.
chaosslayerx - I would never, babes.
Guest - Thank you for this beautiful review! So, I think there's a reason the slap was comprehended by Henrik as both scary but not condemning. I'll shed some light on that in the future but take note. And yeah, eventually they might have to suck it up and accept Liz's help. Not sure yet, though.
Ladyofthefanfictions - lol Welllll...
araj140 - Hi! I'm glad you love the story and I understand your request for recaps, but I unfortunately have to decline. With the limited amount of time I have to write the chapters (among other stories and projects) I don't really want to spend what time I do have rewriting what I already wrote, you know? I hope you can understand and don't hate me! x.x
JuseaPeterson - Jusea! My long lost love! Thank you for your kind words. I think this being such a different kind of story is also what makes me enjoy writing it so much. It's got a sense of realism that appeals to me even though it still has that AU vibe.
Other Guest - Awww thank you, bby! I love hearing it's re-readable! I seem to always have a knack for making Klaus push her away in my fics, however this time it's a little more justified. When I get to the history with Tatia, it'll make more sense.
Orange-Coyote - You got that right!
You guys rock my world. Thank you for your love and support, always and forever. xoxo
Have I mentioned I've been considering making this into an original novel? Would that even appeal to anyone? I digress.
**BRIEF WARNING: The next couple of chapters are about to get kind of heavy. Brace yourselves.**
(Don't worry I'll fluff it up after to make up for it.)
So! Picking up right where we left off...
PART 10
"It's been some time since I've heard your voice."
Klaus rolled his eyes at the pretense. "I've been preoccupied. More important things to tend to." He began pacing Caroline's room, absently glancing over the contents on her dresser.
"You must think very highly of yourself."
"Trying to follow your example."
There was an agitated pause and then, "Where is my son?" All patience was lost from her voice. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror.
"Finn should be home within the hour," he quipped.
"You cannot keep him from me, Niklaus."
"Watch me."
"At least let me speak to Henrik."
"What makes you so sure he's with me?"
"Coyness has never been your strength. You would seize any opportunity to go against me, even if it meant kidnapping your own brother."
"I have legal guardianship."
"Temporary legal guardianship. I am a free woman now. And a young boy needs his mother."
"And where were you for the rest of us? Where were you for me?" His breath was hastening. "When I begged for father's mercy you stood by and watched my suffering. You did nothing! You were more intent on your fancy dinner parties and your aristocracy." He clenched his jaw, gripping his phone. "You know most peoples' reputations precede them but in your case, mother, you precede yours."
"I'm not going to acknowledge that."
"No, of course you wouldn't. Anything to avoid showing the least bit of humanity."
"Is your hatred for me so deep that you would put your own family in danger?"
"The only danger to our family is you."
She huffed into his hear. "Let me speak to him."
He scoffed and pressed his lips together. "Fine. After you let me speak to Rebekah."
"You think I'd harm my own daughter? There's more to fear from your company when you consider your track record with young women." His nostrils flared, spine straightening with fury. "Rebekah is fine. Safe and sound in her room. And she will remain that way so long as you cooperate."
"If you harm a hair on her head – "
"Don't belittle my character. Not when I could have you charged with abduction." Silence again, longer this time. "Bring Henrik home or I will be forced to go to the authorities."
"Go ahead. It's my word against yours. Who do you think they'll listen to? A convicted criminal?"
"Stubborn child," she drawled. "You have no idea what you're going up against."
"I've had plenty of experience with monsters."
"Monsters are a thing of make-believe. The real world is far crueler when it comes to fear and punishment." He swallowed at the threat. "I'll give Rebekah your best."
He opened his mouth to object but the line went dead. He gritted his teeth, gripping his phone as his body tightened with uncontrollable rage. With a powerless shout, he threw the phone across the room and it smashed against the wall, falling in pieces.
