Promise Me, Always and Forever

by IAmTheRevelation

Nik has grown under her Uncle Elijah's unconditional love and the promise of Always and Forever. However, during a trip to New Orleans, Nik is rendered helpless and is at the mercy of her estranged father, Klaus. When met with a powerful enemy that threatens the Mikaelsons, can Nik learn to trust her father or will she have to seek her own salvation from the evil around her?

4. Chapter 4

C.4: The Devil's Daughter

Once again, thanks to everyone who took the time to read and review this story! All of them were very inspiring and gave me tons of motivation for this chapter!

Also, I wish to apologize for the size of this chapter. I typed a little more than originally planned, but wanted to cover The Original's first episode in all its entirety. Besides, after this, we begin to drift away from the original story plot of the first season. It will cling to it a little until we have brought Elijah back, but I have something bigger and badder than the French Quarter Coven for the Mikaelson family to contend with.

Everyone please favorite, follow, and press that lovely little review button at the bottom of the screen!

Enjoy!

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They sit in the mausoleum close to an hour before two witches enter.

Nik's eyes flicker towards the two witches from her place propped against the wall. She head no longer swims as badly as it had some time ago and her frazzled nerves have calmed since she began talking to Hayley.

"I hope you aren't as mean as She-Demon who came in here the first time," Nik grumbles, rubbing her tired eyes.

One of the witches sighs. "I'll be nice, but you have to agree to cooperate. That means no...doing whatever Agnes said you did with the yellow eyes and glowing hands."

Nik only nods. "I can only try. So, where are we going?" The youngest Mikaelson rises to her feet, blinking to clear the haze in her vision due to being hit in the head. "Are we being chained up in a tomb? Buried alive? Tortured with hexes?"

One of the witches laughs. "Just hush, girl. We have someone who will be very pleased to see you."

Nik feels her heart skip a beat and she thinks of Elijah. Has he come to save them? With that, Nik motions Hayley forward and they walk out of the mausoleum behind the two witches who lead them through the graveyard.

As they walk, Hayley looks down at her. "Do you know what this is all about? If it's that maniac you call your father, I have a few choice words for him."

Nik nearly bursts out into laughter. "Well, you can get in line right behind me. I have eight years worth of pain and suffering to pay this man back for." In the distance, she sees the one person who can save the day, no matter what. Elijah. Nik begins to walk a little faster, racing to meet Elijah without looking overly excited to see the man.

Once she's a few feet away, Elijah walks towards Nik and sweeps her up into his arms. Nik locks her arms around her uncle, head hidden in the crook of his neck. "Oh, my little one. Are you okay, Nik? You are well?"

Nik nods into Elijah's shoulder. Tears sting at her eyes and she buries her head a little deeper into Elijah's shirt. "I'm good, 'Lijah." She hears her voice begin to break and Elijah holds her tighter, offering silent encouragement for her to be strong.

Elijah presses a kiss against Nik's hair despite it being bloody. His eyes burn darkly because the witches hurt Nik, but he doesn't say anything lest the witches do something more. Then, Nik is released from Elijah and she's pulled back by the gaggle of witches.

"What is the meaning of this?" Elijah asks, his dark eyes drifting over the witches. Then, they snap to another witch next to him whom he seems familiar with. "Is there a particular reason why my niece has been incarcerated amongst a group of witches who have nothing to do with her?"

"Before, we thought Klaus might have come here willingly and things could have been settled. However, we decided that some...collateral was needed to ensure our deal," states the with next to Elijah.

"What deal? I will not agree to anything without first knowing who the woman is and why my brother is involved in this mess," Elijah states firmly.

"It seems your brother is quite the romantic and he spent some time with this girl. Now, this special werewolf girl is going to have his baby."

Nik watches as Elijah's mouth drops open. He'd almost never believe it, but Nik is living proof that Klaus can have children. Nik could hardly believe it herself, but here she is, awaiting a sibling she fears will never be born.

Nothing is impossible with Klaus Mikaelson.

