Summary: Less than a year after the events of "The Scream", Nik shows up at school covered in scars.
They can't wait any longer, if they wait any longer it will be too late. They have to act now, they have to run now, or next vacation they might not be able to look each other in the eye again. The group decides to run away together, but things are not that simple.
A: I don't own TVDU or any characters. I'm sorry for my bad english or if I portrayed something wrong.
Klaus appeared covered in scars at the end of summer vacation.
They had managed to hide him during the year, mistaking him for Mikael when he came to school with a belt, after Klaus had skipped both Easter and May vacantions at home. They had protected him, made excuses, done everything in their power so that he wouldn't have to go back there even for three weeks.
However, they weren't so lucky on summer vacation...so he returned home to his loving siblings, but also to the man in his nightmares. Katherine, Marcel, Stefan, Caroline, Hayley and even Damon tried to call him, but each time he told them he was fine, that he was with his siblings and not to worry. But the moment he showed up at the start of the school year covered in injuries, they saw red.
He remembered the exact moment his friends had seen his chest and back. Caroline immediately pulled him into a hug, Marcel held Katherine so she wouldn't find and kill Mikael, Hayley started crying, Damon closed his eyes, and Stefan caught him when Klaus fell from too much emotion. There were thick lines, bleeding, most of them hadn't even healed yet...and on his chest he had a burnt part, knife marks, whip marks, from Mikael's belt to match the ones on his back... It was...horrible, it was a horrible view.
He was…changed, Caroline soon realized. He spoke less and kept his head down, sometimes trembled, the nightmares had intensified. Even Professor Ansel, who spend a lot of time with him since the school started, couldn't make him laugh anymore. The wounds were deep, extremely deep. What had Mikael done to Klaus?
"Nik, are you sure you are feeling up to it?" Marcel asked in class, his French accent taking over the halls.
"It's just math..." Klaus said softly, almost in a whisper, hugging himself with his arms, seeking comfort.
"Yes, a two-hour class. I know you haven't been feeling too well lately, and that's okay. It's okay to feel down sometimes, Klaus. But...what did he do to you? It was worse than usual, I know that, so...what did Mikael do to you?"
Klaus' lips began to tremble and he closed his eyes.
"It's...it's alright, you don't need to talk about it, it's just...Klaus, we're here if you need anything. You're not alone in the dark anymore."
Silent tears began to fall down Klaus' cheek.
"Come" Marcel said softly, taking Klaus by the hand and leading him down an empty hallway. "It's just you and me, it's okay, let it out, let it all out."
So Niklaus had collapsed on the floor in Marcel's arms, shaking uncontrollably and fighting with his own emotions.
"You know that moment when you feel a pit of sadness in your stomach...it doesn't make sense, you don't know what it's from, but it just...makes you feel chained in the dark? Like...like life isn't worth living anymore?"
"I know." that was the only thing Marcel said as he pulled Klaus into a hug that he pulled out of within moments.
"We're late for class…" Klaus said softly, looking down at the ground.
"It's okay, it doesn't matter, but your health does, Klaus."
Suddenly, more footsteps were heard from the end of the hall, at which Klaus stood up at once with Marcel and tried to hide behind him, before he realized it was Caroline, Katherine, Stefan, Hayley and Damon. When he saw them, he immediately calmed down...they were his family.
"Teacher sent me to look for you, are you all right?" Hayley asked protectively.
"Nik…" Caroline said when she saw his teary eyes and pulled him into a kiss.
"We get you don't want to talk about what he did to you, Klaus, but you know we have an army full of boarding school students, right?" Damon said, sarcastic as always, but soft with Klaus. He understood what Klaus has been through.
"I...I c-can't breathe..." Klaus said, more tears falling heavily down his cheeks.
That's when Katherine springs into action. She took Klaus' hand and lay down on the gray floor with him, cupping his face in her hands and breathing with him at the same time. By the time his rebreathing returned to normal, the others were already lying on the floor with them.
"Honestly, it's a really good way to spend more time together." Damon was joking.
"Are you okay, Nik?"
"Yeah…" Klaus said, holding Caroline to his chest.
