… So, it's been too long since I posted. But rest-assured I was very productive during my time away: I am now in season 10 of Grey's Anatomy! And I'm re-watching Once Upon A Time and I'm now in season 5! Very productive!
(I also finished another semester of grad school, AND I'm starting my last semester [hopefully] this spring)
As an apology for not uploading in a while, several chapters are coming soon!
KLAUS
Two full days after the ritual, Klaus woke up in his human form. He could feel every twig and blade of wild grass underneath his naked body. In fact, all of his senses had been heightened. The morning light was almost too bright for his sensitive eyes. The sun's heat was gentle in the early morning, but Klaus fancied that he could feel the heat from the rays on his skin. As he blinked the sleep from his eyes he found that he could see further than he could when he was only a vampire. A bird chirped a mile away, and Klaus could hear it. He could smell his brothers' close proximity- especially Elijah's expensive cologne- and each and every native Virginia plant.
Klaus grinned as he stretched. His muscles were deliciously sore and his belly was full. The wolf that had been caged at the back of his mind was finally free and sated. Yes, the animal was currently resting, but it would need frequent nights of wildness to compensate for one thousand years of being caged. Klaus was looking forward to the next time he could run free.
A bundle of clothes landed next to Klaus and broke him out of his musings. He looked up to find his brothers standing over him. Something akin to pride bubbled in Elijah's eyes, while Kol looked rightfully wary. Both of Klaus's brothers looked like they had rolled around in the dirt; their clothes were torn and dirty, and their hair was messed up. Ironically, Klaus was the cleanest of them all- though that wasn't saying much.
"You have been busy," Elijah said as Klaus climbed to his feet and began to dress.
"That was… amazing," Klaus said in wonder. "How long was I out?"
Werewolf Klaus experienced time differently. He could recall some moments clearly, like his kills, but other moments went by quickly. He knew he had spent hours running around the forest, but to him it felt like only minutes. He vaguely remembered the sun rising and setting, but he was unsure how many times that had happened.
"Two days. It is May 1st; the ritual was on April 28th. The full moon came and went. You remained a wolf," Elijah informed him, casually leaning against a tree.
"I can change at will, then. It's good to know," Klaus finished buckling his pants and looked at Elijah, victory in his eyes. "I remember every single kill."
"Yes, I've been cleaning your little mess up along the way," Elijah said in that long-suffering way that all older siblings spoke.
Klaus chuckled. "Just like old times, brother."
"Yes, yes, Nik has been a naughty boy. That is nothing new. Do you remember kidnapping Miriam?" Kol demanded.
Klaus tutted as he pulled on a pair of hiking boots. "Most siblings greet each other with a hug or a kiss. Where are your manners, Kol?"
"Back in the coffin you left me in," Kol spat.
"Peace," Elijah cautioned.
"Hello, dear Kol. It is nice to see you after one hundred years. I can see that your nap has done nothing for your temperament," Klaus teased.
Kol just bared his teeth.
"To answer your rude question, I remember killing the vampires and witches who were attacking the farmhouse, and then I rescued my mate," Klaus said smugly. He remembered each witch and vampire he destroyed; he could still taste the witches' blood in the back of his mouth. He had thoroughly enjoyed their demise. By ending those would-be assassins, Klaus had demonstrated his superior strength to the world, and, more importantly, to his mate. He had taken her away from her unsafe home and had protected her throughout the night until his siblings found them the next morning. He had protected her. He had kept her warm and secure. He was stronger, faster, and better than any other living creature. He was the ideal mate. The hybrid creature of wolf and vampire inside him still preened at the idea of presenting his mate with the heads of all who would threaten her. Klaus was fairly certain that Miriam would not like the severed heads of her enemies as a gift, but he was highly tempted to do so.
"Do you remember killing those hunters?" Elijah asked.
Klaus pondered the question as he put on a green long-sleeved flannel shirt. "I remember there being two human men with her. They had guns, and when they saw me they shot at me. I defended myself and Miriam, who I was afraid was going to get caught in the crossfire."
One of them had also touched Miriam. Klaus hadn't liked that. Possessiveness as strong as a tidal wave had hit him. His werewolf brain had seen the touch as a challenge. And Klaus, werewolf body or not, never backed down from a challenge. So he had brutally killed them. But he wasn't going to mention that fact to Elijah.
His older brother didn't look convinced, but continued, "Well, Miriam did not enjoy their deaths as much as you probably did. In her haste to get away from the scene, she fell and scraped up her hands."
Guilt stabbed at Klaus. "But she is alright now?"
"No thanks to you," Kol sniped.
"What do you believe is an appropriate gift to apologize?" Klaus ignored Kol's snide remark and instead addressed his question to Elijah. "Would flowers be too cliché?"
"I doubt there is a cliché for apologizing for emotionally traumatizing the human mate you share with your vampire brothers after you kill other humans in front of her," Elijah said dryly.
"So… diamonds?" Klaus tried.
Elijah chuckled. "Stick with flowers. And maybe materials for her knitting hobby."
"Can we leave now?" Kol said impatiently. "We have a long way to go if we want to return to our mate today."
"How far are we from Mystic Falls?" Klaus asked. He accepted a hiker's jacket from Elijah and shucked it on.
"Far," Elijah admitted. "You ran for so long that we are now deep into the Appalachian Mountains. It will take us half a day to reach the farmhouse."
"Well, we best get going, then," Klaus smiled sharply. "Race you!"
And he took off before either of his brothers could move.
The trio arrived at the farmhouse just as the sun was setting. They had made only one stop at the local florist before going to the house. As they approached, June walked out of the house. Her arms were crossed and she regarded them with a weathered and wary eye.
"Greetings. We are tired and in need of a shower. May we enter?" Elijah said. He, like Klaus and Kol, had felt the magic that protected the perimeter of the house. It was keeping them from stepping onto the porch.
"Inside are your brother, your sister, August, Caroline, and Miriam. If there was a fight, Miriam would be the one who would get hurt," June noted.
"We have no intentions of Miriam getting hurt," Elijah said.
"That may be, but I still need a promise from the three of you before I have August remove this barrier."
"Enough of this foolishness!" Klaus snapped. He could smell Miriam, and he desperately wanted to set his eyes on her, to make sure she was whole and well. June was keeping him from getting to his mate, and he didn't like it. "Let us in."
"No; not until you swear that you will not quarrel physically with your siblings, or anyone for that matter, while on the property," June commanded.
"Who are you to order me?" Klaus demanded.
"I am the one in charge of making sure Miriam survives all five Mikaelsons under one roof," June retorted.
"We wouldn't hurt her," Kol said seriously.
"I know you have no intentions of harming her, but that does not mean she could not come to harm if you five decide to hash out old wounds," June said. She locked eyes with Elijah. "People who love the Mikaelsons never live long. Remember Francisco? He died by the hands of your enemies. Or Celeste, who died due to the actions of Klaus."