In retrospect, leaving Klaus alone in her bedroom may not have been the brightest of Caroline's ideas, but it was the most private place in the house, at present. Besides, she had nothing to hide. As long as he stayed out of her night table drawers.
The anticipation was agony. What could his mother have wanted? Apart from the obvious. The walls in the apartment were thin enough that she could hear his muffled voice as he spoke, but her conscience kept reminding her to stop straining. If he wanted to share with her what was said, he would. In the meantime, she kept trying to occupy her mind with other concerns. Henrik was in the other room, the cartoon sound effects trailing in every so often, and Katherine was tap-tap-tapping away on her phone. Probably typing to Elijah.
She kept stealing quick glances between her new friend and the empty doorway, swishing her wine idly and sipping it every so often.
"That's really annoying."
Caroline's heart jumped and she blinked, taken aback. "What?"
"You're staring."
"I wasn't – " She smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry. Long silences make me antsy."
"Clearly." She went back to her texting.
Caroline pursed her lips, tapping her finger against her glass. "Anything from Elijah?"
"Nope. This is work."
"I didn't know you guys were engaged."
Katherine quirked a brow without looking up. "So?"
"Are you guys planning the wedding?"
"Not anytime soon."
Caroline nodded, growing impatiently quiet while Katherine typed away on her phone, the little clicking sounds seemingly mocking her. "But you followed him here," she made it a question. "I mean, I get it's because of the circumstances."
Katherine sighed, lowering her phone. "What's your point?"
"Isn't it hard?"
"I travel a lot for work so the moving around doesn't really bother me." Caroline considered her with a hum. Katherine set her phone down at last, sliding it to the side and picking up her own glass. "Before this all blew up we were practically inseparable. You know, I gave him a drawer. He took five." She rolled her eyes and Caroline smiled. "The man has as many ties as I have shoes."
"I'm guessing when their parents were charged he wanted to be near his family."
"He did. We broke up over it. Twice."
"Why?"
"I've been dealing with his family's drama for almost ten years now. When their trial was going on, I begged him to cut the cord. He wouldn't, so I left him." She shrugged, averting her eyes as her fingertip circled the rim of her wine glass. "Not my proudest moment. But," she took a breath, "after their sentencing, it kind of became clear what would happen. Sure, it put a dent in our future, but I'm not heartless enough to stop him from taking care of his family. Or being a part of it."
"That's really cool of you."
"Someone's gotta keep these Mikaelson boys in check." She smiled, tipping her glass toward her. "And let me tell you, after being outnumbered for so long, It's nice to finally have a little help."
Caroline laughed. "In that case..." She picked up her wine glass and raised it. "To keeping them in check."
"To cracking the whip." She smirked and clanked her glass with hers. As they drank to their pact, tiny footsteps creeped in.
"Miss Caroline?"
She peeked around Katherine at Henrik standing meekly in the doorway. "Hey, bud."
"Are you guys still talking about grown up stuff?"
"Actually, we were talking about dinner. Are you hungry?" He nodded. "How does a grilled cheese sound? And some chocolate milk?"
"Yes, please." He walked over and climbed up onto the chair to sit with Katherine at the table while Caroline went to work.
"Hey." She leaned forward with a smirk. "A little birdie told me you're learning how to read."
Henrik's brows knit in comical confusion. "Birds don't talk."
Katherine laughed. "I guess you're too smart for me, kid." She sat back. "You'll probably outsmart us all one day."
"Not Elijah. He's smartest."
"He is pretty smart, isn't he?"
A loud shout followed by a small bang made the three of them gasp. Caroline stared at the backsplash in front of her with wide eyes, imagining her bedroom door through the wall, and the man behind it.
"What was that?"
"Nothing good." Katherine sighed.
Henrik frowned. "Where's Nik?"
Caroline turned around putting on a calming smile. "He's just in the other room on the phone. He'll be right out."
"But he yelled." He climbed out of his chair to investigate but a hand reached for his wrist.