"He's wrong, you know that, right? You're not weak, or stupid, or a coward, Klaus, don't you ever dare to say something like that about our friend. You're strong, loyal, brave, powerful, smart, we love you. I love you."
And so they sat: lying on the floor of a deserted hall during class, nestling in each other so that no one else could break them, hurt while they were together. They were protecting each other, but more importantly, they were protecting him. However, the tears had not stopped.
"Klaus, why are you crying? It's going to be okay."
Klaus quickly wiped away his tears, ashamed of his display of weakness, then said:
"I don't know, I just...I can't make them stop..."
They all knew what was happening all too well.
"Klaus, remember my first year here?" Marcel said. "I was terrified. My aunt had just gotten custody of me and I was transported into a whole new world, alone. And then I met you...you became my friend, my family, my protector, you showed me that I never had to be alone again, you calmed me down and stood by me no matter what. Let us return you the favor."
"I...I f-found out something else this summer..." Klaus said, looking at the wall dead in the eye, then added: "Professor Beckett ~ Ansel...he...he's my biological father...the reason why my mother chose this boarding school."
"What?"
"That's amazing, Nik!" Hayley smiled slyly, delighted.
"How's...how's that amazing...?" Nik asked tiredly.
"He can sue your mother, get your custody, free you from Mikael. Did you talk to him?"
"Yes...I talked with him in the first day of school...he didn't know about the abuse, but he's furious...he's not furious at me, he's furious at Mikael, at my mother and at himself, that he couldn't safe me sooner...but he wants to take me at his house after the school ends, be my dad... He likes to paint, and to carve."
"You get this from him." Caroline said, smiling peacefully.
"Let's run together." Damon said suddenly, sitting up on his bottom.
"What?" Caroline laughed.
"Yes, let's run together. I'm 18, I can legally adopt you all, and with the help of Professor Beckett, Klaus can get rid of Mikael and live with all of us."
"Yes, legally you can adopt us all, but it's impossible, Damon."
"I'm in." Katherine said with murderous eyes. "Let's run together. And don't even think I'm going to leave you in that house another day, I've seen what's on your chest Klaus. We're going to get Ansel to get full custody of you."
"It's crazy, we can't just run away like that..." Caroline said.
"In an year. We will be 18 until then, we will be able to move together. The school is already paid, there are just the holidays, we're like a family, and Damon already has my custody... Do I need to continue with the reasons?" Stefan said. "We can't let Klaus among Mikael anymore, it's..."
Klaus cut him off.
"We can't run...I... H-he...he almost killed m-me this summer."
"What?" fearful faces looked at him, and wondering questions were heard.
"Hit my head on the stairs at one point, Elijah said I was extremely lucky I didn't had to be hospitalized. He managed to get some of his friends to come check on me with the excuse that I- I tripped on the stairs, but I'm fine...I just passed out, I just get a few stitches."
"Just 'a few stitches'?! Just 'passed out'?! Nik, it's serious, you could…" Katherine breathed. "You could have died." she added with stony but tearful eyes. "Yes, we will definitely run away together."
"Alright, I'm in too. But maybe my mother can help us." Caroline spouse.
"Yeah, we'll call Sheriff Forbes...that means we won't have to wait, we can stay at your house until we will be major, Care." Hayley said with a twinkle in her eye. "There will be a lot of paperwork and stuff to fill out, fear, and court visits, but I think we'll be able to escape...we'll be free."
Klaus sat on Stefan's shoulder, tired. It had been too much, mentally, for him. But they would run away together, away from Mikael, they had all agreed...it would be fine, right? It must be... They were just impossible dreams, but what if it wasn't real? It was too much, too hard, seemed too far, unrealistic. "To be free", they were teenagers, most of them not even 18... But they had the protection of Liz Forbes, Professor Beckett, his biological father, he still had to get used to it...and Damon Salvatore, and maybe he could talk to Marcel's aunt... It could have been a lot worse, at least they were safe at school, this boarding school had saved them, Professor ~ Ansel and the heads of houses had saved them...this boarding school had become their home.
