Chapter Five
Aailyah lounged about in the branches of a tree, typing furiously on her phone and ignoring the boys on the ground beneath her. She was utterly and completely pissed off. She'd been stuck wandering the forest following and cleaning up after her brother-in-law for the past two days. She was covered in dirt, hungry, and worst of all, bored. Knowing this, Elijah was on the ground, avoiding her and waiting for Niklaus to regain consciousness. Soon enough, Klaus woke, and Elijah tossed him a change of clothes.
"You've been busy." Elijah drawled as Klaus sat up.
"That was amazing." He breathed, standing to get dressed. "How long has it been?" He asked.
"Two days." Aailyah grumbled, glaring down at them.
"The full moon came and went. You remained a wolf." Elijah intervened, sending his wife a quelling look. She pouted at him and he chuckled, shaking his head at her.
"I can change at will, then. That's good to know." Klaus said with a smirk, pulling his pants up.
"You could've changed back sooner." Aailyah whined again.
"I remember every single kill." Klaus mused, ignoring her.
"Yes, we've been cleaning up your little mess along the way." Elijah said.
"Just like old times." Klaus chuckled, making Aailyah roll her eyes and she jumped out of the tree, landing deftly despite the three inch boots she wore.
"Old times? We've never stopped cleaning up after you." Aailyah crossed her arms, glaring at her brother-in-law.
"Thank you, Alli." Klaus said with a grin, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. Aailyah gave him a small smile and hugged him tightly.
"Alright, you've had your fun. It's time to go." Elijah said, smiling fondly at them. Alli and Nik squabled often, but they had built an unbreakable bond over the last millennia. Elijah knew very well where their family would be without her- splintered apart and likely stuck in coffins, and Nik did too. She'd saved them.
"Going somewhere?" Klaus drawled, pulling away from Alli with a small smile before pulling his shirt on. Elijah stepped forward, helping him into his jacket.
"I promised Kol I'd meet him in Sydney." Aailyah said with an impish grin.
"Remind me to pray for Australia." Klaus drawled to Elijah, who chuckled. Aailyah made an offended sound and whacked Klaus in the shoulder.
"We are not that bad!" Aailyah huffed, making them both snort in disbelief. Kol and Aailyah were best friends and spoke every day, but they were horrible influences on each other. Kol had an uncanny ability to make Aailyah ignore her usual common sense, and with Aailyahs mind Kols' mischievous acts snowballed into mastermind plans that no one could antics had gotten them both arrested countless times and the last time they'd been allowed to drink together they had nearly burned down the entirety of Las Vegas. Aailyah pouted and marched off toward the car, both boys following behind her.
Aailyah and Klaus stumbled out of the woods, laughing maniacally as she recounted the third time she and Kol had managed to get kicked out of Disney World (and how it was most definitely not her fault), Elijah following behind them complaining about all the trouble he went through to bail them out of jail. Aailyah paused when she noticed the man leaning against her silver Lexus.
"What are you doing here?" She asked Stefan Salvatore.
"You just keep popping up, don't you?" Klaus snarked, following her to the car.
"I need your help." Stefan said, lifting his chin defiantly. "For my brother."
"Well whatever it is it's going to have to wait a tick, I was promised food." Aailyah drawled, pulling out the keys, which Klaus promptly swiped from her. "Hey!"
"I'm immortal, but even I'm afraid when you drive." Klaus said, completely serious. Aailyah was easily distracted on the road, usually by her constantly ringing phone. Aailyah turned her pout onto Elijah, who pecked her on the cheek as he passed.
"He's not wrong, love." He said, opening the back door for her and helping her inside.
"This can't wait." Stefan insisted, making Klaus roll his eyes.
"Then get in the car Mr. Salvatore, you do not want to get on my sisters bad side, and denying her food is a fast way to do it." Klaus said, getting into the driver's seat. Stefan sighed but slid into the backseat next to Aailyah, who raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. Soon enough they arrived at the mansion, but when Stefan tried to follow them inside, he was stopped at the door.
"Oh dear, I forgot about you." Klaus chuckled, leaning against the doorway. Aailyah glanced between them and rolled her eyes, wandering off to shower and change. "What do you want?" He demanded.
"My brother was bitten by a werewolf. The witches said you had a cure. Make me a deal. Just give me a cure, and I'll do whatever you want." Stefan demanded. Klaus smirked and walked farther inside. Elijah sighed and had a young witch invite Stefan inside. He nodded thankfully and quickly followed Klaus to an indoor bar.
"Trouble is, I'm not sure how much use you'd be to me as you are. you are just shy of useless." Klaus drawled, pouring himself a drink, before turning back to Stefan. "Although, I heard about this one vampire, crazy bloke, always on and off the wagon for decades. When he was off, he was magnificent. 1917, he went into Monterrey and wiped out an entire migrant village… a true ripper."