"Hey," Katherine stopped him. She smiled, uncharacteristically sweet. "Do you remember a few weeks ago when Elijah and Kol had a fight? Elijah got really mad and he yelled?" He nodded. "We were in the other room with your brother and he wanted to go see what happened."
"You told him no."
"That's right. Do you remember why?"
Caroline listened to the pair, laying the sandwiches into the frying pan. It seemed it wasn't just the Mikaelsons that kept showing her new sides to them.
"Cause Elijah would yell at him too and then they'd be in a fight," Henrik answered.
"I think, if you go by your brother right now, it might not be a good idea."
He frowned deeply. "He's gonna yell at me?"
"Well, no. At least I don't think so, but he needs to cool off. Just like Elijah did."
He looked down, pursing his little lips as he considered the wisdom she'd bestowed upon him. With a little huff of a sigh, he drooped his shoulders and retook his seat. Katherine smiled and gave his hair a affectionate muss which he promptly smoothed out.
"Nice job," Caroline said softly, setting the first cooked grilled cheese in front of Henrik.
Katherine shrugged. "Learning process."
"Fast learner," a voice said from the doorway. They all turned and Klaus was there, his expression nothing short of weary.
"One of my more marketable skills," she responded.
"Nik?" Henrik greeted with big, hopeful eyes. His big brother walked in, forcing a gentle smile as he picked him up off his chair and sat in it, sitting Henrik on his lap. Henrik settled in, contented, and picked up his sandwich to take a bite.
"How did it go?" Katherine inquired.
"As well as could be expected."
Caroline leaned her hand on the countertop, flipping the next sandwich onto a plate to bring it over. "What did she say?"
He pressed his lips together, nodding. "She's threatening to file a kidnapping charge."
"Seriously!?" Caroline gaped in disgust. "You're his legal guardian. He is right where he should be."
"Not according to her."
"According to the law." She set the plate in front of Katherine.
"And we all know how far above the law she is," Katherine remarked, picking up the first half to inspect it.
Henrik turned halfway, holding his already bitten grilled cheese up to Klaus' mouth with a playful grin. Klaus leaned his head back. "No, thank you."
"Iss yummy," he insisted with a mouth full.
Klaus laughed. "Eat your dinner, monkey."
"What if we get the jump on her?" Caroline suggested. Klaus' eyes narrowed with intrigue. "My mom could make a call to the station. She could alert - "
"No."
"Why not?!" she groaned. "She can't do anything but help your cause. Why are you so against this?"
"I said no, Caroline."
"So what, you're just going to give in?"
"What I'm going to do is wait for Elijah to get here. Until then, consider the situation at a standstill."
Caroline glanced to Katherine but she only raised her brows before dodging any and all eye contact. She went back to the stove and slammed the spatula down against the counter in frustration. Why did he have to be so stubborn?!
7:13 P.M.
After their dinner of grilled cheeses and tension, they all retired to the living room. Waiting for Elijah was nerve-wracking, like being on the edge of a cliff on your tippy toes, body straining against the imminent plunge, but there's still a breath of air caught in your chest preventing the plummet. At least, that was how Caroline felt. Klaus and Katherine seemed to be fine, apart from their bouts of bickering which kept leading to her suspicious escape to the bathroom. Henrik was just glad to be watching his favorite show.
"Is the sponge you have in your sink the same as Spongebob?" he suddenly asked her.
"I don't think so. I think the sponges in the ocean look a little different."
"Then how come he looks like that? Did someone use him in the sink then throw him in the ocean?"
She giggled. "Maybe."
"Or maybe he got stuck down the drain."
"You know, that's very possible."
"This one time, in my other school, a boy named Joey made Spongebob Rice Krispies treats and they really looked like Spongebob," he marveled, his eyes wide, emphasizing.
"Mmm. I bet they were yummy."
His face scrunched up in a grimace. "No, it tasted like a cardboard box."