Next to Nik, Hayley pipes up. "Who the hell are you." The young woman glares daggers at Elijah and Nik assumes that Hayley is tired of Original Vampires and shenanigans from witches. Personally, Nik is, too.

Elijah gives a sad smile. "It believe it's best to talk to her. May I have a moment alone with the girls?"

The witches relent and Elijah leads them back to the mausoleum. Nik tightly grips her uncle's hand and she feels the warmth of safety envelop her. Once they're out of the witches' earshot, her eyes drift up to Elijah. "Who are these witches, Elijah?"

"They are a coven belonging to the French Quarter," Elijah says, squeezing Nik's hand softly. "It seems that these witches have ulterior motives than just insuring they have Klaus' attention by you and the girl."

"What kind of ulterior motives? What is so...important that we're being kept as a sort of insurance?" Nik gives her ashen uncle a look and the Orginal only shakes his head.

Elijah leads them into the mausoleum. Nik watches as Hayley goes back to sit down, looking bewildered by the entire situation. Then, her attention is captured back by Elijah who cups her face in his hands. "You need not worry about it, my little one. For now, you should try to sit down and rest to allow your head wound to heal."

Nik gives her uncle a lopsided smile and nods her head. Elijah return the smile and brushes Nik's cheek with the back of his hand before returning to Hayley.

"So they have held you two against your will?" Elijah asks as he sits down on the burial mound next to Hayley. His brown eyes are as careful and thoughtful as ever.

Hayley huffs and nods, massaging her forehead. "They lured me out to the bayou and grabbed me. And they did all of these...witchy tests. Then, they threw Nik in here like a rag doll and I thought that she was dead. And...how could any of this happen? Vampires don't have children."

Elijah chuckles dryly. "Well, you have your proof. Nik is in the room with us and you are carrying a little life inside you."

There's a slight pause and Nik meets Hayley's gaze across the room. Hayley looks the teenager over carefully, her eyes calculating. "For Klaus' daughter, Nik's pretty well behaved."

"She may be Klaus' child, but I raised her. I taught her mercy and grace and kindness. She's everything Klaus isn't- everything that he was," Elijah says, offering Nik a small smile and the teen returns it. "And...for you to know a bit more about Niklaus and how these children are possible- if I may."

Nik watches as Elijah lays his hand on Hayley's forehead. She watches in interest as their eyes drift closed, Elijah's voice drifting through the tomb.

"In the beginning, our family was human. A thousand years ago, now."

…

Nik finds herself alone with Hayley again.

Elijah had left earlier to hunt down Klaus at a witch's insistence, whom Nik learned was named Sophie. Nik pretended to sit back with Hayley, but she listened in as Sophie told Elijah about a man named Marcel. Marcellus. From what Nik could gather, Marcel was causing quite the row with the Quarter's witches and ruled with an iron fist.

Yep, he sounds like Klaus made over, Nik decided as she talked with Hayley.

Now, she sits with her back against the cool wall of the mausoleum. Her head has long since stopped bleeding, but her head throbs in time with her heartbeat.

Hayley breaks the awkward silence filling the tomb. She's laying across the burial mound on her back, looking over at Nik. "So, how did you wind up with them?"

"My uncle and father?" Nik releases a shuddering breath, ignoring the rising pain in her head. "Well, I was little. I just turned five, I believe. I had been out with my stepfather and my mother, and we hit a patch of ice on the road. The car flipped down an embankment. It threw my mother from the vehicle."

Hayley frowns deeply. "I...I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't apologize," Nik says softly. She brings her knees to her chest, resting her head against them. "Anyhow, my stepfather called Elijah and to this day neither of us know how he came across his number. He called, pleading for Elijah to take me because I was such a monster. In reality...I was a sick reminder of my mother's infidelity. He might have kept me hadn't it been for the random mirrors shattering and my tantrums that led to my siblings covered in fang marks and blood."

Hayley gives Nik a sad smile. "Well, that guy sounds like a dick."

