And here is part two!
Thanks to everyone who commented on part one! I greatly enjoyed reading your reactions!
More chapters coming soon!
(TW: Some blood stuff and light sexy stuff, neither of which is super graphic or lengthy.)
KLAUS
Hands. Hands were the first thing Klaus was aware of. There were two pairs of hands pinning his arms to the ground, and another pair pinning his legs to the floor. Shouting was the second thing Klaus was aware of. Him, shouting vitriol at Rebekah. Rebekah, shouting profanity at him. His brothers, shouting at each other and Rebekah. Elijah, calm, steadfast Elijah, surprisingly, shouting at Miriam.
"-no time to argue, just do it, Miriam!"
Klaus snarled and tried to break free of his brother's hold. He could see and smell his sister and he was going to kill her. He was going to rip her treacherous heart from her treacherous body!
"REBEKAH!" He howled. He almost escaped the hold his brothers had on him, but was promptly pinned back to the floor. Elijah was shouting again, but Klaus barely heard him over the blood rushing in his veins and his fangs throbbing in his mouth.
"Miriam, now!"
"Elijah-"
"Miriam! Obey me in this!"
And suddenly the traitor's presence was blocked from Klaus. All he could smell was flowers and honey and fertile earth. Human arms wrapped around his neck; not a threat, but a hug. Curly hair covered his face and tickled his nose. He could smell her anxiety, but stronger than that, he could smell the blood that pumped through her veins.
With a mighty roar he ripped his arms free. Before his brothers could pin him back down, he sat up and wrapped his arms around their mate. He grabbed a fistful of her curls and tilted her head to the side and, ignoring the shouts of his brothers, sank his fangs into her neck.
Blood, warm and thick, filled his mouth. Her blood was award-winning alcohol. It was the gods' ambrosia. It was manna from heaven. It was everything he had dreamed about and more. He took several deep pulls, until the fear that tinted her blood went away and her body relaxed against him. Fingers, small and hesitant, stroked through his hair. Klaus groaned into her neck and pulled her impossibly closer.
They stayed that way until he knew that her body couldn't give more blood without hurting her. Klaus pulled back and pricked his tongue on one of his fangs before licking the wound he had left on her neck. The bleeding wound closed, leaving behind smooth brown skin. Even then, he didn't release Miriam right away. Her weight felt right in his arms, even if he knew she was keeping him from killing his sister.
Speaking of his sister… Klaus looked around. He was now outside. The living room that they had been standing in was now missing a wall. Rebekah must have ran out of the house and Klaus must have destroyed the wall to get to her. He was sitting on the grass just outside the house with Miriam in his lap. Rebekah was standing a little ways away, looking at him warily. Elijah and Finn were standing in front of her, ready to wrestle Klaus into submission again. Kol was off to the side, looking distinctly jealous that Klaus was holding Miriam and he was not.
Klaus adjusted his grip on Miriam's body, not-to-secretly moving her into a position that kept him protected from any attack his siblings attempted. They would not do anything to hurt her, and he was not above using that weakness to keep himself safe.
That done, he locked eyes with Rebekah. "Explain yourself, traitor."
Her expression darkened. "Whatever I have done wrong, my guilt is nothing compared to yours. You want revenge for me calling Mikael? Fine. But before you have it, I will look you in the eye and tell you why it was your cruelty and your spite that led us to this."
"Go on, then. Speak your piece, and when you are finished, I will grant you the punishment you deserve, even if I have to go through our brothers to do so."
"Niklaus, I understand your anger, for I am angry at Rebekah as well, but I implore you, demonstrate the grace of mercy," Elijah begged.
"Brother, her sin was not a thoughtless murder or the accidental killing of a lover. She called Mikael to the home we had built!" Klaus raged. Steady Elijah. The brother who gave his soul to try to keep Klaus's soul from turning completely black. Even now, he was trying his best to keep the peace and keep Klaus from killing Rebekah. But his righteous quest was getting in the way of Klaus's justified retribution. "He held a white oak dagger to my back, Elijah! He could have killed me! What possible defense could she have?!"
Rebekah cut in: "I knew he was the only thing that you feared, and I wanted you to run."
"Because you hated me," Klaus said, and he hated the feeling of vulnerability and rejection at the thought that his beloved sister could hate him so much as to bring his abuser to their home.
"Because you were hateful," Rebekah corrected sharply. "You denied me the freedom to love."
Klaus laughed harshly. "Oh, so that's your defense? You called Mikael- the Destroyer, the Hunter of Vampires- because I detained you from pursuing some dull suitors."
"You were cruel, and controlling, and manipulative," Rebekah snapped.
"I was trying to protect you! From imbeciles, and leeches. Not to mention your own poor judgment. Need I bring up Alexander?"
She balked at the name, but barreled on: "And what about the one that you loved enough to call friend? Why did you forbid me to love Marcel?"
Klaus jumped to his feet, displacing Miriam from his lap. She landed on the ground with an 'eep', but Klaus was too focused on his sister to pay her any attention. "Do not mention his name. He was a part of your scheme, no doubt. Did Elijah tell you that he survived your treacherous actions all those years ago? And yet he has never come looking for us. He sent an ambassador in his place at my transformation on the last full moon, the coward. He rules New Orleans, the place we used to call home! And even if you want to deny those realities, you cannot deny the reality that your lover never searched for you once over the last few decades."
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, you cruel man!" Rebekah cried. "I can't believe I ever looked up to you, ever wanted to be like you."
