Pairing: Keelin-Cami-Vanessa/Liv-Penny-Danny (FFF/fff) hand, brush
Nothing scares me more than people with some doll collection.
-Karl Lagerfeld
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mystic Falls, Virginia
Forbes Residence
Evening
Hours Earlier
Caroline came home to find a note from her mom that she was working late.
"So much for her day off," Caroline mumbled, crumbling up the note. Her mother also said for her to put her clean clothes away and vacuum her room.
"Seriously? How much is a maid anyway?" Caroline wondered aloud. She could certainly compel them a cleaning lady. Or was that something that the old Damon would have done? She shoved her clothes in her drawers, ran the vacuum, and then went to get a blood bag. One was not enough...
Bang, bang!
Caroline glanced at the clock and muttered, "Seriously?"
It was Stefan, standing at the front door.
"You're early!" Caroline said in an accusatory tone.
Stefan smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry. I tried to call you but you didn't answer. Um, Damon got in some trouble in school today. He's pretty shut down. I promised Jenna that I'd try to talk to him so I thought we could do this now? If that's okay."
"Yeah, come in," Caroline said, realizing she was still in the skirt and blouse she had worn to school. "Let me change, though."
Stefan came in as the Sheriff had invited him in before and shut the door behind him. He noticed Caroline was sipping on a blood bag.
"I'd offer you one, but it's human," Caroline pointed out. She tried to hide the bag she had already consumed on the kitchen table.
"Is that your second one?" Stefan inquired, sitting down at the table.
"Yeah," Caroline admitted. "It's just been a long day."
"Hand it over," Stefan demanded lightly. "You get one bag of human per day. Have a bag of animal blood."
Caroline's eyes widened, "Come on, Stefan. I'm out of animal. Tyler was going to bring more over later."
Stefan's brow furrowed, "Caroline, if this is going to work, you have to cooperate. Hand it over."
Caroline sighed and tossed the blood bag at the older vampire, splashing his white polo shirt with a small spray of blood.
"Really?" Stefan said dryly.
"Sorry," Caroline deflected, "that was an accident. Um, I'll be out in a minute."
Stefan nodded and put the tube back in the blood bag and put it back in the refrigerator. Sheriff Forbes had filled him in on the incident as school and warned him that Caroline was being very difficult.
Twenty minutes later, Caroline came out dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt that looked several sizes too large.
"I didn't think you owned a sweatshirt," Stefan grinned. Her blond hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail.
"I don't. It's one my dad left in the closet when he moved out," Caroline commented. "He was so eager to move in with his boyfriend that he left half his crap here."
Stefan stood and pushed away the cookbook entitled Heston Blumenthal at Home.
"Interesting cookbook. I don't even know what half those things are or you could cook with them...a refractometer, N2O canisters, or sous vide," Stefan joked.
"Yep, that was Dad's, too. I do miss his triple-cooked chips," Caroline noted. "But why are we talking about human food? I need vampire food. Can we go?"
"Sure," Stefan said. "Where do you want to start? The woods near the Quarry might be our best bet this time of day."
"Yeah, whatever," Caroline said, impatiently.
Stefan ignored the attitude and they took his red 1963 Porsche 356 Karmann Coupe on the road.
"So have you talked to your dad lately?" Stefan asked politely after a few miles of Caroline texting as he drove.
"Nope. He's been busy with work and his new boyfriend," Caroline said. "I mean, he's happy I'm back, but I just thing he's weirded out by me being a vampire."
Stefan reached over and patted her knee.
"He took it way better than our dad," Stefan smiled.
"Um, didn't you kill your dad?" Caroline clarified, looking at Stefan's profile.
"Yeah, my first. But in all fairness he shot both Damon and me dead so...," Stefan drifted off. After a century, he could think about that time without any emotion. It felt like another life.
"That's terrible," Caroline said. "Look! There's a deer."
Stefan pulled into a gravel lot near Stephen's Quarry and parked.
"Good. Now, the first thing I'm going to teach you is how to listen for heartbeats. It's easier than you might think. You just need to focus," Stefan said.
Caroline rolled her eyes. This was already boring, but she plastered a smile on her face and tried to look interested.
Mikaelson Mansion
Silas and Aaron's Room
"I thought I told you to tidy up this room?" Kol rebuked.
Aaron kicked at a clump of wet towels while Silas tossed his bedspread over his unmade bed.