Elijah sighed, finally understanding his brothers fondness for the younger Salvatore. Shortly after they'd been driven out of New Orleans they seperated, Elijah, Aailyah, and Kol going to New York while Rebekah and Klaus went to Chicago. While they were there, Klaus became good friends with Rebekah's fling before they were forced out once again by Mikael. Before they left, Klaus erased Stefan's memory.
"I haven't been that way in a very long time." Stefan protested, stepping away.
"Well, that's the vampire I can make a deal with. That is the kind of talent that I can use when I leave this town." Klaus and Stefan locked eyes for a moment before Klaus grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. Before he could protest Klaus' eyes turned amber and he sank his fangs into Stefan's forearm, ironically in the same spot Damon had been bitten. Elijah rolled his eyes at his brother's dramatics as Stefan screamed in agony. He stumbled away, clutching his bloody wound as Klaus ripped into his own wrist with a sickening crunch. He grabbed Stefan and forced his blood into his mouth, not releasing him until Stefan swallowed. Stefan stared, shocked as his bite healed before his eyes.
"You want your cure? There it is." Klaus chuckled, wiping the blood from his chin.
"Your blood is the cure." Stefan breathed.
"Gotta love mother nature." Klaus chuckled. "Now… let's talk, you and I." Klaus wrapped an arm around Stefan's shoulders and led him towards the grand kitchen. Taking a knife, Klaus cut his hand and let his blood drip into a small bottle. "There it is." He drawled, idly swirling the contents of the bottle. "You want to save your brother? How about a decade long bender? Because I have big plans for you when we leave this town."
"I don't do that anymore." Stefan said firmly.
"That's a shame." Klaus sighed, slowly pouring his blood into the sink. "You would have made a hell of a wingman."
"Wait!" Stefan yelled, making Klaus smirk.
"Now that's more like it." Klaus chuckled. Stefan finally lost his temper.
"Don't you have a heart? My brother is dying, if it was yours-"
"If it was my brother, I'd do whatever it took to save him." Klaus drawled, locking eyes with Elijah over Stefan's shoulder. Elijah gave him a small smile, which Klaus returned, before turning back to Stefan. "Now, I want you to join me for a drink." Klaus said, tossing him a blood bag. Stefan glared, but ripped the cap off and took a small sip. "Finish it. All of it." Klaus snapped. "You do everything I say and I save your brother, that's the deal." Klaus declared. Stefan glared, but drained the bag quickly, only for Klaus to hand him another. By the time Aailyah arrived, hair still dripping wet, Stefan was on the floor surrounded by empty blood bags.
"Really?" She snapped, drawing the boy's attention. "I can't take a bloody shower without you making a mess." She growled, glaring at the blood spattered on the floor.
"Hush darling, Niklaus will clean it up." Elijah soothed, wrapping his arms around her again.
"He better, because I'm not doing it." Aailyah huffed, leaning into him.
"No more." Stefan gasped as he finished another bag. "Not until you give me the cure."
"Not until we make a deal. It's your choice Stefan. You can either remain here living your life in Mystic falls with your girlfriend, or you can embrace what you really are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life." Klaus said, offering him another. Stefan stared for a moment before ripping it out of his hands. Aailyah played with Elijah's fingers, watching him drain the bag.
"Do you ever feel like something just isn't going to end well?"
"Every time I leave you alone with Kol."
"Hey!"
"That's the spirit." Klaus chuckled, grabbing the bottle of blood and turning to Aailyah. "Alli, Sweetheart, would you run this to Damon for me?" He asked. Aailyah sighed but took it, kissing Elijah on the cheek before heading out.
"My kitchen better be clean when I get back!'' She called over her shoulder as she left. Soon after she arrived at the Salvatore boarding house and rang the doorbell. A few minutes later, Elena answered the door.
"Aailyah?" She gaped.
"Miss Gilbert. Didn't I tell you the potion would work?" She smirked.
"What are you doing here?" Elena snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm here to save your other boyfriend." She drawled. Elena hesistaed. "Do you not want the cure? That's a shame, Stefan worked so hard for it." Aailyah said, turning to walk away.
"Wait!" Elena yelled. Aailyah paused and glanced back. "Come in." Elena said, stepping aside. The Original smirked and sauntered inside as if she owned the place.
"Where is he?" She asked. Elena sighed but led her to Damon's room. "You look like hell." She told the near dead Salvatore.
"Thanks hotness, you're doing wonders for my ego." Damon drawled, flashing her a weak but flirtatious grin, much to Elenas annoyance. "Here to watch my final moments?"
"And let a pretty face like yours go to waste? Never." Aaliyah teased, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"You think I'm pretty?" Damon grinned, making her laugh.
"I like you. You're so much fun when you're not mooning over Elena." Aailyah grinned, pulling the stopper out of the vial of blood. "Open up."
"Anything for you, dollface." Damon opened his mouth and Aailyah poured it in. As soon as he swallowed color began to return to his cheeks, even as his eyes drooped. "Why'd you save me?" He asked seriously.
"Much as I like you, it wasn't my decision, and it didn't come for free. Stefan insisted."