"And how exactly do you know what a cardboard box tastes like?" Klaus challenged. "Have you been eating them in secrecy?"
"No, silly. It's a metal fork."
Caroline's head turned. "A metal fork?"
Klaus laughed. "I think he means a metaphor."
"That's what I said. A metal fork."
"How do you know what a metaphor is?" she asked.
"Nik teached me."
Her eyes flicked to his with a grin. "Oh he did, did he?"
Henrik nodded emphatically. "Elijah gived me a paper book that has one word for each day. And Nik teaches me them."
"So you can be nice," Katherine taunted, reentering the room.
He leered. "To people I like."
Her hand went to her chest. "You mean you don't like me? My life is a lie."
His eyes rolled with a smirk. "They say acceptance is the first step to admitting your problems."
"You aremy problem," she lamented, dropping back onto the couch.
"Wow, that was a record," Caroline commented playfully. "You two almost went ten minutes without an argument."
Before either of them could continue on, a knock at the door interrupted. Caroline excused herself to answer it, Elijah's long awaited presence thrilling her. She led him in and Katherine was up and casually slinking over to hug him.
"Hey, sight for sore eyes."
Elijah smiled as he held her. "You saw me this morning."
"Can you just take the compliment?"
He nuzzled her nose. "Never."
Klaus cleared his throat and Elijah looked up, readjusting his stance. "Hello all." His eyes flicked to the yawning five-year-old. "It's almost bed time, isn't it?"
"I'm not tired," Henrik objected.
Caroline caught on. "Henrik, why don't we go in the guest room and practice reading a little?"
He sat up, eyes alight. "Are we sleeping over?"
She laughed and held her hand out. "Maybe. Come on."
He jumped off the couch and ran to grab her hand, following her hastily out to the hallway and disappearing. Klaus sat forward, hanging his head which made Elijah glance to Katherine in worry.
"What have you heard?"
"Rebekah is with her," Klaus told him. "No word from Kol yet."
"She will not be able to physically keep them there," he assured him, walking nearer with Katherine in tow.
"It's not her will that worries me."
"Rebekah spoke out of a mangled heart. You cannot confuse her words for her conscience."
He looked up. "Why shouldn't I? She wanted to stay, to rekindle her relationship with her mother. For all we know they could be conspiring."
"Listen to yourself when you speak." Elijah shook his head. "Rebekah's loyalty is to her family. Not an estranged murderer claiming the title of mother."
Klaus' jaw set. "She's threatening to go to the authorities."
"Let her." It was almost a laugh. "I dare her to try to go against me in a court of law."
"Your confidence is so sexy," Katherine teased, picking up her glass of wine – unfinished from dinner.
Elijah's eyes widened. "Katerina." He glanced at the glass raised mid-air. "You promised."
Klaus' brows dropped and it was that moment that Caroline returned. She let her arms flop in a shrug.
"He was out by the time I turned the page." She sat beside Klaus again, eyes shifting between the three of them before the awkward silence hit her. "...What did I miss?"
Katherine rolled her eyes and begrudgingly set her glass back down without sipping. "Nothing."
"Okay..." She frowned briefly but let it go and nudged Klaus lightly. "Did you tell him?" He nodded. Her gaze switched to Elijah. "She doesn't actually have any rights, does she?"
"Without the consent of my brothers and I, she cannot regain custody of Henrik unless a judge overturns the guardianship order."
"Like that'll stop her," Katherine said.
Caroline chewed her lip. "Can I ask, what happens if she takes this to court?"
"We fight like hell," Elijah told her. The tone of his voice could send shivers down the spine of any unsuspecting person.
Klaus agreed with a nod. "We fight either way."
"What about Rebekah and Kol?"
Elijah smiled, slightly. "Kol is free to do as he pleases. He's not a minor."
"I'd rather he stay with Rebekah," Klaus admitted.
"I agree. As long as she's there, we may be able to play Rebekah to our advantage."