"Niklaus, do not be so rash in your anger," Elijah warned. "Rebekah has stood by your side longer than anyone, even myself. She even-"
"I refuse to listen to your defense of her," Klaus snapped. "She brought our father to New Orleans out of lust for Marcel!"
"Not lust, love!" Rebekah corrected hotly. "I loved him, and he loved me. So we hatched a plan to have a witch friend contact him. I wanted love and happiness, and you denied me the freedom to have either. Yes, I hated and was afraid of our father, but at that moment, he was a lesser evil than you! I wanted to be rid of you, and given the choice, I'd do it again!"
Klaus roared and lunged forward.
He was expecting Elijah and Finn to charge him, but what he didn't expect was Kol tackling him from the side. Kol pinned Klaus's shoulders to the ground and growled, his face vamped out. Klaus was so shocked that he went still.
"You will not attack her!" Kol's wild eyes were as serious as Klaus had ever seen them.
"You would defend her?" Klaus was legitimately surprised. Kol and Rebekah had been close as children- the benefit of being closest in age- but once they were vampires, Kol had been off doing his own thing. The last time the two of them had interacted, Kol had conspired to dagger Klaus and Rebekah had betrayed him, so Klaus truly did not understand Kol's defense of their sister. "She betrayed you as well, when she brought Mikael to New Orleans. He would have killed you and Finn while you lay defenseless in your coffins."
"And who put us there, huh?" Kol got off of Klaus, who slowly pulled himself up. "But let's not rehash that particular hurt. Rebekah is not the only one to blame, for it was your cruelty that led her to do what she did."
Klaus scowled. "Do you not see, Kol? She didn't mean to chase me off. She wanted me dead."
Kol shook his head. "You're wrong."
Klaus didn't like that. "She has always hated me. You know that's true."
"Nik, even when I was trying to make a dagger that would keep you down, I never wanted to kill you. I have never hated you. Rebekah has never hated you. That is the curse of being your sibling," his stern face loosened some. "No matter how intense our feelings are at the moment, we will always come back to your side."
Klaus blinked. Kol, wild, uncontrollable Kol, was admitting to having feelings? Positive feelings? Towards Klaus, of all siblings? And the admission that Kol had never hated Klaus was radical. Klaus and Kol had always been similar, though they had never been close. Age, their human age, probably had something to do with it. Klaus had always followed Elijah, and Kol and Rebekah had been close as children. Even though immortality made a handful of years inconsequential, there had always been a feeling of distance between the two brothers. But to hear that Kol hadn't harbored feelings of fratricide towards Klaus back in the day was a relief to Klaus. He had always been worried that Kol would be the one to put him in the ground permanently. Kol had been the one to hang around witches more than any Mikaelson sibling. He had studied different types of magic from all over the world, and Klaus had always secretly been afraid that Kol would use that knowledge to kill him. But he hadn't.
Seeing that Klaus was softening, Elijah stepped forward and said, "When our sister sees something that she perceives to be an injustice, she can be stubborn, impetuous, and, at times, downright dangerous. If today is the day for telling secrets, I shall tell another one. Rebekah tried to kill our father."
"You lie!" Klaus hissed. He glared at Elijah. He looked over at Rebekah, and to his shock, her face showed recognition at Elijah's words.
"I do not. Do you remember that day Father caught you whittling little chess pieces with his hunting knife? I do. He beat you so mercilessly and for so long, I actually feared for your life. That night, I woke to find Rebekah standing over Mikael's body with a knife, ready to kill him. And she would have done it, all to protect you, had I not stopped her. My secret is that I often wish I could revisit that moment and complete the task myself. Mikael's death would have meant better lives for all of us."
"Why are you telling me this now?" Klaus didn't want to dwell on Rebekah and Elijah's failed actions. The thought of Rebekah going so far to defend him created a ball of emotions that stuck in his throat. He cleared his throat, not wanting any positive emotions towards his murderous sister.
"Niklaus, sometimes our sister acts without thinking. She's short of temper, she's quick to fall in love, but she loves you. But, your malicious treatment has broken her heart. So, yes, she responded by summoning our father. Yes, that was a mistake. And yes, I am angry with her thoughtless actions. However, I'm not entirely sure that I can blame her."
"I don't blame her," Finn said. "You took nine hundred years of my life away from me, yet I still stand here. I would not be here if I did not forgive you. And just as I have forgiven you, I forgive her."
Forgiveness. A ridiculous, miraculous concept.
Forgiveness from a brother that he had wronged. Forgiveness for killing their mother. But to forgive the one whose actions nearly got them all killed? That was going too far.
"I forgave you," Klaus pointed an accusing finger at Rebekah, "for sneaking around with Marcel. I gave you permission to live your life with him, and then you went and called Mikael."
"I had a witch call him before, when we were still forced to hide our love in the shadows," Rebekah defended. "You drove me to betray you, so don't twist it to make it worse so you can justify killing me instead of accepting your own fault. All I did was love your friend! You could've been happy for us, but instead, in your paranoia, you feared losing us both. Do you not remember daggering me for fifty-two years just for loving Marcel? Your track record with Marcel and I is rife with pain and misery. We didn't want to continue to walk the hair-thin line that is your mercy!"
"Yes, yes!" Klaus waved away her words. "I am a vicious, heartless monster, and so you summoned Mikael to kill me. Admit it."
"It's not true," she shook her head.
"You know what you did. Admit it."
Miriam took a few steps forward. "Klaus, please, just listen-"
"I didn't!" Rebekah insisted.
"Miriam, go back into the house," Elijah said as he put himself once again between Klaus and the object of his ire.
"You wanted me dead!" Klaus shouted. "Admit it!"