"Miriam is different," Klaus declared.
"Then prove it," she challenged. "Vow to me that you will not start a fight while on this property."
"I vow to you that I will not start a fight while on the premises," Elijah said. He nudged Kol forward.
"Dammit, Elijah! Yes, yes, I swear to not start a fight."
Elijah and Kol looked at Klaus.
Klaus hesitated. He did not want to start a fight with his siblings. If anything, he believed he might have to defend himself from Finn or Rebekah. He had no intention of putting Miriam in danger, but he didn't like being told what to do. He especially did not like June ordering him around. The need to show that he, not June or his brothers, was in control was overwhelming.
Klaus tried to clench his fist, but the bouquet of flowers kept him from closing his hand. He looked down at the bright flowers and vacillated between the need to demonstrate his power and the need to see Miriam… If there was anyone who was worth him curbing his pride, it was Miriam.
"I also swear to not be the cause of a fight while on this property," Klaus said. He ignored the look of pride Elijah shot him and the victory in June's eyes. "Now, let us in!"
August came out of the house and lowered the barrier. The three brothers didn't even acknowledge him as they hurried into the house. They found their mate and their siblings in the kitchen. Rebekah and Miriam were sitting at the counter, both nursing glasses of red wine. Caroline and Finn were standing in front of the stove. Caroline, dear, sweet Caroline, was instructing Finn on how to assemble lasagna. She was trying to talk slowly for Finn, but her excitement kept getting the best of her.
All the inhabitants of the kitchen looked at the door as the three brothers walked in. Finn nodded in greeting, Caroline waved with a spatula, and Miriam grinned at them.
"So no one died," Rebekah said. "Boring."
"It was close for a minute or two," Elijah said. He went over to her and kissed her on the cheek.
She wrinkled her nose. "You smell like wet dog and trees. You need to bathe."
"That is the first item on the agenda," Elijah grinned and kissed Miriam's forehead in greeting. "Hello, vorgyðja. How have these past two days treated you?"
"Hello. Everything has been calm, for once. I'm expecting life to suckerpunch me in the face for saying that," she said cheekily.
"I wouldn't allow that." Elijah tweaked her nose. "I am going to go shower."
"You do that," she grinned. "Dinner will be ready in a little over an hour."
Elijah left, but not before giving Klaus a look that said 'talk to her!' On his way out he grabbed Kol by the back of his neck and led him up the stairs to the second floor of the farmhouse. Everyone else in the house ignored the sharp curses from Kol's lips as his brother strong-armed him away.
Even though Klaus's sister was in the room, and the other people who lived at the farmhouse, all he could see was Miriam. She was in a simple outfit of blue jeans and a green sweater. She didn't dress as glamorous as some of Klaus's former paramours. She wasn't a witch or a vampire or a werewolf. And yet, despite all the things she wasn't, despite all the evil things he had done, she looked at him and smiled. It was then and there that he decided that he was done ignoring the mating bond. The combination of his vampire side and his werewolf side desiring a bond with her was too strong to ignore any longer. And with the addition of his undaggered brothers, who were not wishing him luck with Miriam, Klaus knew that he needed to at least begin to actively pursue her affections or risk losing her to his brothers.
So before he lost his nerve, Klaus presented Miriam with the bouquet of happy yellow and white flowers that he held.
"For me?" her smile was bashful as she accepted the flowers.
"Yes," he cleared his throat as nerves crawled up his back. "They are daffodils, which are the March birth flower, your birth flower. They symbolize spring: new beginnings, eternal life, and hope."
Daffodils also meant friendship, admiration, and endless love for someone. Klaus didn't love Miriam. He didn't even know if he was capable of the love that she deserved. But he was fond of her, and if given the chance, he would water that fondness into something more.
"Hope," she repeated, a small, enigmatic smile on her face. "What are you hoping for?"
"I hope for a chance to court you properly," he said boldly.
"Courting is an old folk term for dating, right?" Caroline whispered to June and August, who had followed the brothers into the kitchen. August snickered, but Klaus ignored him. He was too focused on Miriam's face to worry about the others.
"I will say yes on one condition," Miriam said, and her words made his throat tighten.
"Which is?" Regret stabbed at his heart. Conditions. Everyone in his life had conditions on their relationship with him. His mother, his father, his siblings, even the lovers he had taken over the years. They all had conditions. And now Miriam was no different.
Klaus dared to look into her eyes. He wanted to face whatever condition she was going to set on their budding relationship. But to his surprise, he didn't find disdain or coldness in her brown eyes. No, the look in her eyes was… playful?
"No more camping trips," she teased.
Relief, pure and sweet, filled him. She had been teasing him! Miriam wasn't placing conditions on him, and wasn't expecting him to act a certain way. She was even smiling at him!
"Deal," he let out a relieved laugh. But a feeling (it felt suspiciously like guilt) deep down in his gut made him say, "About the incident with the hunters…"
"Oh, that," her countenance lost some of its cheerfulness. "I would rather you not kill innocent people in front of me-"
Innocent?! They touched you, he wanted to snarl, but he knew that Miriam would never understand the deep possessiveness that was currently running through his body. She was his mate, and the animalistic side of him demanded that he keep all manner of threats away from her person. The thoughts in his head concerning Miriam and her safety were barbaric and more fitting of a Neanderthal than a sophisticated Hybrid, but those thoughts were Klaus's reality.
"-but I understand that sometimes you can't help yourself," Miriam finished. She reached out and touched his shoulder. The pressure was light, but Klaus froze as if she had gripped him with all her strength. "I understand that you and I might have different definitions of 'innocent'. All I ask is that you try to see things from my point of view, and I will try to see things from your point of view."
Words, Klaus had learned, had great ability to wound him. From his father's vitriol to the disdain of werewolves and vampires alike when they realized Klaus wasn't like them, Klaus was no stranger to hurtful words. Even his siblings had flung barbed words his way: Rebekah with her declarations of leaving him for whatever flavor of the week caught her fancy, and Elijah with his multitude of death threats during the years he believed Finn, Kol, and Rebekah were dead (yes, Klaus realized that was his fault, but the words still stung).
But now this slip of a girl with a gentle touch and a spine of steel was offering him words of forgiveness and acceptance. His violent act in the forest must have scared her, but here she was, forgiveness in her eyes and a promise to not dismiss his views out of hand. His heart of stone cracked, just a bit, in the face of her brilliance.
"Now, even though you came back the cleanest, you still kinda stink," Miriam joked.
"Love, you wound me!" he laughed.
"Yeah, yeah. Go take a shower," she giggled. "The one in my bathroom is free, unless June will allow you to use hers."
"I will not," came June's monotonous voice from her spot in the kitchen, cutting up garlic bread.
Miriam laughed again. "Go! Shower, then join us for dinner."