"He was," Nik chuckles, rubbing her head. "But I don't wanna talk about it anymore. It's already depressing enough I'm being uselessly held as an insurance claim against my father, and it is even worse knowing he doesn't care."

Hayley gives Nik a look. "So, how bad is Klaus? He didn't do great with you as a kid?"

"I was playing in the floor and he crushed my toys. Then, I cried and he said he'd eat me if I didn't shut my trap," Nik says bitterly. "Maybe he'll like this child better… He can mold it into whatever he sees fit."

Hayley opens her mouth to speak, but never get to as one of the witches, Sabine, walks into the tomb.

"You ladies have company. I suggest you make it snappy- the Hybrid is getting antsy," Sabine announces, gesturing towards the front of the cemetery.

Nik gives Sabine a look. "Can't you just kill me?"

Sabine struggles not to smile, but she does anyways. "I really like you, kid. Seriously, though- let's go."

Nik rises to her feet and waits until Hayley is next to her. The two girls walk behind Sabine, looking nervously at each other. Nik knows that this probably will all go downhill the moment Klaus learns about the baby and he'll throw one of his temper tantrums.

Their walk ends and they are at the front of the cemetery. In front of them stands Klaus, Elijah standing next to him. The Original Hybrid looks towards Nik, smiling a wicked smile.

"What have we here, love?" Klaus says in a mocking tone. "You look horrid."

Nik gives a tight-lipped smile. "Such a shame. I look like you as well- which makes you equally as horrid. At least my mother helped me to negate your bad looks."

Klaus eyes narrow and Nik hears Elijah give a cough. Her blue eyes look over to her uncle and Elijah glares sternly. "Rebekah Nikol."

Nik holds her hands up in defeat, then dropping them and looking over to her uncle who gives her an appreciative smile. She would have returned the smile, but Klaus' presence seems to put her in a mood worse than what she has already been thrown into.

Klaus makes a sound, eyes locked on Sophie. "So, what have you brought me here for? I clearly see my bastard child there, but what about the other?"

Nik clenches her jaw. She feels like someone has hit her in the chest because it constricts and her heart drops. She already knows she shouldn't expect love and affection from her father- it's hopeless.

Sophie gives Klaus a terse smile. "It seems Hayley is pregnant with your child. Now, this process can go either way you want it…"

"Wait...wait a moment. You are telling me that this girl is carrying my child?" Klaus eyes cut to Hayley's nearly shaking form. Then, just as Nik expected, Klaus' eyes blaze with fury and his voice bellows through the cemetery. "You've been with someone else, admit it!"

"I've spent days held captive in a freaking alligator bayou because they think I'm carrying some magical miracle baby! Don't you think I would have fessed up if it wasn't yours?" Hayley's voice rivals Klaus' own and Nik can see the gears turning in this woman's head.

The tension in the air is so tight that one could cut it with a knife. Nik looks back and forth between the glaring werewolf girl and her murderous father, wondering what will become of the situation.

Then, the silence is broken by Sophie who stares down Klaus in anger. "My sister gave her life to perform the spell needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us. We can save them. Or we can kill them. If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, Hayley won't see her first maternity dress and your oldest will find herself strung up in the tombs where we'll strip her of magic and let her die, too."

Nik's heart clenches and she looks to Elijah who looks as horrified as her. I don't wanna die. "Enough of this. If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself."

"No. We can't...not yet. We have a clear plan we need to follow and there are rules," Sophie comments.

Nik closes her eyes, struggling to block her shattering world out. She focuses on something- anything- other than her father's droning and the witches' babbling. Then, she hears a sound amongst all the noise she hasn't heard before. A heartbeat, small and fast. Nik's eyes flit next to her where Hayley stands, looking at her stomach and Nik smile the ghost of a smile.

Hello, little one, Nik thinks. Then, she looks up at Klaus who has launched himself into a fit. "Klaus." Her voice, though, is drowned out by the man's screaming. Maybe, just maybe, if he heard the baby's heartbeat, he'd be willing to listen. To cooperate.