"Yeah, we meant to but then we got distracted," Silas admitted. "The girls were planting their dolls in here to freak out Aaron."
Aaron nodded, "Yeah, it's true. Dad, they put like twenty dolls and stuffed animals all over the place. It took us forever to get them out. One of in my bed!"
"Another one was in the toilet!" Silas complained.
Marcel and Rebekah's huge king size bed had been removed and two twin beds had been added to the room. In the intervening space, the boys had set up their guitars, amps, and other musical equipment. Wires snaked through the room.
"Aaron, are you really afraid of baby dolls?" Kol pressed.
"Dad, didn't you ever see Child's Play? Chuckie is possessed. And he's a doll!" Aaron defended. "I can't sleep even thinking there is a doll somewhere in this room."
"Which is why the girls did it, I suppose," Kol sighed. "I'll speak to their parents. You boys sort out these wires and clean up. I want that laundry in the baskets or you could actually just throw it in the washing machine, which is right over there!"
Silas agreed, "That's a good idea. I keep forgetting we have a washer in the room. At the trailer parks I stayed in with Rose and Trevor, we were luckily if there was a laundromat in walking distance."
"What's a laundromat?" Aaron asked.
Silas threw a shoe at Aaron and Kol caught it before it hit his younger son. Aaron was heir to the Whitmore fortune whereas Silas had grown up as a foster child of two dubious humans who may have kidnapped him.
"I am surrounded by rich people," Silas groaned.
"Well, luv, you are one of them now. So adjust," Aaron said in Kol's British accent.
"Boys, no mucking about. You clean. I'm going to give you two hours and if it isn't done by then, I'm gonna hide both of ya," Kol warned.
"We're doing it, but I have a lot of homework," Silas reported.
"Me, too," Aaron whined.
"Then, best get to it. Someone is going to break their neck in here," Kol surmised. "And it bloody reeks!"
Kol followed the scent and found a bowl of cereal under Silas' bed.
"Dad, that's not mine. I swear," Silas protested. "It had to be the girls again."
"Aye," Kol said. "I'll be back. Two hours. Clock starts now."
Playroom
Cami bounced Ansel and cooed at him.
"Keelin, is that a tooth? Can you check his gums?" Cami asked, handing her son to his aunt.
Keelin had been stacking up coloring books on the table and trying to gather up crayons.
"Why am I doing this? Kids, come over here and pick up these crayons!," Keelin yelled. Rosie and Joey were sliding down the ramp on the playscape over and over again. They ignored Keelin as she took Ansel and checked his gums.
"I think it might be a tooth," Keelin announced. "Rosie, Joey, come on. Pick up the crayons and then we'll get ready for dinner."
"Mac and cheese tonight," Cami replied. "Klaus was horrified by the orange powder the first time he made it. I should probably go help him."
"Nah, let him tough it out," Keelin grinned. "I bet he'll break down and order in again. The new Thai place is supposed to be good."
"There's leftover pizza and wings for the other kids, but the girls are demanding Mac and Cheese," Cami laughed. "Since Penny had it at that playdate, that's all she wants to eat."
Rosie, the three year old redhead, marched over and pointed to Joey.
"Mama, JoJo pushed me," she wailed.
Keelin sighed, "I was watching, honey. Joey was trying to help you. Now, let me see who can pick up the most crayons. Go on, I'll time you."
Joey, the five year old, bolted over and begun to sweep up the majority of the crayons causing Rosie to cry that it wasn't fair.
Keelin got them to clean up and then took them to wash up for dinner. Cami followed and went to put Ansel down for his nap. He had been fussy all afternoon.
Klaus was sitting on their bed, starting at his phone.
"Klaus? I thought you were cooking...the mac and cheese?" Cami prompted. Klaus stood and held out his arms for Ansel, who was starting to cry.
"The boys are ordering in. Thai, I think," Klaus said heavily. "My sweet boy, hush. Shhh, let me put him down."
"Okay," Cami said. She went to the bathroom while she had the chance and came out to find Klaus waiting for her. His face told the story.
"You heard from Elijah?" Cami guessed.
"Yes, ah, the test results came in," Klaus reported. "Hayley Marshall is carrying my child..."
"Oh, Klaus," Cami cried, throwing herself in his arm. "It's gonna be okay. This isn't your fault. None of this."
Klaus held her and shut his eyes. "But perhaps it tis, if I was not so eager to break my curse..."