Klaus nodded and left the room before he was tempted to kiss her. He stole several articles of clothing from his brother's closet before entering Miriam's bedroom. The attached bathroom was spacious, and Klaus was glad to see that Miriam was trying her best to fill the space. Feminine products covered the vanity in a casual way that spoke of how comfortable she had become at the farmhouse. She wasn't afraid to make a mess in her own space. The bathroom smelled like her, and the heady scent was like ambrosia to Klaus. As he turned on the shower and stripped out of his clothes, he grinned to himself. Using Miriam's bath products would make him smell like her, and that would drive his brothers mad!
Klaus relished in the luxury of the hot water for longer than was necessary. While he had enjoyed tumbling in the leaves whilst a werewolf, the feeling of being clean after days of wilderness was almost euphoric.
Finally he got out of the shower, dried off, and got dressed. Hair still damp, he went back into the main part of the house.
Kol and Elijah had rejoined the rest of the household before Klaus. Both brothers were dutifully putting food onto the table that resided in the dining room. Rebekah had already taken a seat, and so had June and August.
"Hey!" Miriam greeted Klaus. In her arms was a large bowl of salad. "You are just in time for dinner! Grab a seat."
Klaus did as he was bid, and soon all nine of them were sitting down. Klaus maneuvered his way into sitting next to Miriam. Elijah was next to Klaus, at the head of the table. Rebekah was across from Klaus. Finn was next to Rebekah and across from Miriam. Kol was on Miriam's other side, and young Caroline was across from him and next to Finn. June and August took up the remaining two seats.
After a moment of awkward tension where everyone looked at each other and wondered who was going to break and begin to reach for food first, Caroline leaned forward and said cheerfully, "Can someone pass the lasagna?"
With that, the meal commenced.
The food was passed around. There was lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and roasted vegetables. Simple. Klaus had eaten decadent meals before. In the halls of kings he had feasted on the rarest of items. He had been to parties where all of the human food revolved around a grand theme. He had seen and tasted spectacular morsels from around the world. The meal in front of him at the moment wasn't a ten-course, grand event, but everything tasted great and there was enough to feed everyone. And this meal was the first meal that he and his siblings had shared in nine hundred years.
"Where are the Martins tonight?" Elijah asked as he helped himself to a serving of salad.
"They are at the other house, having their own version of a dysfunctional family dinner," August said.
Miriam laughed. "I don't envy them. But that does remind me; I know we have to move soon. What are our options?"
"It depends on what you want, vorgyðja," Elijah said.
"Nuh-uh," Miriam shook her head. "That's not how this is going to work. I'm not going to be the sole decision maker. This dysfunctional family is a democracy, at least until Klaus takes over."
This time Klaus could hear the playfulness in her voice, so he just rolled his eyes and lightly bumped her shoulder with his. She grinned cheekily at him in response.
"If we all get a vote, I vote for Hawaii!" Caroline exclaimed.
"Fiji is better," August said.
"Brazil is best," June smiled.
"I would love to go back to Paris," Rebekah said.
"I would like to visit my homeland once more," Finn added.
"Wait, why does the young one and the witch get a vote?" Kol demanded.
"'Cause I'm awesome, that's why," Caroline stuck her tongue out.
"Caroline is Miriam's soul sister," Elijah explained. "She has as much right to a vote as any of us."
"We're getting off track," Miriam laughed. She accepted a platter of garlic bread from Finn. She put two slices onto her plate before passing the platter to Elijah. "We have to figure out our long-term goals. Klaus, if you want to make more Hybrids, we would need to live relatively close to a major airport so you can go out searching for pack members. Unless one of the supernatural groups we met a few days ago wants to volunteer their pack as the first hybrids."
"There was a group that seemed interested," Elijah noted. "This pack lives in Roanoke, Virginia; it's only a couple of hours from Mystic Falls. The town is in the Blue Ridge Mountains."
"How serious is this pack about turning?" Klaus asked. He wanted willing participants. Now that his family (his broken, slightly murderous family, but family nevertheless) was with him, there was no burning need to hunt down werewolves to force into being his pack members. His siblings, especially Kol, might not necessarily like him at the moment, at least they hadn't stormed off. They had all stayed. Tragic Rebekah, angry Kol, depressed Finn, and steadfast Elijah had all stayed after they had been reunited. Elijah had even chosen to follow Klaus into the forest instead of returning to the farmhouse with their mate. Despite everything Klaus had put Elijah through (yes, he realized that lying to his brother about killing his siblings might have been unnecessary) Elijah remained by Klaus's side. So no, Klaus didn't need to forcibly turn werewolves into hybrids. Though he did want to make hybrids; regardless of his siblings staying with him, Klaus would like to not be the only one of his kind.
"According to their representative, they are very serious about turning," Elijah said. "The mayor of the town is the pack alpha, and apparently she has a pack of six werewolves. I have her telephone number, if you want to call her later."
"I would like to talk to her," Klaus said firmly.
"Good! That's one thing taken care of," Miriam wore a satisfied smile on her face. "Let us know if the Roanoke pack will go through with the transformation."
"We have a house in Roanoke," Elijah noted. "I had it made during the early 1900s. It has been kept up and modernized, though we might want to change certain superficial things."
"Wait, so we are moving to Roanoke? What happened to voting?!" Kol exclaimed.
"We did not decide anything, brother. Peace. Your temper has run your mouth once more," Finn cautioned.
"We didn't decide our living situation, we decided where Klaus wants to begin his project," Miriam said. "I wouldn't mind living in Roanoke, and it would be close to Caroline's mom. But by all means, cast your vote for somewhere else."
Kol grumbled and sat back in his seat.
"We shall vote for the place of our new home later," Elijah declared. "Brother, I will give you the list of all the locations of homes that our family owns, though knowing you, you will choose a location where no house resides."
Kol's sharp smile promised that he would indeed choose a place in the world that did not have a Mikaelson home anywhere near it.
"Okay," Miriam raised her voice slightly to get them back on track. "So we're putting a pin in the house-hunting issue. I need to talk to Sheriff Forbes about Caroline staying with us. I would also like to go visit Jenna in-person."
"Those are tasks that are easily completed," Elijah nodded in approval.
Klaus narrowed his eyes. His mate had a shifty look in her normally innocent eyes. "What are you not saying?"
She bit her lip before blurting out, "I would like the five of you to have a heart-to-heart."
"Absolutely not," Rebekah declared.
"Now is probably not the best time," Elijah hedged.
"That is not a horrible idea," Finn protested Elijah's words.
"I already did the heart-felt words thing with Elijah- in a bloody forest no less! I'm not doing it again," Kol stated firmly.
"Why?" Klaus asked Miriam, genuinely curious.