"Maybe I did," Rebekah whispered. "Nik-"
Klaus didn't know why he was shocked that she had confirmed his worst fears, but he was. Elijah could see the building fury in his body, and rushed him. This time Klaus was ready. It was too easy to snap Elijah's neck and speed over to Rebekah and plunge his hand into her chest. He just wanted her to feel the pain, the panic that he felt the night that Mikael had cornered him, when he believed Marcel to be dead. To know that his sister was responsible for his near-death experience had been like a dagger to the heart, so the least he could do was squeeze hers-
A scream broke through his red haze.
Klaus turned slightly to see Miriam staring in horror at Elijah's prone form. Another sound tore from her throat, but this one was pained, the sound an animal made when injured. She sank to the ground next to Elijah.
"Darling, he's okay. Well, he's currently dead, but he'll bounce back," Kol said as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"I know… I just wasn't expecting that," she whispered. Her eyes looked haunted.
Guilt rose in Klaus's chest. With one last squeeze, he let go of Rebekah's heart and shoved her gasping body away from him. He sped over to Miriam.
"Love-"
"Niklaus Mikaelson!" she surged to her feet and pushed at his chest angrily. "You maladjusted, spoiled, overgrown man-child!" She kept pushing him, as if she could actually move him. "Snapping necks is not a valid form of communication, you fucker! And you do not bite me without my permission! I have had too many people bite me against my will, and you will not add to that count!"
"Wait, who else has bitten you?" Klaus wanted to know.
"Not important! What is important is for you to finish your conversation with Rebekah while I wait for Elijah to regain consciousness," Miriam grumbled. She turned away from Klaus and focused on Elijah's body, though she continued to mumble, "Stupid men acting like stupid boys. Stupid mates. Need a fucking shock collar on all of them, goddamn."
"Go," Finn encouraged. "Ask Rebekah if she regretted it. Do not just dwell on the fact that she might have hated you in the moment. Ask about the moment after."
Klaus nodded and returned to Rebekah.
Her shirt had a hole in it and was bloody. Neither mentioned it. They both sat down on the grassy ground; a few grass stains on their clothes would go unnoticed in comparison to the blood and mud that covered them. They were silent for a while.
The two of them watched as Elijah came back to life. He was given a blood bag and a hug from Miriam. Once Elijah was situated and brought up to speed, he and the other two bullied Miriam into drinking from each of them. Their poor mate was bloated like a tick by the end of the session.
Klaus sighed. He was going to get scolded by each of his brothers for biting her. He wasn't looking forward to those conversations. He did regret that he didn't ask Miriam for her consent, but the blood that he could still taste on his tongue lessened that regret. He would gift her with diamonds, he decided, or something else expensive and rare as an apology.
Rebekah shifted next to him, bringing the attention back to her.
She looked at him warily. "You did not kill me."
"Maybe I was never going to. Maybe I wanted you to feel a fraction of the fear I felt when Father came for me."
"Do you yourself know the truth?"
He didn't. He didn't know if he had meant to kill her before Miriam distracted him. Maybe he would have ripped her heart from her body and crushed it beneath his boot. Maybe he would have always let her go. "I know this: you accuse me of being evil, and yet you are the one who conspired to kill your own blood." Here he paused. Did he even want to know the answer to the question that was burning his tongue? Despite his hesitance, he was still a masochist at heart when it came to family. So he asked the question he was desperate to know: "Did you even regret it?"
Rebekah looked down. She took a deep breath before looking him in the eye. "I regretted it the moment it happened. I justified my actions by forcing myself to believe that you would have never let Marcel and I find our own happiness. I reasoned that you would stay unmovable. I convinced myself that you would never change… I was wrong. That night at the party, when you announced that Marcel and I could be together… I have never felt guilt like that in all my life. I went back to the witch that had helped us and begged her to undo what she had done, but she said it was impossible. I became angry and desperate, and I killed her and her friend in retaliation, though neither deserved their fate. It was all my doing. And then," she laughed sardonically, "months went by without Mikael showing up, and I thought that we- I - had gotten away with my treachery. I thought that the spell had malfunctioned, or that Mikael had given up his evil quest."
"You were wrong."
"I was wrong," she agreed. "And the city suffered for it. Marcel and Elijah suffered for it. You suffered for it. You, my annoying, controlling, stubborn brother. I am sorry for the pain I caused you."
An apology was nearly as heady a feeling as forgiveness.
But of course, Rebekah being Rebekah, meant that she kept talking. "But you have to understand my need for love. For so long you have denied me any chance at happiness. Emil, Marcel, compelling Stefan Salvatore to forget me… I love you, Nik, but I need more out of this wretched life. If I am doomed to forever walk this earth as a girl, I at least want someone to love me." At his dubious look she continued, "Can you not understand me? Can you honestly not look at that girl being fawned over by our brothers and tell me you would not slaughter any who tried to take her from you? You don't even love her yet and you are already fully devoted to her."
That was true. His devotion to Miriam was growing stronger with each interaction. Soon he feared that she would burrow her way into his stony heart, and wouldn't that just be a tragedy? In spite of himself, he was looking forward to that moment when she cracked him open.
"I did not want her," Klaus admitted. "She was a distraction, a wrench in my plans. But now…"
"And you would try to deny me that feeling," Rebekah said pointedly.
He bristled at the accusation, and fought to ignore how he was guilty of all she accused him of, "That is different. I was trying to save you from yourself."
"Enough, Nik," Rebekah sounded tired. "Enough. You don't have to use that excuse anymore. That excuse worked when you felt like you were alone and that the only way to keep me was to clip my wings. Elijah was right, I have stayed with you longer than any of our siblings. And I'd like to believe that if I had found a lover we would have stayed with you."