And so, as they strolled early in the morning through a kind of covered garden, the walls carved with ancient patterns, while outside the sweet, cold, London rain fell softly on the flowers, as the group strolled down the hall, shining with wealth and of gold. The outer lobby was furnished with a few silk benches, some vending machines, and a few chandeliers, although there was plenty of room for natural light.
It was pleasant, Klaus noted, although it usually annoyed him to walk around here very early in the morning due to the blinding sun making his already doubled over headache from this summer's incident intensify.
However, now it didn't seem to bother him anymore, everything was...numb. He walked with Caroline on one side of him and Marcel on the other, the rest of the group forming a shield, sitting on either Caroline's left or Marcel's right.
They will escape. It wasn't a dream, it wasn't just simple ideas. They will escape, he will be free from Mikael, he will be safe... Caroline had already spoken to her mother, where Klaus stayed over the Easter break, and Liz Forbes was ready to use legal force to welcome them all into her home, but she wasn't going to let them live alone, just them, still.
Katherine jumped in front of him and took his hand, grinning, her 20 cm (about 7.87401575 inches) heels clinking on the marble floor.
"Ok, Nik, I need you to breathe... I got your papers sorted Klaus. I got Esther to admit that Mikael is not your biological father on the papers and give up her guardianship."
"Wait, what?"
"I told you...there's nothing I can't do." Katherine grinned wilder.
~the night before~
"Esther Mikaelson?"
Esther picked up the phone only to hear a rather familiar young voice coming from the other end. She was still in an evening dress with a pearl necklace. Mikael was missing again and her children were upstairs in their rooms.
"Yes?"
"Let me introduce myself, I'm Katherine Pierce. You heard about me, didn't you?"
"Of course, Niklaus talks about you a lot, his best friend. Why...why did you call?"
"Simple, you're going to give up your parental rights to Klaus in court so he can stay with Liz Forbes and Professor Beckett, because we all know he's Klaus' biological father and the reason why did you choose this school."
"I..."
"No, don't even think about saying anything else, if you're going to try to refuse I have no problem calling Mikael and telling him absolutely everything that was between you and Ansel Beckett seventeen years ago, and the whole Dahlia-Freya-incident."
"You know..."
"I know everything, but she's free now, so I won't tell...if you're going to do what I'm saying. I'll send you the papers. Goodbye, Esther."
~the morning~
"In two years from now, we will all be living together, away from our families and our demons. You have my word on that." Katherine said, using one expression that reminded Klaus so much of Elijah.
"Niklaus?" Ansel's voice came from behind them, he spoke softly and used a sweet and harmless tone so as not to startle the young blond. "Can we talk a moment?" he then asked, leaning lower so as not to intimidate his traumatized son.
"We're coming with you." Caroline said.
"No, it's alright. Thank you, love, I will see you in class." Klaus said, smiling softly, and then following Ansel down the hallway.
When they reached his office, Ansel closed the door and sat down on the couch, motioning for Klaus to sit next to him.
"Do you want anything? Water, some tea?" Ansel asked, but Klaus just shook his head. "I talked with Esther, she signed the papers so I can have full custody of you."
"Really?"
Klaus' eyes were surprised and delighted and filled with tears, but tears of joy...sure, Katherine had told him what she had done, but now it was all confirmed. Noticing his tears, Klaus bent his head and tried to wipe them away, but Ansel put a finger under his eye and said,
"It's alright, there's no need to hide. I cry too, everyone cries, and happy tears are a good sign...you're strong, Klaus, but I'll make sure you don't feel the need to build walls anymore around feelings you're beautiful can you hear me? You're perfect, wolfy." Ansel paused, then said, "How do you want me to call you? Klaus, Niklaus, Nik? Other nicknames? You can choose whatever you want, you're in control here."
Klaus paused, then slowly, hesitantly, said:
"Nik, I want you to call me Nik, that's what my siblings and my friends call me. That's what my family calls me."
"Klaus" was too hard, a protective wall, and "Niklaus" was too formal, reminded him too much, but "Nik"…Nik was him, Nik was perfect, Nik was loved no matter what.