"I know all of your darkest secrets," Miriam said, and she made eye-contact with Klaus and all of his siblings before continuing, "I know every evil, cunning, backstabbing thing you have done to each other over the years, and I refuse to start off this new chapter in our lives with those secrets hanging over our heads. Secrets destroy relationships, and I don't want the secrets you have to destroy this tentative bond you all have."
"So you want us to air out all of our dirty laundry?" Kol questioned.
"Yes. You all don't have to hold hands and sing kumbaya, but I would like you to be honest with each other. And I also have some things to share with you all; some of the things I have to tell you might have … a big impact on your family," she said, and Klaus noticed that her eyes darted to Finn.
"Let's prioritize," Elijah suggested. "Tomorrow Niklaus will call the Roanoke alpha, and then all of us will talk. After that discussion is finished, we shall go talk to Sheriff Forbes."
The compromise didn't thrill anyone at the table, but it did what any good compromise did: it cooled the hot tempers.
"Elijah," Miriam said hesitantly, "we also need to ask the witches if they can unlock a memory of yours. I'll talk to you about it later, but that memory needs to be brought to light."
Elijah looked disturbed, but nodded his consent.
The rest of the meal went by as smoothly as the Mikaelsons could make it. Kol managed to keep his barbs to a minimum; his mood was probably improved by the fact that he was sitting next to his mate for the first time. If that was the reason, Klaus didn't blame him. He too was elated by the close proximity to Miriam. He could smell the blood running through her veins and he could hear her heart beating. The animalistic side of him wanted to sink his teeth into her neck; not to kill her, but to see if she tasted as good as she smelled.
Klaus looked across the table and met Finn's gaze. His eldest brother was sitting there calmly, chatting in their mother tongue with Rebekah and dutifully copying young Caroline's pronunciations of food and objects on the table. He was the picture of poise. But his eyes told a different story. His dark eyes hungrily tracked every move that Miriam made. And when he locked eyes with Klaus, Klaus understood his brother just a bit more. Finn wanted Miriam just as badly as Klaus or Kol, he just wasn't as vocal about it.
In a strange way, knowing that Finn was just as animalistic as Klaus settled something in his mind. Maybe Klaus wasn't so different from his brothers as he thought. If Finn, calm, morose, dull Finn, could have a wild side, then maybe Klaus could be patient and still and quiet.
… Well, quiet would be a bit of a stretch, but he could try it.
When dinner was finished they relocated to the living room for coffee and homemade baked goods. As they began to swap light-hearted stories Klaus noticed Finn and Miriam subtly leave the room. When an appropriate amount of time had passed, Klaus got up and followed them.
He found the couple outside on the front porch.
Finn was sitting in one of the porch chairs. Miriam was on his lap, her back against his chest. Klaus arrived just as Finn brought his bloody wrist to Miriam's mouth. Their mate obediently drank Finn's blood.
She had never fought them on the blood-issue. She never grimaced at the taste or the act itself. Klaus was glad; he wasn't sure if he could handle his human mate rejecting an integral part of vampire culture. Blood sharing was vital to vampiric relationships. It was a symbol of trust, devotion, and love. None of them had drank from Miriam's veins yet, though Klaus was looking forward to the experience immensely.
Standing there, watching Miriam drink straight from Finn's veins, brought an image to Klaus's mind: Finn and Miriam in the same position, but Klaus kneeling at Miriam's feet, her small wrist in his hands. Him drinking from her as she drank from Finn. Elijah tugging on her curls as he kissed her neck. Kol's hands exploring her body… the vision was almost too hedonistic for Klaus to dwell on outside of the privacy of a bedroom.
Klaus shook off his fantasy to find that Finn was staring at him. He wasn't gloating or challenging Klaus, but there was a knowing look in his eye, as if he could read Klaus's perverted thoughts. Understanding was also in Finn's eyes, along with desire. He wanted everything Klaus wanted. There was still tension between the brothers, and Klaus was certain that Finn and Kol had their own plots, but they were all united in their attraction to Miriam.
Deciding to be benevolent (he was a good brother every now and then), Klaus went back inside the farmhouse, leaving Finn and Miriam to spend their time bonding.
When it was time to retire for the evening there was a lot of shuffling about. Rebekah refused to share a room with anyone and so claimed her own room, which had once been Caroline's. Poor room-less Caroline was now sharing Miriam's room. Finn and Kol were in a room together, and Klaus and Elijah also shared a room. August had volunteered his room, so he was now in the basement with June. The living situation was tight, but Klaus and his siblings had grown up in a one-room cabin; they were used to cramped living.
A cot was set up in Elijah's room, for despite their temporary truce, Klaus couldn't see them sharing a bed anytime soon.
Both brothers dressed for the night in silence. They climbed into their respective beds and Elijah turned off his lamp.
There was a long period of silence, then Elijah's voice came out of the dark: "Brother, I am glad you are with me tonight."
Klaus's stony heart gave a violent clench. His tone was cautious, and borderline doubtful, when he asked, "You are?"
"I know I haven't been the best brother recently. During our werewolf expedition Kol and I talked, and I realized that I have allowed negative traits to permeate through our family. That stops now. I vow to be a better brother to you, and to Finn, Kol, and Rebekah. And one way to be a better brother is to communicate better, so I am telling you, in all sincerity, that I am glad you haven't left us yet. I missed you."
Klaus couldn't believe his ears. Not too long ago Elijah had vowed vengeance against him, and now he was vowing his allegiance. The change in Elijah was too sudden, and too extreme. Did his conversation with Kol really open his eyes? Or was he playing Klaus? It wouldn't be out of character for Elijah to manipulate with his words. He was a wordsmith. He spun half-truths masterfully. His lies were so beautifully disguised that they sounded like truths.
It would be so easy for Elijah to say the words that would make Klaus lower his guard. Elijah could wax poetic about familial love all day, distracting Klaus from his true purpose: taking Miriam. For why would Elijah stand by his side? Would it not make more sense for him to ally himself with Finn and Kol? The three of them together could keep Miriam from him for decades. They had had plentiful training in hiding and evasion. And all of them working together, against him...
Would Elijah do that to him? Would he really deprive Klaus of the happiness that was available for all four of them? Could Elijah, loyal, steadfast Elijah, really betray him like that?
All these doubts and more swirled around his head until he was nearly dizzy. But despite his doubts, Klaus was still a boy who craved affection. And so, almost without his permission, the words slipped past his lips:
"I missed you, too, brother."
The next morning came quickly. Hours before breakfast Klaus grabbed his cell phone and the slip of paper Elijah had left him with the name and number of the Roanoke alpha and left the farmhouse. He walked to the edge of the property, desperate for a modicum of privacy.
After a moment of hesitation Klaus dialed the number.
"Mayor Ryan speaking."
"Mayor Ryan, this is Klaus Mikaelson." He could hear the hitch in her breath, and he smiled. "My brother told me you were interested in joining a very exclusive club."
"I am. My entire pack is," she confirmed.