Klaus said nothing, he just let her talk. He personally believed that Rebekah and her imaginary lover would have run to their own corner of the world and forgotten about him, but he didn't want to voice his fear and break whatever tentative peace they had come to.
"I know that I cannot fathom the depth of your fear that we will leave you. I do believe that your fears are unfounded, for like Kol said, despite everything you have done to us, we keep returning to you," she reached over and grasped his hand, the same one that was still red with her blood. "We love you, Nik. But you cannot keep forcing me to stay with you especially when our brothers and your mate will stay by your side."
"You know as well as I that our alliance hinges on the affections of one human girl," Klaus said, and choked back his damn emotions again.
Rebekah shook her blonde head. "That's not true. Yes, Miriam's bond with the four of you plays a part in keeping you together, but that's not all. It wasn't their bond with her that had Finn keeping me from attacking you or Kol defending me. I know you see the worst in us, but you cannot ignore the good." They were both quiet as they digested everything that had happened in such a short time. Once again, Rebekah was the impatient one and broke the silence. "What are you thinking?"
Klaus was thinking a lot of things. He was thinking about Miriam's warning that morning that forgiveness could go both ways. He was remembering the feeling of acceptance he felt when his brothers forgave him for his greatest sin. He was pondering the reality of what forgiving Rebekah for her crime would look like. But mostly, he was thinking about how Rebekah's blue eyes had been wide with fear when he held her heart in his hands, and how she must have resembled a young Klaus every time his father abused him. That thought, that he could even be slightly like his father, was unacceptable and heartbreaking.
And though he didn't want to show vulnerability to his betrayer of a sister, he admitted his thoughts with only a little reluctance.
"I am thinking that Mikael ruined me beyond saving."
Rebekah nodded in understanding. "Maybe he ruined you, but he ruined the rest of us, too. That's what you forget. You are not alone in your ruination. Each of us is broken. You with your anger and paranoia, me with my fear of abandonment, Kol with his mania, Finn with his depression, and poor Elijah with his dedication to everyone but himself. We are the strongest creatures in the world, and we are ruined. Once upon a time I believed us to be the definition of 'cursed', but looking at your mate, I don't believe that anymore," Rebekah smiled tentatively. "No cursed creature would be blessed with a mate. And if the four of you can achieve happiness, then maybe I can, too."
He couldn't find a way to argue that reasoning. Denying her a chance to find her Miriam seemed cruel. When he had been lonely, he could ignore the injustices he made against his sister by reasoning that at least they could be lonely together. But like she said, he had Miriam and their brothers, however new their relationship. Rebekah had no one.
"I cannot forgive you for bringing Mikael to our home," he said eventually.
"And I cannot forgive you for killing Mother," she said.
"We are at an impasse, then."
"That we are."
More silence. Rebekah did not let go of his hand, and he did not pull away. In almost amicable silence they watched from across the yard as their siblings cater to Miriam. Elijah had found a spare shirt inside the house for Miriam to change into (apparently Klaus was a messy eater and had gotten blood on her shirt). Finn had produced a blanket for them to sit on, for Miriam refused to go into the house. Even though she couldn't hear Klaus and Rebekah's conversation like the others, she still wanted to remain outside with them. To pass the time Kol had brought one of her knitting projects. He was asking lighthearted questions as Miriam knit.
Their domesticity was a farce. Each of his brothers were coiled like snakes, ready to strike the moment Klaus became aggressive towards Rebekah. Only Miriam remained blissfully ignorant. She made jokes and small talk, as if violence was not a wrong word away.
The thought of violence happening to Miriam made Klaus's stony heart clench painfully. He had buried the hatchet with his brothers, and it was time he and Rebekah came to some type of conclusion.
"I have a chance at happiness in front of me," Klaus finally said. "Miriam, our brothers, a pack. I won't have time to devote to keeping you out of trouble and away from those who are unworthy of you. So go, sister. Leave us for your own machinations."
"Nik… really?" The hope in Rebekah's eyes was too much for Klaus, so he turned away.
"Yes. Go. But do not come back unless you want to stay. I will not have you coming and going at your whim. It is all or nothing, Rebekah."
"Thank you, Nik!" Rebekah pulled him into a hug.
"Yes, yes," he was uncomfortable in the face of her true happiness. He had seen it so few times over the past millennia. And though he was reluctant to part with her, he was relying on Kol's assessment that his siblings would always return to his side. By the gods, he would have Rebekah return to him. For he was covetous, and eventually the pack, his brothers, and Miriam would not be enough for him. He would need Rebekah too to feel complete. "Go, before I change my mind."
Rebekah shot him one last grateful look before speeding away.
In her absence there was silence. It was a weighty silence as Klaus, his brothers, and Miriam contemplated everything that had just happened. Horrible truths had been revealed. New enemies and allies had been divulged. Words that cut as sharp as knives had been spoken. Emotions were still raw.
Wordlessly, Klaus and the others went back into the partially destroyed house. Kol had Miriam sit down on the couch while Elijah and Finn went to the kitchen. Klaus watched as his older brothers fixed a simple meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Miriam thanked them when they presented the food to her, but besides that, the group remained quiet. They all settled in the destroyed living room with their meal, and ate in amiable silence.
And in the silence, one question resonated in all of them:
"What happens now?"
Kol was the boldest of them, to ask the question. Finn shrugged, Elijah shook his head, and the question settled around them like a chill in the air.