Cami pulled back and gave him a hard look.
"But then we wouldn't have Ansel. These children are not a mistake. Look at me, Klaus. It's going to be okay. You have to believe this," Cami entreated. "Do you?"
Klaus cleared his throat. He looked at Cami with his blue-green eyes full of pain. "Yes, you are correct, Wife. I am sorry. It is still a terrible shock. And there is more."
Cami pulled Klaus over to sit on the bed. She started to rub his shoulders, feeling the tension in them.
"Freya is concerned, as are Marcel and Elijah," Klaus spoke slowly. "They think Hayley needs to stay here for safety. They worry that one siphon or angel attack could decimate the school's defenses...-"
Cami stopped rubbing and pulled Klaus to her.
"Of course," Cami said. "This isn't some old lover of yours, but an innocent who has been pulled into the games of this cult. Bring her here. Please, Klaus, this is partly your child, too. We need to help protect them."
Klaus' eyes watered and he croaked, "You are the best thing that ever happened to me. In a thousand years on this Earth, I have known no purer soul, Dr. Camille O'Connell-Mikaelson."
"Oh yeah, well, you are going to see the devil side of me if you don't get up and go make the girls their mac and cheese. They aren't going to eat Thai," Cami smiled, using her thumb to wipe away a stray tear.
Klaus kissed her and basked a moment longer in her presence before leaving for the kitchen. On the way downstairs, he phoned Elijah and told him that Hayley would be welcomed. She was truly family now, always and forever.
Kol found Georgie trying on costumes in the bedroom. This time she was Cleopatra.
"Whoa, I like this one. Am I to be Richard Burton for our wedding then?" Kol asked, admiring her elaborate golden dress that hugged her figure.
"Who?" Georgie asked, adjusting her heavy golden head dress.
"The fellow who played Mark Antony in the film?" Kol prompted. "I know you are young, but I was in a coffin yet I still managed to see the movie."
Georgie ignored him and tossed off the wig.
"Nah, I think I look washed out in all this gold. I'll keep trying. Where were you?" Georgie asked.
"Well, with Marcellus and Elijah gone, I had to venture to town. I checked on the ice cream shop. Yes, I got you Butter Pecan, you can lick it off me tonight," Kol offered. "Then, I went to the Grill, heard about the broken pipe and the dull repairs. I had to phone some insurance fellow and then...Well, that's tis all. What did you do?" Kol grinned, watching her strip of the dress and toss it over the couch.
"I went shopping. Then, I babysat for a bit. I had to push the kids on the swings for hours and then dumped them back with Keelin and took a nap," Georgie announced. "Kid are exhausting. Oh, I picked up the new guitar for Silas. I hid it in the closet."
"Speaking of, have you checked the boys' room? It was worse than at the guest house," Kol affirmed. "But Penny, Liv, and Danny have been planting dolls and whatnot in their room...Apparently, Aaron is truly frightened of them. Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
"Oh yeah, I totally get it. I fucking hate dolls. Those things creep me out," Georgie shuddered. "I feel like I'm back in Hell again when I have to go in the little girls' room. Also, those kids are so spoiled. Why the hell do they need so many toys? I had a skateboard and a pet snake when I was a kid. That's it."
Kol went over and ran his hands over her arms.
"So I shouldn't look forward to you with a wee little one in your arms soon? That's all Rebekah could ever go on about. Our mum used to make her dolls out of straw and cloth that she played with until she was like 15," Kol recalled.
"No more kids," Georgie affirmed. "Can you put a bolt lock on the boys' new room to keep those pests out?"
"Nay, we're a family. I'll speak to their parents and see if they will talk to them," Kol stated with confidence. "No locks should be needed. It's almost time to sup. I'll catch up with you in the dining room, lovely girl."
Dining Room
Klaus served the mac and cheese proudly to the girls.
"Good job, Daddy," Penny said. "You did good."
"Thank you, my sweet," Klaus replied. "Liv, are you drinking cola?"
The girls broke down in laughter at Klaus' term.
"It's Coke, Uncle Klaus," Danny corrected.
Vanessa was serving leftover pizza to Lukas, Henrik, and Finn. She looked up. Liv took a big drink and smiled. It was good.
"What are you thinking, Liv? Go pour that down the sink," Vanessa instructed. Keelin was cutting up chicken nuggets for the smaller kids at the other end of the table.