"And you are aware that there might be backlash from the werewolf community?" Klaus purposely didn't mention the sire link that he was sure any new hybrid would have; he might not turn wolves forcefully, but he still wanted control over them.
"We are aware. However, there is something you must be aware of: the pack is unwilling to leave Roanoke. All of us are adults with jobs and roots in the community of Roanoke. Is it possible for you to visit us?"
The idea of living in a town with the pack was alluring to Klaus. He had been shunned from werewolf packs in the past due to his inability to shift. Now he was being invited into the Roanoke pack's territory! The feeling was heady.
"My family and I are thinking about relocating," Klaus said with a nonchalance that he didn't actually feel, "We could be tempted to make the move to your city."
"That would be ideal," the mayor sounded relieved.
The two hung up not long afterwards. They had ironed out a few details, and Klaus promised to notify the alpha when the Mikaelson clan finally decided to move. Klaus was unsure where his siblings were going to end up. Ideally they all would accompany him to Roanoke, but he was sure that Finn and Kol would follow Miriam before they would follow him. Elijah was loyal to Klaus, but that loyalty had never been tested by the lure of a mate. Would Elijah leave him if Miriam decided not to go with Klaus?
The only way to make sure that all of his siblings accompanied him to Roanoke was to convince Miriam to come with him. If she went with him, all of his brothers would follow, which meant that Rebekah most likely would, too. But before he could even contemplate how to convince Miriam to join him, he knew that she would insist on all of them sharing secrets. He understood where her intent was coming from, but the thought of sharing his darkest secret was… uncomfortable, to say the least. He had no idea how his siblings would react to learning that he had killed their mother. And the fact that he couldn't control their reaction tore him up inside.
For all his carefree, bad boy persona, Klaus knew that he liked to control things. He liked to be in control of everything at all times. He liked to know what people were doing, when they were doing it, and who they were doing it with. Maybe the paranoia stemmed from his childhood, or maybe from the centuries of running from Mikael. Either way, Klaus knew that he wouldn't be happy until the unsurety of his family's situation was settled.
The now-aware wolf side of him whined at the thought of arguments and discord in the pack/family. The pack needed to all be together. The pack needed to get along. If there was disharmony, the pack would be vulnerable to attacks. Together, they were strong. Apart, they were weak.
Miriam was right, secrets would only serve to keep them apart. But knowing that she was correct didn't mean the prospect of telling his siblings his awful secret sounded like any sort of fun.
Though he was far away, Klaus heard the backdoor open and small, shoed feet make their way across the grass towards him.
"Good morning," she said in her sweet voice.
Klaus swallowed before turning to face her, "Good morning, love. I trust you slept well."
Her dark eyes shone with humor. "I probably slept better than you did. Kol says Elijah snores."
"Kol snores the loudest of us all; poor Finn was probably awake all night," he joked.
Miriam laughed. "Unlike Finn, my problems with my roommate were less about snoring and more about the fact that Caroline kicks in her sleep."
"Little sisters are the most violent of sleepers," Klaus noted fondly.
"Their innocent blue eyes hide mischief, or so Elijah told me," Miriam chuckled.
"Despite Elijah's façade of temperance and nobility, he has just as much mischief as Rebekah or Kol… or even I," Klaus warned with a smile on his face.
"I know of Elijah's mischievous ways. He has told me of several pranks he pulled on you all as children."
"He never got caught," Klaus shook his head in faux disappointment.
"The sign of a good prankster," Miriam declared happily.
"And what would you know about pranks?"
"Not much," she admitted, "but Elijah could teach me."
"I shudder to think of the two of you plotting pranks together," Klaus faked a shiver.
Her laugh made his heart clench in his chest. She was the first person in a long time to be carefree in his presence. Of course, her easy-going nature wasn't the only reason he was attracted to her. There was her outward beauty that he would be a fool to discard, but with more time he was becoming more attracted to her as a person, and not just a pretty girl who was his mate. Her kindness, her creativity, and her core of steel was grabbing his attention with terrifying frequency.
And as she laughed at Klaus's horrible acting, he found himself wanting to continue to be silly, because he wanted to make her laugh, because she deserved to laugh. Not because she was his mate, but because she was Miriam.
At that sappy thought Klaus went cold. The voice of Mikael, sinister and ever-present in Klaus's head, began to talk. You need to be tougher, boy. You will never be respected if you become starry-eyed for every quim that comes across your path. Are you really going to let this young nobody dictate your life?!
And though Klaus knew that anything his father said was a lie, the doubt (in Miriam, in his siblings, in himself, in their ability to live peacefully with one another) remained.
Miriam eyed him as if she could sense the change in his mood.
"Can they hear us from inside the farmhouse?" she asked.
"Yes." They were not that far from the building, and Klaus knew that his brothers were listening to their conversation in case he absconded with their mate (their distrust was valid; the urge to sweep her up in his arms and run for the hills was still strong).
"Then I'll try to be vague. I know you're not thrilled that we're all going to be sharing secrets," she began slowly, as if measuring each word before she let it leave her lips, "but you have nothing to worry about. Your secret, the one you don't want to tell your brothers and sister, is not as big of an evil that you're envisioning. And don't forget: I've seen the future. I know how all of you have reacted to the dark secrets coming to light."
"They… will they forgive me?"
"In time. But, Klaus, remember that forgiveness needs to go both ways. There are some secrets that you will be angry about," Miriam warned.
Anger came easy to Klaus. Forgiveness did not. Anger was a shield and a sword. Forgiveness was a body without armor. And Klaus hated to be vulnerable. When had being vulnerable ever been a good thing? He had been vulnerable as a child and young adult to his father's violent whims. As a human he had been vulnerable to death and disease. When he had adopted Marcellus he had been vulnerable to the devastation that only a child could bring into a person's life (injury of the child, death of the child, betrayal of the child were amongst the top contenders). But now, to purposefully shed his armor and be vulnerable with his siblings…
The pack needs to be strong, Klaus reminded himself. If vulnerability, honesty, and forgiveness were the ways to create a strong pack, a strong family, then Klaus would suffer through it all.
"I will endeavor to try to keep an open mind," was all Klaus was able to say to Miriam. He couldn't promise he would forgive his siblings for whatever slight they may have committed against him. He couldn't promise to be comfortable with vulnerability. But he could promise to try.
"That's all I ask," Miriam replied. "Now, let's get some breakfast before Caroline eats all of the French toast."
When they went inside they found Elijah, August, Maddox, and Dr. Martin missing. The four of them had gone to the other house to prepare for the Mikaelson talk, and to also unlock Elijah's memories. Klaus wondered what Elijah's darkest secret was; it had to be severe to have been locked away with magic.
"Oh, good, breakfast before I hear all of the awful things Nik has done to us over the years," Kol said as he walked into the room. Finn zoomed over to him and smacked him over the head, a frown on his face.