More silence. Then:
"Caroline and I will be going with Klaus to Roanoke," Miriam decided.
Klaus's heart jumped in his chest. "Really?"
She dipped her grilled cheese into her tomato soup and nodded. "Yeah, it sounds like the right option. But you've got to understand that this never happened in my reality. We'll be going forward blind."
"Maybe, but we won't be powerless," Klaus said as excitement rose in his chest.
She took a bite of her grilled cheese before narrowing her eyes at him. "You're planning something."
"Maybe. But that can be brought up later. A more pressing matter is the doppelganger. I need to get her blood if I want the Roanoke pack to be Hybrids."
"Yes. If you can drain enough blood without killing her, that would be best. And if you could do it right before we leave Mystic Falls, that would be even better. Elena and her friends are less likely to follow us out of town to get petty revenge," Miriam said.
Klaus scoffed. "Like they could touch us."
"Don't underestimate the stupidity of those people," Miriam warned.
Klaus waved away her words. He was stronger than all of those annoying townies. They lived by his mercy, not the other way around. If they followed Klaus to Roanoke he would kill each and every one of them. Bonnie Bennett was the biggest threat, but August and the Martins would also be going to Roanoke to help set up the house and oversee the first transition of the pack, so they could deal with her.
"We hear you, vorgyðja," Elijah said. He shot Klaus a look that said 'behave'. "And if you go with Niklaus, then so will I."
"And so will we," Kol said, motioning to Finn. "We will go where Miriam goes."
"Then it's settled," Elijah declared. "We will all be moving to Roanoke."
Once again excitement fluttered in Klaus's chest. He had actually gotten everything he had wanted! Well, almost everything. He would have preferred Rebekah to join them, but he would be satisfied with his brothers and his mate being willing to accompany him on his journey to create a pack of Hybrids. Maybe, just maybe, he could one day have both his entire family and his dream of a powerful pack. He could go back to New Orleans with an army and take back control of the city. Or he could go to Los Angeles. The West Coast was a mix of traditional magic and modern application that Klaus found riveting. Los Angeles could be a challenge.
But thoughts of the distant future had to be put aside for the near future. The Mikaelsons had to pack up and get the Roanoke house habitable. They had to reorganize funds, order furniture from their various places of storage, and maybe Klaus would pull some of his paintings out and display them in their new home.
"Is there anything else we need to know, vorgyðja?" Elijah asked.
"There is a lot you need to know, but I'm too tired to think of anything right now," Miriam said wearily. "Like I mentioned earlier, I have a hit-list of people and items that need to be killed, compelled, or destroyed. Like the Wickery Bridge and the sign that's in front of it are made of white oak. Both need to be destroyed, along with the ashes. Klaus, the knight you carved for Rebekah when you were still human, that is also white oak. Lucien has a company that is experimenting with werewolf venom; that needs to stop, like, yesterday. There are also some ancient witch bones that need to be chucked into the sun… or like a prison world. There's also the vampire cure we need to talk about, but that can wait."
"A cure?" Elijah narrowed his eyes.
"It was a huge plot point, and I really want to avoid it," Miriam sighed.
"Then we will try to avoid it," Elijah said. "Now, let's go back to the farmhouse and rest."
So they packed up what little they had brought with them and piled into Elijah's car. The sun was setting as Elijah drove them back to the farmhouse. The five of them were quiet during the drive, lost in their own heads. There was a lot to do, but before they went forward, they needed a night to come to grips with everything that had been revealed.
"Hi!" Caroline greeted them as they came into the house. "How did it go?"
"Well, no one was daggered or lost a heart, so all in all, that went well," Kol said cheekily.
Smack.
"Ow! Finn!"
Klaus stared at the wall in front of him. Doubts swirled in his mind. Should he have let Rebekah go? Should he have ignored Miriam's advice and Elijah's approving look? Should he go hunt that traitorous excuse for kin-
"Hey."
Klaus's head snapped up. Miriam was in the doorway of the room he was currently sharing with Elijah. She was in a new, warmer outfit of hiking boots, jeans, a sweater in several shades of orange and red, and a thick brown jacket. Her hair was pulled back in a half-up, half-down hairstyle, and she wore minimal jewelry. In her hands she held a closed picnic basket.
"Hello, love. What is that?"
"This is food for our date tonight," she said, and he almost let her smile disarm him.
"Are you trying to distract me from the fact that my brothers and sister are meeting to say their goodbyes right now?" He asked dryly.
"Of course!" she said cheekily. "So grab your jacket and let's go."
What else could he do but obey?
In very little time the two of them were in her car, the picnic basket, a cooler, and a couple of thick blankets in the back seat. It was getting late for humans to be out and about, so there was very little traffic. Miriam bypassed the main town of Mystic Falls entirely, and instead headed towards the lake.
The picnic area of the lake was dark when they arrived, and Klaus wondered what her plan was. They got out of the car, only to find August waiting for them.
"Did you get it done?" Miriam asked excitedly.
"Yes I did. You wound me by doubting that I couldn't do it," August said with fake hurt. "Go have fun, kids. I'll be around, making sure that Miriam doesn't take your virtue, Klaus, and that you don't kidnap her. Toodles!"
And the witch sauntered off before Klaus could behead him.
"Come on!" Miriam grabbed his hand. "Let's grab our stuff!"
After they grabbed everything that Miriam thought they would need, they headed past all of the picnic tables, towards the lake itself.