"Our own personal mole." Klaus smiled, catching on while Elijah nodded to confirm. "Brilliant."
Caroline gaped at them in appall. "How can you use your own sister?"
"It's not using if she agrees to it," Klaus pointed out.
"It's merely a consensual exploitative transaction," Elijah added meekly.
"Seriously?"
Katherine shrugged. "What do you expect from a lawyer?"
Elijah smirked. "You said you liked it."
"I do." She flirted with her lashes.
"Then don't mock me."
"But it's so fun."
His eyes cut to hers but he licked his lower lip in a grin, shaking his head despite himself. Katherine arched her back with a small moan and sat up, resting her cheek against her palm.
"Not to be a Debbie Downer," she started, "but aren't we ignoring something?" Caroline's face was blank and the brothers averted eyes in avoidance so she added, "Or someone?"
Klaus tilted his head. "Truth be told, I've been wondering why I haven't heard from Finn."
"If he's quiet, he's plotting," she noted.
"No," Elijah disagreed. "Strategy has never been his strong point. He's more of a follower than a leader."
"You think your mom is pulling his strings," Caroline said.
"I think he's weighing his options. The conflict of interest could jeopardize his job." He frowned doubtfully. "Doesn't mean he won't deny his familial obligations."
"Do we worry about Finn?"
"I'll worry about him when he makes an appearance," Klaus decided. "Until then…"
"I can return home and gauge the situation," Elijah offered, finally resigning himself to half sit on the arm of the couch beside Katherine. "Mother will expect our alliance which means Finn might have already fallen prey to her manipulations."
Katherine put her hand on his arm. "Is that really a good idea, Elijah?"
He cupped her face gently. "I'll be fine, Katerina. You know I'll always come back to you."
Klaus cleared his throat. "I'd say to get a room..."
"Do you ever shut up?" She rolled her eyes and ignored his glare, resting her head against her fiancé's side.
The room fell silent. They were all lost in thoughts, most of them the same, one single thought being the most prevalent.
"What now?"
It was Caroline who'd asked, her voice soft with hesitance. Klaus hunched forward, lacing his fingers in the gap between his legs. "I have a hotel room booked just outside of town for Henrik and I. I planned on staying there until things were sorted."
"She can track your credit card statement," Katherine muttered.
"Which is why I paid in cash."
Caroline shook her head furiously. "That's ridiculous. You guys can stay here."
"I'd rather not impose that much on you."
"You wouldn't. And at least Henrik would feel more at ease here than in some unfamiliar hotel room."
"She has a point," Katherine agreed.
He stood up, shaking his head, distancing himself from her. "I can't ask you to put us up indefinitely."
"You don't have to. I'm offering. Besides, it'll be easier with school."
"I think, given the circumstances, his safety takes precedence to his education."
"Okay, I draw the line at trying to keep him out of school."
"It's what's best for - "
"No, it's not. Kids as young as Henrik are crazy impressionable. Everything little thing they see, everything they experience can have an impact."
"So what are you suggesting?"
"He needs some normalcy right now. He needs to keep going to school, following through with his day like nothing ever happened."
"She's right, Klaus." Elijah shook his head. "Uprooting him will only make matters worse."
Klaus' jaw clenched. "It's the first place she'll look for him."
"But it doesn't mean she can get to him," Caroline told him. "We can set up round the clock supervision. I'll talk to the faculty, explain a little about the situation." At his attempt to protest she held a hand up. "I'll tell them the bare minimum."
Elijah and Katherine exchanged a glance before he looked to Klaus. "What do you think?"
"I want to be there," he said finally.
Caroline frowned and Elijah spoke for her. "That would be counterproductive."
"If you really want to keep him safe and unaware of what's happening, you can't be in the classroom, Klaus." Seeing his distress, she went on, "He won't be out of my sight. I promise."