"Ow! What was that for?" Kol demanded in their mother tongue.
"Today will be hard enough without you antagonizing our brother," Finn scolded. "Stop it."
Kol just looked like he was about to push more buttons.
"Kol, come sit by me. I want to show you this game," Miriam called.
Kol was immediately distracted from teasing Klaus and the others. He sat down next to their mate, who had a small, handheld wooden puzzle in front of her on the table. She explained the rules, then passed the puzzle to an intrigued Kol. Klaus was impressed at her ability to distract Kol, but chalked her success up to dumb luck… until he saw her lips twitch into a smile as she watched Kol work the puzzle.
Oh, she was clever, their mate. Klaus suppressed a smile of his own.
"So, we leave after breakfast is over?" Rebekah asked.
"Yes," Klaus answered calmly, although thick anticipation rolled in his chest.
They were going to talk, and one way or another, their issues were going to get resolved.
Miriam had forbidden them from staying at the farmhouse to discuss all of their dirty secrets ("I'll be pissed if you guys destroy this house. Go destroy someone else's home!"), so Klaus had suggested the house that he and Maddox and Greta had been staying in before the ritual. His siblings had agreed, and now the six of them were sitting in the living room of Klaus's safe house, debating on who should spill their secrets first.
"Elijah," Miriam said softly, "you should probably go first."
He glanced at her, unsure. Miriam just smiled back encouragingly.
Elijah took a deep breath. He knelt before Klaus and looked up at him. "My secret is reprehensible. You call me the noble one, but if I were truly noble, brother, I would not have withheld from you a vile deed and one that I, like a coward, allowed mother to erase from my memory. It was I who killed Tatia."
Klaus froze.
Elijah couldn't seem to stop talking. The words poured from his lips like bile. "I hunted her down and mercilessly I feasted upon her flesh. I tore her from us. Mother took the blame. Brother, I felt certain that if you knew, you would in no way forgive me."
Tatia. The first woman that divided Klaus from his beloved brother. She had been a solace, after the death of so many the year before from the sickness that swept through their village. Finn had lost his entire family. Elijah had lost his wife and daughter. Klaus had lost his wife, Hilda. Mikael and Rebekah had almost been taken from them. But Tatia had survived. She had survived and in the aftermath of such sorrow she had smiled and freely gave attention to both Klaus and Elijah. She had been so full of fire and life. She danced with abandon, and Klaus couldn't help but adore her carefree nature.
Her death had been a blow. But Klaus had to deal with the fact that he was a vampire and a werewolf, and the product of an illicit affair. Mikael had immediately begun to hunt his children, and Klaus could spare little energy to mourn the life of another while he mourned the loss of his own future (he would never remarry and have children and grow old. And while that dream was mourned loudly by Rebekah and Finn, Klaus would be a liar if he didn't dream of a different life from time to time during those early years).
Tatia could have been his future… but she had loved Elijah. He had purposefully ignored the signs, knowing that he could never compare to his older brother. Elijah would have made a better husband and father to Tatia's child than Klaus. But Klaus had been stubborn, and pursued her anyway. He hadn't wanted to admit defeat. Like a child refusing to stop playing before dinnertime, Klaus had continued to court Tatia even in the face of her obvious disinterest.
But now, a thousand years later, Klaus could see that Tatia would never have chosen him. She would have chosen Elijah, married him, and bore him more children to replace the one that he had lost. She would have been just out of reach, and he probably would have pined after her.
Did he still love her? No. Did he still think about her? No. Did the truth about her death change the way he saw his brother… maybe.
Elijah had allowed his animalistic side to take over, and he had killed his lover. But he had killed her when he was still an infant to vampirism. If Tatia had bled, and then fled from Elijah, his instincts would have kicked in and he would have hunted her down with the intent of feeding on her blood. It was a natural reaction. Klaus couldn't blame his brother for that.
Yes, Elijah had indeed committed a vile act… but it was an act that was forgivable.
"It turns out my brother is even more depraved than I am," Klaus began, and he watched as Elijah lowered his head in shame. "But the bonds of family far outweigh anything else. Such bonds trump petty jealousies. They overcome ancient feuds, and, yes, they are capable of allowing one monster to pardon the great sins of another," Klaus stood and placed a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "Dear brother, you are forgiven. Consider your black deed no more."
Relief filled Elijah's eyes and he surged to his feet. He grabbed Klaus and pulled him into a tight hug.
It took a while for their emotions to settle down. Once that happened, Miriam stepped forward.
"I know I have kept many secrets close to my chest. There are many things that will happen in the future, but there are also many things that are changing. I… I am not sure how much to tell you all. I don't want to change too much and lead us into a future that is completely blind. And yes, I know that real life works with the mystery of the future, but we have a unique advantage against many that would plot against you." She stopped then, seemingly at a loss for words.
"Just tell us what you think we need to know going forward. Who are the immediate enemies to this family? Who are good allies to have?" Elijah said.
"There are enemies waiting to strike, though many don't appear for several years. Tristan and Aurora de Martel and Lucien Castle are all threats. Aya and the Strix can be enemies, but I know that they could also be turned into powerful allies. There are several magical items that need to be found and destroyed before others use them for evil," Miriam said, her tone cautious.
Klaus flinched at the mention of Lucien and the de Martels. They were the oldest vampires, the first to be turned by the Mikaelsons. Klaus personally felt pride that they had survived all these years, but that pride was dampened by the revelation that they were enemies. Aurora, whom he had once had feelings for, was his enemy. Lucien, the first person he turned… but no matter. The three of them were a threat to Klaus's family and mate, and thus would be dispatched with speed and efficiency.
"Tristan, Aurora, and Lucien will be dealt with," Klaus promised.
"You cannot underestimate them," Miriam warned. "Lucien is currently searching for a way to make a normal vampire more powerful and lethal than an Original. His success nearly destroys your family."
"They will not be underestimated," Elijah promised. "Now, please continue, vorgyðja. I can tell you have more to say."
"I do. Elijah, your old lover Celeste Dubois is also an enemy. She survived by body-hopping into other witches. She's currently in New Orleans, and she needs to be dealt with."
Elijah was shocked. "Celeste? After all these years?"
"I'm sorry, Elijah," Miriam said, and to her credit, she really did look sorry that her mate's former lover was going to be a problem. Their mate had too big a heart; Klaus would have to make sure it wouldn't kill her one day. He resolved to kill Celeste himself if Elijah couldn't bring himself to destroy the woman he had once loved.
"Is she an immediate threat?" Klaus asked. What he wanted to ask was 'Can I kill her for you? Can I kill any threat to your happiness?'
Miriam hesitated. "Uh, she needs to be dealt with soon, but not immediately. We have time."
Elijah still looked shocked.
"Do not worry, brother," Finn said compassionately. He placed a hand on Elijah's shoulder and squeezed. "We will handle this woman with tact."