Liv balked, "But the boys are drinking it?"
Erik looked over and pointed at his thermos, "No, ma'am, we ain't. This here is lemonade."
Connor knew Erik had blood in his bottle, but played along.
"Yeah, we ain't allowed to have soda, even at supper. Right, Dad?" Connor prompted.
"That's right. You all will be up all night," Klaus stated. "Go get some milk or juice, Olivia."
Liv angrily pushed back her chair and stomped out.
Keelin looked up, "What's this now?"
Klaus filled her in. "Ten going on 16, I swear. Why did she get Coke?"
Aaron and Silas looked at each other.
"She must have stolen it from our frig in our new room," Silas reasoned. "Sorry, Aunt Keelin, the girls have been sneaking in."
Tyler said to Matt, "I warned them about that..."
Penny looked at Klaus, "Dad, Auntie Bex used to let us get water and stuff when they lived there..."
Kol came in, "Where's Georgie? I thought she'd be done here."
Klaus replied, "She went to fetch something in the wine cellar."
"Oh, right," Kol said, sitting down. He helped himself to a chicken wing.
"Girls, did you tell your mums and dad here about pranking my boys with those dolls?" Kol asked, taking a bite.
Danny and Penny giggled, but Liv looked worried as she returned to the table with a cup of milk.
Keelin called down, "What did they do with the dolls this time?"
Aaron and Silas shared the story about their room last night.
Keelin looked irritated, "I told all three of you that the pranks were done. I suppose I didn't get through to you. Right after dinner, you clear your plates and go to your room. Klaus, Vanessa, maybe we can discuss this in private?"
"Yes, of course," Klaus said. The girls giggling stopped and the room grew silent. "I have some news. I heard from Elijah today..."
Klaus looked at Vanessa and then Keelin.
Vanessa looked down. "It's okay, Klaus. I know. I think you better share it before they get back."
Klaus took a breath. "Something happened when I was attacked over the summer. I cannot really explain it, nor do I recall much, but...I don't know how to say this."
Cami came in with some red curry and pad Thai.
"It's okay, hon," Cami encouraged. "They need to know."
"Well, a girl is coming here to stay for a short time. Her name is Hayley. She is going to have a baby. A very special child, like Ansel. This child is half-mine though I never had any relations with the mother," Klaus said.
Some of the kids asked, "What are relations?"
"Contact," Cami said lightly. "The point is that we need to protect Hayley and this new baby. We would ask that you welcome Hayley and keep observing the safety procedures we put in place. Can we all agree to that?"
"Yeah, of course," Tyler said. "Dad, we'll do what we can. Don't worry about that."
"Thank you, Son," Klaus said.
Georgie came in, "I got a couple of bottles of the good stuff. Jeez, what'd I miss? A funeral?"
Kol groaned, "I'll explain later..."
***
Younger Girls' Room
Bedtime
Cami, Vanessa, and Keelin came in and found the girls in bed in their pajamas. Penny was pretending to read a book. Liv was dressing a teddy bear as Danny tossed a ball up and down.
"Oh, look how fast you all changed," Cami said.
Danny nervously replied, "We brushed our teeth and our faces!"
"Good," Cami said, taking a seat near Penny on her bed.
"Mom, are we in trouble?" Penny prodded. She was wearing a white nightgown. Her inky black hair spilled onto her shoulders.
"I think you are," Cami answered. "And to be clear, Uncle Kol is not very pleased with the three of you. Are you allowed to go into the boys' room and mess around with things?"
Danny played with a stray thread on her pajama bottoms.
"But Mom, it was a joke," Danny tried.
"And I specially warned all three of you that I was going to paddle your behinds if there was anymore nonsense, didn't I?" Keelin asked firmly.
"Yes, I think I said something similar after you girls went and put those fake snakes in the younger boys' beds last week, didn't I?" Vanessa added.
Danny moaned, "I thought you were joking!"
Vanessa went over and flipped Danny over on her stomach, "You very well knew that I wasn't, young lady."
Swat! Swat! Swat!
"Ah, no, I want Daddy!" Danny shouted, trying to twist back to protect her behind. The small African American girl was crying already and kicking.
"Daddy will be home tomorrow and he will be very disappointed," Vanessa stated. "You all knew this was very naughty. The boys are cleaning their room and found three more dolls. Next time, you are going to lose your toys as well as getting spanked."