"Where is he?" Damon demanded, struggling to keep his eyes open.
"He's fine, I promise. Rest, call him when you wake up." Aailyah ordered as his eyes finally slipped closed, unable to stay awake any longer. She stood to leave but was grabbed by Elena.
"Stop. Where is Stefan, he's not answering his phone." Elena demanded.
"He's with Elijah and Klaus, buying his brothers freedom." Aailyah said, glancing down at the hand wrapped around her arm before glancing up at Elena, arching an eyebrow. Elena tensed, releasing her wrist and stepping back quickly.
"If they hurt him-"
"What? What exactly would you do?" Aaliyah asked, amused. Elena didn't say anything and Aailyah smirked. "Never fear Miss Gilbert, Stefan is fine. Relatively. He's not hurt at least." Aailyah shrugged.
"What are they doing to him?" Elena snarled.
"Nothing. Stefan came to us. In exchange for the cure, he agreed to leave town with Nik."
"What? He can't do that!" Elena argued.
"It's a bit late for that now, and we Mikaelsons take our deals seriously." Aailyah said, walking toward the door. She sighed, glancing back at the shell shocked girl. While the girl annoyed her endlessly, she hadn't asked for everything her bloodline had brought her. "It won't be forever. Nik will get bored of Stefan soon enough and move on soon. Goodbye Miss Gilbert." Aailyah said, walking away. She returned to the mansion and joined Nik and Elijah, watching the compelled humans pack boxes into their cars.
"Is the brother alive?" Nik asked, sipping his scotch.
"Mm-hmm, He's not gonna be happy when he wakes." Aailyah hummed, pouring her own glass.
"I'll deal with him when he comes." Nik said dismissively.
"So what happens now?" Aailyah asked.
"Stefan and I will have to find some werewolves, since you won't share yours." Klaus said, glaring at her halfheartedly.
"Werewolves are in short supply, I worked my ass off to find mine, you can do the same. Besides, they probably wouldn't be too happy if I just handed them over to my psychotic brother-in-law." Aailyah shrugged.
"Maybe don't warn them that he's psychotic." Elijah suggested blandly.
"They already know. Who do you think I rant about you to? And other people think they have in law issues." the brunette muttered, and Elijah rolled his eyes.
"Who cares if they're happy, you're in charge of them." Klaus scoffed.
"Nik, how do you think I kept all my people loyal for this long." Aailyah asked, suddenly serious. Klaus straightened but shrugged, unsure. "If you want loyal followers, you have to be loyal to them. A little bit of kindness goes a long way."
"I don't see your point."
"Think of it this way, say you make an army of hybrids but treat them like a dictator. Eventually, they'd rebel."
"I have nothing to fear from them, they can't kill us."
"But they can hurt you, or your plans. What are you going to do with an army that won't follow orders, that defy and sabotage you whenever they can."
"I'd have to kill them and make new hybrids." Klaus said slowly.
"So what would you rather do? Secure your hybrid's loyalty or keep making and killing new ones? Because werewolves are a dying breed, eventually you'd run out." Aailyah asked. Nik hummed, but didn't answer. Aailyah let him be, knowing he was thinking about it, and leaned into Elijah. She wrinkled her nose in distaste when they loaded up a coffin into a moving truck. "Must you drag that thing around with you Nik?" She sighed. "That can't be healthy."
"Leave him be Alli, it's not doing any harm." Elijah kissed her hair.
"You all need therapy." Aailyah grumbled. "This is where everyone got the 'vampires sleep in coffins' thing from."
"I wonder where they got the garlic rumor?" Klaus hummed.
"I'm pretty sure Kol started that." Aailyah said, making the brothers snicker.
"Speaking of, we should go if we want to catch our flight." Elijah glanced at his watch..
"It's our plane, I doubt they'd leave without us." Aailyah huffed. Nevertheless, she hugged Niklaus tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "You gonna be okay by yourself?" She asked.
"I'll be fine, Alli. And I talked to Rebakah, she's going to meet me in Chicago in August." Klaus said. Elijah stepped forward as well, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Good luck, Niklaus." He said with a smile.
"Don't let Alli and Kol destroy Australia." Klaus chuckled, making Aailyah pout.
"I'll try my best." Elijah chuckled, leading Aailyah towards the car. Klaus watched them drive towards the airport before turning back into the mansion to find Stefan. They had a werewolf to find.
A.N things I thought writing this chapter-
"Is Elijah a trophy husband? I feel like he's a trophy husband."
"Klaus and Alli BROTP"
"This man starts drama for fun."
"Has Aailyah made fun of Elenas love triangle yet? She probably should."
"Aailyah, babe, you need therapy too. Coughcoughcontrolfreakcoughcough"
"Imma hit this man over the head with a brick of common sense"
"Kol would start the vampire rumors."
"I feel like Kol made up the mirror one too because of all the time Beckah and Elijah spend staring at themselves." (Reading that back it doesn't make sense but it works in my head)
Happy New Year!