"To an extent," Kol added untactfully in their mother tongue. "If she is a threat she will be taken out posthaste."
"Kol!" Rebekah snapped.
"What? You know it to be true. Any threat to our family and Miriam will be destroyed without mercy."
"You don't have to be so callous about it," Rebekah scolded.
"Enough," Elijah said firmly. He switched back to English: "Miriam said that Celeste is not an urgent threat. We will finish hearing her secrets before we make a plan. Miriam, please, continue."
"Alright. There are items and places made out of white oak here in Mystic Falls that need to be destroyed, though no one else knows about their existence, so for the moment you are all safe. There are also a handful of people that either need to be compelled or killed before they cause problems. I'll get you a list. But that's not what I wanted to tell you. There is a powerful ally you need to rescue from a powerful enemy." Miriam took a deep breath before going to Finn. She grasped his hands in hers, and her expression went soft. "Your sister Freya is alive."
Finn jerked away from Miriam, his eyes wide and wild. "After all these years?! Even after that woman took her away?"
"What woman, Finn?" Klaus demanded. "Who took our sister?"
"Your mother's sister, Dahlia. Esther was infertile, so she went to her older sister Dahlia and had her perform dark magic in order to conceive," Miriam explained. "Dahlia came back and took her when she was small. Esther was pregnant with you at the time, Elijah. Esther lied to your father, and lied to all of you that Freya died of the plague. That wasn't true."
"How is she alive?" Rebekah wanted to know.
"Dahlia is a powerful witch. She performed a sort of connection curse; Dahlia draws from Freya's power. In doing so, their combined power of first-generation witches gives them enough power to continue a spell that practically gives them immortality. The only drawback is that they both must sleep for one hundred years before waking for a single year. Their power grows during the century they are asleep. Both are currently asleep, and won't wake until 2012."
"By the gods," Rebekah breathed. "Another sister? An evil aunt?"
"The number of insane family members grows by the minute. Darling, there is still time to leave this circus. We would not blame you," Kol teased Miriam.
"Kol, focus," Klaus snapped. His brain was working a hundred miles an hour. A new enemy. A powerful new enemy. A potential ally in their long-lost sister. "Miriam, what is dear Aunt Dahlia's end goal?"
"True immortality. She had planned to create a coven of Mikaelson witches throughout the years, but your current state of vampirism has broken that dream. But, Klaus, remember how I said it was possible for you to have a child? In the reality I know, you do have a child, and Dahlia endeavors to use your baby as another battery to power her immortality quest. You stop her by redirecting her focus to you. By linking herself to you, she can be immortal without sleeping for a century," Miriam said.
"Can she be killed?" he asked.
"Yes, but you first need to strip her immortality from her. The ingredient list is weird and rare. You need the ash from a Viking body, soil from Norway, and Esther's blood."
"Well, fuck, I'll just go to the nearest market and pick those items up," Kol muttered.
"We need to free Freya," Finn insisted. "Where is she?"
Elijah repeated Finn's question for Miriam.
"She's in New Orleans. She managed to escape Dahlia, but she's asleep in this asylum for witches. Kol knows the place I'm talking about."
"Fuck." Kol repeated his earlier sentiment as he ran his hands through his hair.
"Finn, I'm not sure how to release her from the sleeping spell," Miriam said apologetically. "She woke up naturally in my reality."
"Do you know where Dahlia rests?" Elijah asked.
"No, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, vorgyðja. You have given us our sister back."
"Well, still sleeping in a house full of mad witches, but close enough," Kol quipped. Elijah smacked the back of his head. "Elijah!"
Klaus took a few steps from his siblings for a moment to allow himself to think. Dahlia was too powerful to remain alive, but too powerful to kill. The ingredients to kill her were like Miriam said: weird and rare. Soil from Norway was easy to obtain, as was the Viking ash (Klaus knew a handful of vampires who had been Vikings before their transformation. It would be easy to kill one and use their ashes as the ingredient). But the blood of Esther, of his mother…
Before he lost his nerve, Klaus spun back around and announced, "I killed Mother." And then, in the silence that his statement produced, he continued, "I killed Mother all those centuries ago, not Mikael. I lied."
For a beat, there was silence. And then Rebekah let out a primal scream and charged him. Klaus was ready to take whatever punishment she dished out- he deserved it. But Elijah caught Rebekah around the waist and threw her to Finn, who pinned her arms to her sides.
"Let me go! He killed my mother!" Rebekah shrieked. She twisted and turned in Finn's grip, but he didn't release her. "Let me go, let me go! Right now, Finn! Let me avenge our mother!"
"Peace, sister," Finn hushed. "Let out all of your pain, and then be silent. There is always more to a story than just the bare facts."
"The 'bare facts' are just as I said," Klaus spit out pure vitriol against his will. He had been making repairs to his relationships with his siblings, but this truth, this heinous truth would tear them apart. He didn't want them to splinter and fracture, but he couldn't stop himself. "She locked away my true nature through a charmed necklace when I was a boy. She allowed Mikael to abuse me. She killed all of us by order of that wretched man! She turned us into these creatures, allowed me to taste full power before she was once again strong-armed into locking up my werewolf side! I hated her. I hated her. So I killed her. There is no deeper story, brother dearest."
"Our mother was flawed," Finn said with pain in his eyes. Of all of them, he had been closest with Esther. Klaus had expected Finn to be the one to attack. But still he kept a snarling Rebekah from attacking Klaus. "She is guilty of all you have accused her of, and more. She let Dahlia take Freya. I am sure that Miriam could tell us more of her sins."
"In the stories I know, she returns several times with the purpose of killing all of you, and even attempts to kill your child, Klaus. From the moment your baby is conceived to until Dahlia and Esther die, your mother continues to try to kill your baby. Esther even linked all of you and attempted to kill you all so that all vampires would die. She brainwashed Finn to do her bidding. She never has, nor ever will have good intentions towards her children," Miriam said vehemently.
"Liar!" Rebekah shouted. She was crying and thrashing in Finn's grip.
"I'm not lying! Even now Esther plots from beyond the grave against all of you! If given the chance, she would try to destroy each and every one of you, and all of the vampires that you have created over the last thousand years!" Miriam took a deep breath and forcibly softened her tone. "She is the type of person to believe her cause is the only right one, the only moral one. People like that are dangerous to anyone they are not aligned with, and she never aligned herself with you all without some scheme to get what she wants."
"So Niklaus just gets away with murdering our mother?" Rebekah demanded. "No punishment, no retribution, just because our mother might be evil? How is that fair?!"
"Nothing in our life is fair, Bekah," Kol said, sounding serious for the first time that day.
"And Niklaus's actions, while rash, are understandable," Elijah said. Rebekah made a disbelieving noise, but he continued, "Our brother was an infant when he committed the crime. His werewolf side had just been locked up. All of his emotions were stronger than they had ever been." Elijah walked over to Klaus and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I forgive you, brother. I know what it is like to lose control, to slip up and do something ill-advised in the name of my emotions."