He sighed in frustration, pacing. "He won't be out of my sight, either." He finally stopped and faced them. "I'll keep watch from the street, ensuring she doesn't get as far as the curb should she be brazen enough to show her face."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "What're you gonna do, sit outside in your car all day?"
"If that's what it takes."
Tuesday 10:27 a.m. – Mystic Falls Elementary
It had been three restless hours and so far Klaus' stakeout had produced nothing of consequence. Which was a good thing, except for the cramped space and rapid decline in his patience. Music grew tiresome and the three times the crossing guard tried to make small talk before she left only agitated him more. His attempts to contact Rebekah were futile and Kol was just as unresponsive. Either Esther had their devices, or they were scared.
A knock on his window jolted him out of his garbled apprehension and a new sense of paranoia settled in. He rolled it down, barely two inches, glaring at the intruding stranger. The man wouldn't look at him, instead scanning the surrounding area, notably anxious.
"It's against the law to stalk people," he told Klaus, their eyes meeting by fleeting chance amidst the darting.
Klaus narrowed his eyes skeptically. "And are you the pot or the kettle?"
The man finally turned his gaze on him fully. Hazel eyes, but the sunlight showed green flares of disdain. "She doesn't need to be involved with someone like you."
Klaus blinked and it took a moment to register who he was speaking to before he started to grin. "The cheating ex, I presume." Tyler looked away and Klaus leered. The differences between them were beyond physicality, despite the fact he looked like a neanderthal. "Lucky for me, your mistake was my gain."
"I'm telling you, if you don't leave her alone – "
"You'll what? Call the police?" He let the window roll down fully, leaning out with a darkening grin. "You realize being here violates the radius of her restraining order, don't you?" Tyler's eyes widened with fury. Klaus pouted his lips, feigning concern. "It'd be a shame if someone were to report it."
Tyler's lips wavered like he wanted to say something more but he huffed an exasperated sigh and took off without a word. Klaus grinned in satisfaction and looked back at the window at the object of their shared affections, watching her walk around the tables instructing the children and overlooking their work.
She stopped by Henrik's seat and smiled down at his work. He looked up and said something and she laughed, nodding then sparing a quick glimpse at the window, catching his eye. Their contact was brief but even from his distance he could see her lips turn – a secret smile just for him, then she was back to teaching. It was easy to understand why Tyler couldn't let go.
He was starting to relax a little when his buzzing phone alerted him to a message. He sat up eagerly, bumping his knee on the steering wheel with a wince. Finally.
KOL: Where's Henrik?
KLAUS: Nice of you to respond.
KOL: We've only just got a minute alone.
On cue, his phone sounded off with more alerts, Rebekah's name attached to them. He ignored them for now.
KOL: Is Henrik with you?
KLAUS: Where are you?
KOL: Home. Where is he?
KLAUS: I'm with him.
KOL: Where?
He stared at the words, his nerves creeping up in paranoia. The adamancy was out of character for the ne'er-do-well.
KLAUS: He's safe.
KOL: He'd better be.
KOL: She's headed to his school.
His heart skipped a beat and his breath was caught in his throat. He quickly got out of the car and rounded it to make for the entrance when he saw her walking up from the opposite side. There they were, face to face from a few feet away and only one turn away from the mutually desired path.
"You've seen better days," she told him. His stare hardened and her mouth lifted on one side in a small smile. "It's good to see you, Niklaus."
"Can't say I share in your sentiment."
"Always such an angry boy." She shook her head. "It's certainly not something you inherited from me."
He stepped forward, threateningly. "It's time for you to leave."
"No." She stood her ground. "It's time for me to be reunited with my son."
"What makes you think Henrik wants anything to do with you?"
"Yes, I'm sure you've got him brainwashed to think the worst of me. Still. I am his mother."
"Are you? You've never once cared for him. You've never asked him about his day. Nursed him through a cold. Allayed his fears. Do you even know what he's afraid of?" He raised a challenging brow. "What foods he detests? Why his favorite color is blue? Do you know anything about the person you call your son or is this just another one of Esther Mikaelson's attempts at damage control? Put on a good face, play the loving mother in the limelight so you might win some sympathy votes to put you back in the good graces of society."
