted grin. With that he turned to leave only pausing to call Antonia to follow after him. Antonia was left stunned but quickly composed herself throwing an apologetic smile to the maids before running to catch up with Klaus as he started up the marble stairs.
She slightly panted as her shoes squeaked on the stairs. "What was that, Klaus?" Antonia asked finally catching up to him halfway up.
"I don't want you to be doing chores that's what I pay the maids for!" Klaus said as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.
"I know I'm not stupid but I wanted to pull my weight!" They made their way to the top of the grand stair case. "What's in those anyways?"
"Dinners because I realized you hadn't eaten dinner yet" His voice immediately softens as Antonia went up on her tiptoes to steal a peek in the boxes trying to open the lid.
"uhhh un uhh, why don't we sit down to eat them" he said lifting them out of her reach.
"Fine" Antonia dragged out rolling her eyes as they walked to the library/sitting room down the hall.
Splayed out on the couch with a box of fries and a chicken sandwich as Klaus was lounging in a chair opposite her with his own. "Did you really go out to get this when you have Frankie to do it?" asked Antonia as she held up her sandwich to him.
"I had other business to take care and decided to pick it up on the way back"
"What kind of business?"
"Snapping Stefan's neck again" he said casually as he bit into a handful of fries toeing off his shoes letting them tumble to the floor as he put his feet up on the coffee table.
"Ooo sounds like fun" Antonia joked. "Fuck"
"What?"
"I got ketchup on my top, damn it" Moving to get up Antonia dabbed it with a napkin dipping in her water from the table. The lilac fabric stained red with the sauce.
"I'll buy you another"
"What you going to go all the way to Chicago to get another?" giving up after a minute of dabbing with water she sat back angrily eating fries.
"For you, yes"
"You're lying" she giggled out crossing her arms.
"I'd send Frankie for you" He smiled as Antonia busted out laughing.
"It's okay I wouldn't go for you either, I'd just send Frankie too"
Klaus and Antonia genuinely laughed with each other, they made eye contact and the laughing stopped. They both kind of just lost themselves in each other's eyes. Antonia smiled at him, "Klaus I have a question"
"What is it love?"
In the moment the whirring of the ceiling fan was all that filled the room as Antonia bit her lip contemplating if she should ask or not.
"What' on your mind?"
"Klaus! A word?" Frankie busted in interrupting Antonia just as she was about to open her mouth.