"As do I," Kol said. "I have been ruled by my emotions and whims for my entire existence. And I know that Mother was flawed. I also know that Miriam's knowledge is much more unbiased than our feelings towards Mother. I trust that Miriam is telling the truth. And… I forgive you too, Nik."
"So do I," Finn said, and Klaus and the others were shocked at his easy acceptance of Klaus's sin. "I was always close to Mother, but centuries in a coffin and these last two years watching over Miriam have given me a new perspective. Mother was always chasing perfection. She wanted the perfect husband and the perfect children and the perfect family. Whenever perfection was unattainable, she would go to great lengths to correct the issue, though the situation would end up worse than before. She was barren, so she made a deal with Dahlia to use black magic to have children. In the bargain she lost Freya and fractured this family. She abandoned Dahlia for Mikael, but when he became abusive, she found comfort in Niklaus's father's arms. When that dalliance produced Niklaus, she charmed a necklace to keep his heritage from breaking free. When the plague swept through our village and destroyed our families, and when Henrik died, she made us invincible so that we would never be vulnerable again. When her dalliance with the werewolf was revealed, she locked up Niklaus's werewolf side for a thousand years to try to atone for her adultery. And because we are not her perfect pack of children, she will do whatever she can to fix that, even if it means killing us. So, Niklaus, I forgive you, because I know our mother has made choices that have harmed this family again and again."
Forgiveness.
Forgiveness.
Forgiveness for his greatest sin. He didn't deserve it. He really didn't. He had killed the woman who had birthed them all, who had nurtured and loved them. The murder was rash, but Klaus did not regret it. He hadn't in the moment, and he still didn't a millennium later. And yet, in spite of his blatant unrepentant explanation, his three brothers had forgiven him.
The feeling was heady. To know that his darkest action had been seen and accepted and forgiven was a feeling that was nearly indescribable. It was bliss, or something close to it. To be fully seen and known by those he loved the most… that was true acceptance.
"I cannot believe this!" Rebekah hissed. Finn had finally let her go, so she freely stalked up to Klaus and shoved him, hard. "You all forgive him for murdering our mother?"
"Rebekah, you did not know her like I did," Finn said. "You were one of the youngest, and the only girl. Our parents spoiled you, and never allowed you to see the worst in them."
"That is not true! I saw how Father treated Nik! I saw the abuse, and I wanted to kill him for it!" Rebekah snarled in their native tongue. "So don't treat me like an infant, because I was just as exposed to the horrors of our family as you were!"
"No, you weren't," Finn gently rebuked. "You never lived apart from them. You never created your own family and had to evaluate how you were raised when faced with raising children of your own. You never spent centuries in a box, thinking about every moment of your life. Sister, you were always too close to the situation to think rationally."
"Rationally? Do not blame my anger on female hysterics!" Rebekah snapped. "I may look young, but I have spent more time breathing air than you have. Your 'wise older brother' act is just that, an act! Do none of you understand? If Niklaus hadn't killed Mother, she might have found a way to reverse this curse she placed on us! We could have been free to live our lives. Finn, you could have had a family to replace the one you lost to the plague. Elijah, you could have had an epic love with Tatia. Kol, you could have continued to practice magic. I could have found love and had children. But Klaus's actions cost us all our lives."
"Or did his actions save us?" Kol challenged. "Sister, we cannot be sure that Mother would not have hunted us down with Father. Maybe if she would have lived, she would have killed us all."
"We can speculate what would have happened for days, it doesn't change the fact that our mother is dead. Yes, Niklaus killed her, but blaming him for her death and for our current woes does us no good," Elijah said.
"So we give Klaus a pass for his horrible actions, as always," Rebekah's face went hard. "He hurts us, time and time again, and we forgive him, time and time again. He daggers Finn for centuries, and is forgiven. He convinced you that we were all dead, Elijah, and yet he is forgiven. He kills every chance I have at happiness, and I am supposed to forgive him."
"Oh, please," Klaus rolled his eyes. "Is this about your random human pets? None of those men deserved you."
"And how would you know that?" Rebekah demanded. "You have killed countless men with that same excuse: 'they don't deserve you'. Every time I find a bit of happiness, you take it from me."
"Sister, your list of lovers is rather long. The seriousness of your affections-"
"Does it matter that I love easily?" Rebekah cut Kol off. "Our horrible brother has still killed every instant of potential future from me. No more. I refuse to blindly forgive him like the rest of you."
"So you would rather fester in your hatred?" Elijah questioned.
"You mean my truth? I will not forgive Niklaus to keep the peace between us. That is a lie." Rebekah turned to Miriam, her eyes blazing. "You want us to air our dirty laundry. You know my secret?"
Miriam nodded, eyes wide.
"Rebekah-"
"Elijah, enough! If we are supposed to forgive Niklaus for every evil thing he has ever done to us, then he needs to do the same."
"Rebekah, I don't think this is the way you want to tell him," Miriam said nervously. She eyed Klaus, like he was a bomb about to go off.
"No! He doesn't get the courtesy." Rebekah faced Klaus, her expression spiteful. "Mikael found us in New Orleans in 1919."
"Yes. I remember that delightful encounter well," Klaus said sourly. It had been a horrible day. New Orleans had been destroyed and he had believed that Marcel was dead (though he had found out that Marcel had survived roughly a decade ago). Mikael had been so close to killing them all, and it was only through sheer luck that they were able to escape with their lives. He didn't understand why Rebekah was bringing up one of the most traumatic days in his life, though.
Rebekah's eyes glittered with malice as she spoke the words that resonated through Klaus's soul:
"I was the one who called Mikael."
Klaus's world went red.
AN: Part 2 is coming in the next couple of days! Don't worry, I won't leave you all hanging for long!
Let me know what you all think of Part 1! Just remember that things are happening out of order or with different people, i.e.: No pregnant Hayley, no Klaus and Marcel rivalry over NOLA, Finn hasn't been brainwashed by Esther, Rebekah is fresh off the realization that Stefan doesn't remember her, etc.
Dialogue taken from TVD 2X22, TO 1x16, 2X11, and maybe another episode, I lost count, TBH.
(Whit's Reno Update: So the backyard deck was primed, but my mom is holding off painting until she decides on a paint color for the exterior of the house. She and I spent a weekend and sanded and painted our old patio table and chairs. They now look much better! She also re-did a planter retaining wall that was starting to lean in. She and my dad also took out the trampoline that we've had for forever; it was rusty AF. But now we have a large section of our yard back! Also she and I went flower shopping and dropped $200 on flowers for our front and backyard. A gardener was hired to till the dirt in the backyard and put down seed for grass; the neighborhood birds are in heaven, btw.)