Klaus could see the glow of lights before he could see the area, but when he did, his jaw dropped. Lights were strung up in the trees all around a clearing just inside the tree line that overlooked the lake. Torches were stuck in the sand, and Klaus could see the flames reflected in the calm waters. In the middle of the clearing there was a ring of crystals around a large blanket and a few pillows; Miriam added the two blankets they brought to the pile to give them more padding. The entire set-up was romantic and intimate and very Miriam.
The girl in question beamed up at him. "I can pull off an awesome distraction slash date, can't I?"
"That you can," he nodded. "Are we going to address the 'date' thing?"
She shrugged. "If you want this to be a date, it can be a date. If you want this to just be a distraction, it can be a distraction."
Her nonchalant words did nothing to mask the fidgeting of her hands, or the way that she refused to look at his face for longer than a second.
Despite himself, Klaus grinned. Miriam actually wanted to go out on a date with him! He felt as giddy as a school-girl, and pushed those emotions down until they were manageable.
"Then it's a date," he said.
"Good," she said primly, and plopped gracelessly down onto the blankets.
Klaus set their stuff down and gingerly sat down on the blankets, not wanting to disturb the tranquility of the moment. The night was cool, not horribly chilly, but the breeze that came off the lake pushed cool into cold. But once they were both sitting on the blankets, the ring of crystals around their nest began to glow. Heat radiated off the crystals, making the area bearable.
The two of them settled into the blankets and began to pull out their food items. There was a thermos of blood for Klaus, a thermos of lemonade for Miriam, and a selection of hot sandwiches and chips for the both of them. Dessert was a container of chocolate fudge. The meal was simple, made out of ingredients from the local supermarket. Klaus had tasted cheese aged to perfection, meats seasoned just right, bread baked fresh. And he would give it all up to spend time with this wonderful girl who was doing her best to make a place for just the two of them.
"So," she said as she unwrapped the sandwich she had chosen, "I know you probably don't want to talk about the Rebekah-sized elephant in the room, but we do need to talk about the biting thing that happened earlier."
Klaus winced. "Yes, I suppose we do."
"I'm not a vampire, Klaus, so maybe you can explain why you bit me?" she said tentatively. "I have had three encounters with vampires biting me. One bit me for sustenance, one bit me as punishment, and the last bit me for food-slash-intimidation… I think. The third guy was weird. Anyway, I don't think earlier was about food or punishment, so were you trying to intimidate me? Or your brothers?"
"I wasn't trying to intimidate you. I- we- vampires, as a species, like to bite," Klaus said. "We bite each other during sex because sharing blood is considered intimate. The places that are bitten are also intimate. And biting- while it can also be the mark of a covetous, possessive vampire- is instinctual. I know all of us have given blood to you, and if you were a vampire, you would be giving blood to us. So when I was angry at Rebekah, and you were suddenly there, your neck in my reach, I reacted instinctively. It was smart of Elijah, really, to have you get close to me. Your blood took my mind off of Rebekah's betrayal long enough for a more rational version of myself to return."
"... So I was the vampire version of a pacifier?" Miriam said after a moment of contemplation.
"No!" Klaus denied.
"I kinda think I was!" Miriam laughed at his quick denial.
He shook his head but didn't deny it a second time.
Miriam calmed down and became serious again. "Okay, so I get why you bit me. But you've got to understand, I haven't had a good track record with biting. Yeah, you were probably the most gentle with me out of the lot, but it still hurt, and I'm not really keen to do it again. So can you promise me that you won't do it again without my permission- barring any sort of extreme circumstance?"
"Yes, I can promise that," he swore. And he could… for the time being. His guilt over biting her had more to do with her being upset than any actual remorse for the action itself. He wanted more of her blood, but he was willing to wait until she was more comfortable with biting to bring the subject up again.
"Good. Now, let's eat!"
So they ate. As distractions went, this one was one of the best. Klaus still had a desire to track Rebekah down and dagger her to punish her for her betrayal and to keep her with him. For as angry as he was with her, he still loved her. Klaus knew he was covetous and unwilling to compromise. Allowing Rebekah to leave had been a huge concession for him, and he did not know how long his goodwill would last.
But for now, he would let Rebekah be free, and he would enjoy his alone time with his mate.
"You mentioned the cure, earlier," Klaus prompted when they were almost through eating.
"Yeah. It was a huge pain in the butt storyline that I really don't want to repeat here. We can strategize later on how to get the best results with the least amount of damage inflicted. I know that Rebekah would want it, which is why I mentioned it after she left. I know she wants to be human so she can have a family, but there is an alternative. I spoke to Finn about it, and he agreed that Rebekah would like the option I have in mind."
"Which is?"
"The Gemini coven has a spell that transfers a fetus from one womb to another, even a vampire womb. If Rebekah still wants to have a child, we can find a person who does not want their pregnancy, and transfer the fetus to Rebekah," Miriam said.
Klaus was once again shocked by the information that Miriam held. If Rebekah had a child as a vampire, she would cease her desire to become human and have a human family. Klaus could keep his sister for the rest of eternity, because while he might grudgingly accept that she wanted to live her own life, he did not accept her taking the cure and leaving him for a human life.
"Of course, any child Rebekah would have wouldn't be biologically hers, but knowing her, she wouldn't mind."
"Rebekah would love any child she could take care of," Klaus said. He knew his sister. Being a mother would soothe an ache that had been present in her soul ever since their evil parents had forced vampirism onto them. Rebekah could be ruthless, rash, and immature, but she also had a large capacity to love, and a deep desire to nurture. A child, one of her own, would be the greatest gift anyone could give her.
"Finn wants to wait until she returns to tell her about the spell," Miriam said. "He wants her to experience the world from a new perspective before she becomes obsessed with having a family."