"I've been in prison," she spat.
"And whose fault is that?" She raised a hand to slap him but he caught her wrist, squeezing hard. "Turn around and leave or you won't like what happens next."
Her nostrils flared, teeth gritted as she hissed, "Don't you threaten me." She ripped her arm from his grasp. "I brought you into this world."
"And you'll erase me from it just the same?" He smiled sinisterly. "Go right ahead, mother. The judge won't grant custody to a convicted murderer."
"You think you're somehow better than I am? I may have been convicted but I'm not the murderer in this family. You can pretend all you want, but it will follow you." She braved a step forward and his fists clenched, palms itching with rage. "You drove that poor girl to her own dea – " She was cut off in a gasp when he grabbed her shoulders, nearly lifting her off the ground in a firm shake.
"Don't you mention her!" he thundered, his voice thickened with pain.
As if on cue, police sirens sounded, the patrol car speeding up from down the street. Klaus' eyes widened in panic. Esther only smiled, her eyes sliding towards the sound of their approach.
"What did you do?"
"You did this to yourself." His panic was the opportunity she needed to shove out of his hold.
Klaus swallowed, frozen in his spot unsure of what to do or what to say. If he ran there'd be a pursuit. If he stayed, he wasn't sure what the outcome would be.
The car pulled up to the curb, a few feet away from them, the doors opening to usher two officers out. They walked up casually, the one on the right keeping his hand at his holster and eyeing Klaus warily.
"Everything okay here, ma'am?"
Inside, Caroline stopped mid-sentence catching sight of the flashing lights and the police officers near Klaus. The majority of her students, Henrik included, looked up at her curiously and then to the window, seeing what she saw. One cop was arguing with him while the other talked to Esther. Whatever she'd just said made Klaus lunge and the officer started to seize him.
"Oh no," Caroline whispered to herself. Henrik jumped up at once, knocking his chair over as he ran to the door. "Henrik!" The door swung and his speeding feet echoed in the hall. She panicked, glimpsing the blank faces of her students, the police putting cuffs on Klaus, and hearing someone yelling after Henrik in the hall. "Nobody move," she instructed, making a dash for the door. "Stay in your seats!"
She hurried out but she could hear Henrik already at the entrance. She rounded the bend in time to hear him shout his brother's name before the doors cut her off.
Klaus' head turned sharply, eyes widening. "Henrik, go back inside!"
Caroline ran, almost slipping on the glossed tile and grabbing the door handle for support before pushing it open. "Henrik!" she called after him, hanging onto the door as he ran down the steps.
"No!" he cried, making a run for it before Caroline rushed after. "Nik! Don't go!"
He ran down the path, Caroline pushing as fast as she could after him and finally catching his shoulder to pull him back. "Henrik, don't," she pleaded breathlessly, fighting to hold him back by both arms. Klaus looked back, his expression filled with anguish.
Henrik wrestled her grasp, tears streaming down his face. "Let – me – go!"
Her heart ached as she fought his thrashing to pull him against her, crouching down to his level. "It's okay," she told him, wrapping her arms around him from behind to keep him in place. "It's okay. It's okay."
Everything was blurred by her own glistening eyes, but together they watched Klaus being led to the car and ducked into it, Esther eyeballing them from where she stood all the while giving the officer her statement. Henrik was silent but his breaths were heavy gasps, enough to heave his shoulders. When the door of the patrol car slammed closed, locking Klaus in, he turned and threw himself into her arms and sobbed. She held his head against her chest, stroking his hair in comfort as she watched the patrol car drive off. Her heart strained against her chest and she hugged Henrik tightly, kissing the top of his head as she whispered consolations over and over.
When she finally looked up again it was to give Esther the most hateful glare of her life.