Vanessa popped Danny's bottom again.
Crack!
Liv got up and put her teddy bear back on the truck on the other side of the room.
"We thought you ought to apologize to Aaron and Silas before, but maybe you ought to write them apology notes tomorrow?" Keelin said firmly. "Come over here, please, Liv."
Liv put her hands up on her curly blond hair.
"No, you're going to spank me, Mama," Liv whined, her blue eyes wide with fear.
"Yes, I am. Now, over here or you're getting a paddling on top of what I already planned to give you," Keelin said firmly.
Cami went over and told Penny to flip over. She lifted her night gown over and spanked her over her underpants.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
"No, Mom, it's not fair! Liv is the one who stole the Cokes," Penny yelped. Cami put a hand on her back.
"Stop fussing or you are getting the hair brush like I used to when I was your age," Cami warned. She smacked Penny's behind harder.
"Olivia, I am going to start counting," Keelin threatened. Liv looked around wildly, like she was going to bolt.
"It's not fair, no one else gets spanked around here," Liv yelled, now glancing back and seeing Penny and Danny both getting spanked face down on their beds.
"One," Keelin said slowly. "Two..."
Keelin didn't want to tell Liv that her brother Kai had just been over her knee a few days earlier.
"Olivia, this is your last warning," Keelin said. "Three..."
Liv finally went over to Keelin, but Keelin walked over and grabbed her by the arm.
She pulled out a wooden desk chair and sat down, flipping her daughter over her lap. She pulled down Liv's pajama bottom shorts and underwear and began to smack her soundly on her bare backside.
"You do not go into other people's rooms without permission," Keelin lectured as she spanked. "And you three were supposed to be in bed."
Whack. Whack. Whack.
Liv gripped her mama's leg as she squirmed and tried to kick off her lap. "OWWWWW, it h-hurts. Stop!" Liv shrieked. "Ohhhh."
The room was filled with the sounds of smacks and cries, but Keelin wasn't done yet.
"Not until I get through to you," Keelin said. "Now, are you going to do this again?"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Noooooo," Liv wailed, kicking and crying louder.
"Okay, now go get me your hair brush," Keelin ordered, setting Liv down on her feet. Liv stomped and her hands went to her hot bottom.
Keelin turned her and smacked her behind hard.
Crack!
"Stop and get the brush," Keelin warned. "When I get to three, that's the paddle on the bare butt. Now, move."
Liv's shorts and underpants fell off as she cried and fussed on her way to the bathroom. She came back with a pink detangling paddle brush.
"Give me the brush and back over," Keelin ordered.
"No, Mama, g-give me a-another c-chance," Liv begged.
Keelin flipped her back over and patted her pink cheeks with the brush.
"This is because you wouldn't obey me," Keelin instructed. "Next time, I expect you to listen. The others girls' spankin's are done but you are getting paddled. Now stop squirming."
"Noooooo," Liv yelled out as the brush cracked down across both her checks.
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Liv was crying hard and lay limply over Keelin's lap.
"Okay, a few more so we don't ever have to do this again," Keelin shared. "I love you and won't have you behaving like a spoiled brat."
Whap! Whap! Whap!
"AWWWWWW," Liv shrieked. Keelin set the brush on the desk behind her and patted Liv on the back, as the other mom did the same with their daughters.
"Okay, it's over. Let's get you up," Keelin said gently. She stood up Liv after she stopped crying and helped her put her shorts and underpants back on.
"Sorry, M-Mama," Liv said in a hitched voice. "Is Uncle Kol really mad?"
Keelin hugged Liv to her as Cami and Vanessa tiptoed out of the room, dimming the lights.
"No, sweetie, I'm sure he'll talk to you tomorrow. But you all are going to write those apology notes. And you are paying for those drinks with your allowance. Mom and I don't want any of you drinking that stuff, you know that," Keelin said gently. She grabbed some tissues and had Liv blow her nose.
Keelin walked Liv over to her bed and tucked her in. She found her favorite doll and put it beside her daughter. She kissed all three girls and then softly shut the door.
Liv groaned as her hand rubbed her sore bottom. She pushed her doll onto the floor.
"Stupid doll," Liv hissed. "We should have used the snakes again..."
She looked over and noticed that Penny and Danny were sleeping. She sniffed and thought that maybe she shouldn't have secretly gulped down that Coke in the kitchen during dinner. She was wide awake.