"That was a wise decision," Klaus admitted. He had no doubt that if Rebekah realized there was a way to have a child, she would completely devote herself to making that dream become a reality.
"I thought so, too."
They were happily quiet for a while before Miriam broke the silence.
"I know I forced you guys into having the truth talk, but are you at least a little relieved that you don't have to carry any big secrets from your siblings anymore?"
Klaus thought about that question for a minute. "Relieved? Yes. Thrilled that it happened? No. The experience is not one that I want to repeat anytime soon."
Miriam hummed in understanding. "I never had siblings, but I assume that revealing your deepest, darkest secrets to them may not be the best activity for fun sibling bonding time."
He laughed. "Revealing secrets is not a fun activity for any person."
"True!" she chuckled.
"That reminds me: we all bared our souls today, but you got off scot free," he pointed a chip accusingly at her.
"I have no deep, dark secrets," she denied. She pulled out a container of chocolate fudge and took a piece before offering him the container.
He accepted and popped a cube into his mouth. "I doubt that."
"Any secrets I have are being kept from you so you don't do something rash," Miriam insisted.
"Then tell me a secret that doesn't have the weight of the future on it," he said.
"Uh, I'm allergic to kiwis, I have a sweet tooth, I once toilet-papered the principal's house with a bunch of friends… I don't really know what you want me to say," she chuckled nervously.
"Tell me something my brothers do not know." Klaus knew he had to share her with his brothers, but for a moment he wanted some piece of her that did not belong to his brothers.
"They don't know a lot, honestly. Elijah probably knows the most about me, but that's just because I've known him the longest." She thought for a minute before admitting, "I… I have been thinking about sex recently, and I've been kind of worried that I might not be ready for sex with any of you for a long time."
"We are not going to demand a physical relationship with you," Klaus said seriously.
"I know… I just feel stupid wanting to know you all better before we get physical. I know- well, I don't know, because apparently things are different- but I hope- urgh!" Miriam sputtered before burying her head in her hands. After a moment of composing herself, she raised her head and looked him in the eye. "I'm not a teenager. I'm a twenty-three-year-old woman. I've had relationships and sex before. I'm not a blushing virgin. I just feel like I might not be enough for the four of you."
Klaus did not have a plethora of healthy, lengthy relationships with women to pull knowledge from. But he did have a sister, and an older brother who was good at wooing women. So he knew what not to say. He would try his best to assuage her fears. "You are enough for us. And we are taking this relationship-thing slow. I know Elijah and Finn are determined not to rush into things."
"And you and Kol?" Miriam asked. She ate another piece of fudge.
Klaus grinned sharply. "Kol and I would happily take anything you give us with little to no regard for our brothers' feelings."
She gave him a stern look and popped another bite of fudge into her mouth almost absentmindedly.
"I told you, love, that we are covetous creatures," Klaus was unrepentant. "Kol and I just allow our baser instincts to have more control. Finn and Elijah, for all their civility and nobility, are just as depraved as Kol and I."
"Depraved?" Miriam questioned, but there was a wicked gleam in her dark eyes that made him feel comfortable enough to lean into her space.
"Yes, depraved. We- I - want anything you are willing to give us. You kisses, your touches, your time. Elijah would be better at waxing poetic, but I know I would dagger any of my brothers for a chance to repeat tonight."
Miriam's eyes softened slightly. "I'd like to do this again, too. And you wouldn't even have to dagger any of the others to get me to do it." Then that wicked look was back, and she shifted to move all of the food away from her.
And then, in an act that was bolder than anything he had seen from his chaste little mate, she swung her leg over his body and settled herself into his lap.
Klaus gaped at her. His hands floundered uselessly at his sides.
"I have another confession," she whispered. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled herself closer, her breasts against his chest. "I want to kiss you right now."
That was all the permission he needed.
Klaus wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. He grasped the back of her head and angled her head so he could kiss her. She opened for him beautifully at the first press of his lips to hers. She tasted like chocolate fudge and something that was distinctly Miriam. She returned his kisses with equal enthusiasm, and Klaus was enthralled by her.
She pulled away after a couple of minutes of making out.
"I'm not going any further with you, tonight," Miriam murmured against his mouth. "Not out here in the cold, on the ground, with August reading a Percy Jackson book within hearing distance."
"Agreed," he said, and then kissed her again. He didn't think she realized that she was slowly grinding on him, making things all the more tortuously good for him. He could feel the heat of her, even through several layers of clothes. Her thighs were on either side of his hips, and every time he did something she liked they tightened. One of her hands was on his head, and every now and then she would rake her fingers through his hair, making him growl. They might not go any further than making out like teenagers, but Klaus was enjoying the experience all the same.
This moment was the perfect end to a great date. To freely touch her and enjoy her was a gift he was going to cherish. Klaus vowed to continue necking with his girl until the annoying witch came over to break them up.
(Not too long after, August came over with a spray bottle, threatening to douse the two of them with ice water if Miriam didn't stop attacking the "innocent Mr. Mikaelson". Klaus would have killed him if Miriam hadn't been sitting on his lap.)
ELIJAH
The five of them stood on a backroad that led out of Mystic Falls. The night was calm, as was the group. Klaus and Miriam were on a solo date (with August stealthily chaperoning), leaving Finn, Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah to say their goodbyes.
"I have procured a new passport, driver's license, and birth certificate for you," June said as she handed over a folder full of necessary documents. "I put you down as twenty-one, just so you don't stick out too much. In the folder is also a list of witches and covens who are willing to help vampires. Hera is still down in Florida, and is always willing to help if you need it. I also gave you a list of addresses that are safe houses, as well as the address of my child, October, if you need serious help."
"Going with the month theme this time?" Kol asked, humor in his voice.
"Months are more palpable than flower names," June said with a grimace. "Flower names are traditionally feminine, and October prefers their current name over Lobelia."
"Here," Elijah handed Rebekah a notebook. "Miriam wrote down people that should be avoided, people that need to be killed, and people that would make good allies, and where she thinks they will be. Familiarize yourself with the list, just in case you come across anyone."
"Alright," Rebekah agreed easily. She put the folder and the notebook in the passenger seat of her convertible. "Don't look so dour, Elijah. I'm finally getting my chance to go out into the world!"
"Good luck, world," Kol muttered. At the glare Finn leveled at him, he added, "I'm joking! Gods, you all are so touchy." He walked over to Rebekah and pulled her into a hug. "Have fun, Bex. Raise some hell and go live your life."
Rebekah was smiling when the two separated. She approached Finn next and hugged him as well. "Be happy, brother. I know you have struggled with dark thoughts in the past. May this new chance at life, with our brothers and your mate, bring you joy."
"I will make you a promise: I will try to be happy if you look for more than just a man out there," Finn said. "For there is more to life than romantic relationships. Find people to help. Find enemies to kill. Start a movement. Go somewhere new. Learn a new skill. Find people to be your family. And because I know you will be back sooner or later, know that Miriam told me about a piece of information that you will find desirable."
"Will you tell me now?"
"No, because then you would never return," he said, and tweaked her nose like he had done when they were little.
She grumbled, but moved to Elijah's side. Her eyes went wide and watery as she looked at him. "I'm finally free, Elijah!"
"That you are, dear sister," Elijah's voice was thick with emotion as the two siblings embraced. "Go enjoy your freedom. Just remember to return to us."
"I can't imagine ever forgetting you all," she laughed as she pulled away from him and blinked back tears.
Elijah pulled a handkerchief from his inside jacket pocket and handed it to her. She took it gratefully and dabbed at her eyes.
"I want to apologize again for what Marcel and I did," Rebekah said to Elijah. "You were the one who led Mikael away, and risked your life in the process. I am sorry that my actions hurt you."
"I cannot lie and say I am not angry that you did that, but I do understand your reasoning," Elijah replied. He meant what he said. Rebekah's actions had been foolish. She had nearly gotten all of them killed. The only reason they were so forgiving was because of the fact that none of them had perished in Mikael's attack. Elijah was not sure the conversation would have been the same if one of them had died. But he was thankful that none of them had gotten hurt. So he would deal with his anger like he always did: privately and silently. His anger would be dealt with later, but the present demanded that he be happy for his sister.
"Still, 'Lijah, I am sorry," Rebekah insisted.
"I know you are, dear sister," he kissed her on the brow.
She smiled up at him, then turned to their brothers and said, "I know none of you will come with me, but keep me updated on what's happening with the Roanoke pack? And your pursuit of Miriam?"
"Of course," Elijah promised. "And call me if you need anything."
"I will," she said before hesitating. "I know Stefan Salvatore does not remember me, thanks to Nik. But if Nik ever does lift his compulsion, give him my number?"
"Are you sure you don't want Niklaus to lift the compulsion right now?"
"No. I'm not going to compete with a doppelganger, of all people, for his affections. That is a battle I will not fight," Rebekah shook her head. "And though Nik seems to doubt it, I do have some self-respect, and I will not give it away for the man I was using to get over Marcel's supposed death."
"Speaking of Marcellus, will you be returning to New Orleans?" Elijah asked, careful to keep any judgment out of his voice. He didn't want Rebekah to return to their past home and her old lover. Marcellus might not have been related by blood to Niklaus, but he did have his more toxic traits. Marcellus would always chase power over love, over Rebekah. The fact that he never sought out the Mikaelsons after they fled New Orleans meant that the young upstart had taken advantage of their absence to make a play for the city. That thirst for power would never be quenched, even by Rebekah's deep love.
"No, well, at least not yet," she amended. "Maybe in a couple of months. I want to go to New York, Chicago, and Paris. I also want to visit the West coast; apparently it has grown since I was daggered."
"That reminds me…" he reached back into his jacket pocket and pulled a small, feminine wallet out. "This is yours. Inside are credit cards with your name on them. Have fun spending Niklaus's money."
Rebekah laughed, light and carefree. She accepted the wallet and tossed it into the seat that had the folder and notebook. "I'm going to miss you."
"I am going to miss you, too. Now go," Elijah encouraged, "before Niklaus changes his mind."
Rebekah got into her convertible. She beamed at her brothers, and Elijah knew that Niklaus had made the right choice. Rebekah would return to them, and hopefully she would return happy and under her own volition. In the meantime, she would enjoy her freedom and see the world without the pressure from Niklaus weighing her down.
Rebekah started her car, and with one last smile and a wave, she drove off into the night.
AN: The siblings talked! And no one was seriously injured! Honestly, you can't ask for more than that.
And we got a date and a kiss! You guys better appreciate me, LOL
So I felt like Klaus and Rebekah needed some time apart to heal from their respective hurts. Rebekah will be back soon!
Dialogue taken from TVD 2X22, TO 1x16, 2X11.
ALSO: The 20th of January is my one-year anniversary for this story!
(No reno update. It's been put on hold until my mom picks a color to paint the house, which then allows her to paint the deck. The grass is coming in patchy, but that's usual. Our flowers are doing okay. None of us are gardeners, so the fact that we've only lost a couple these past few months is good for us, honestly.)