"How dare you command me, threaten me, with what you wrongfully perceive as my weakness!" Klaus roars at the witches, looking hatefully between Hayley and Nik. "This is a pathetic attempt at…"

"Would you stop with your needless monologue and shut up, Klaus?" Nik roars, not caring that all eyes have landed on her. The cemetery is totally silent save for breathing and heartbeats.

She gives her father a hard look, but her expression falls soft. "Listen."

Nik watches as Klaus' eyes train on Hayley. He hears the baby- he wants it. Nik knows that she's too late to be the redemption her father seeks, but this child could be what saves him. This baby could teach him the meaning of Always and Forever.

Then, Klaus' expression turns dark. "Kill the girl and the children. What do I care?" Nik watches in despair as Klaus speeds off into the night, leaving her heartbroken and horrified.

He has left her to die.

"Screw this! I'm out of here!" Hayley shouts angrily, stomping towards the mausoleum.

Nik looks to her uncle and she can see Elijah is horrified. He's breathing heavy, looking desperate and just a little hopeless. "No one touches the girl. And please, don't hurt my child. I'll fix this." Elijah looks to Nik and he nods. "Just be strong, Nik. Just a little while longer."

Nik nods, trying the keep the tears at bay. She sniffles slightly and doesn't protest as a witch pulls her back, leading her back to her temporary place of captivity.

I don't think I can be strong, Nik thinks as she's herded back into the mausoleum, taking a seat on the far side of the room away from Hayley.

She just wants this to be over.

…

Nearly three hours have passed since Elijah left to remedy their dire situation.

Nik lays on the floor while Hayley took to laying on the burial mound. Her head is cradled on her forearm, her body exhausted but her mind races a mile-a-minute.

"Nik?" Hayley whispers into the dimly-lit darkness of the mausoleum. "Are you sleeping?"

Nik makes a sound of opposition. "No. Is something bothering you besides the obvious?"

"Well, there's the fact that possible death looms over our heads. That's always a good time," Hayley huffs. Nik watches as she shifts so she's on her side, looking down at her. "Then there's the fact that your dad is the biggest asshole walking on the face of the earth."

Nik chuckles darkly. "Right you are. He's been the bane of my existence since I met him. I just never expected him to do...this."

There's a moment of silence and Hayley smiles sadly down at Nik. "You love your dad, don't you?"

Nik nods and tears fall from her eyes. "Yeah, and I wish I didn't. I wish I was like him and didn't give a damn about anyone or anything." She wipes her eyes and releases a shuddering breath, laying her head back down miserably.

Hayley extends her hand down to Nik. Nik reaches up and takes the brunette's hand, allowing her to squeeze her fingers. "It's what makes you different- makes you better than him. And the world needs more people like you in it, kid."

"If you're trying to make me feel better, it's working," Nik says with a barely suppressed smile, chucking weakly.

"If we're going to be together from now on, I can't have you being depressed all the time. All of that doom and gloom hurts the baby," Hayley says, laughing softly.

Nik rolls her eyes and snorts inelegantly, but she laughs along with Hayley. "You're so full of crap you could pass for a toilet." She smiles up at the werewolf, squeezing her hand before letting go.

"Now try to go to sleep. If you're anything like Klaus when you're cranky, I'll kick your ass," Hayley states, rolling to her other side with her back to Nik.

"Yes, Mother," Nik yawns, snickering at Hayley's half-hearted growl.

…

She's shaken awake by gentle hands.

Nik rockets forwards, a scream caught in her throat. Hands grip her shoulders and a soothing voice reaches her ears, whispering sweet things.

"Elijah?" Nik croaks, her head pounding. Her blurry vision clears and she stares up at her uncle. She immediately feels at ease once she sees his gentle smile and she slumps against him, her wiry arms wrapping around him.

Elijah hugs her close, pressing a long kiss on Nik's forehead. "My sweet girl. How are you feeling?"

"I'm so stiff from laying on the ground that Rigor Mortis could be setting in," Nik grumbles, her voice muffled by his suit jacket.

Elijah chuckles softly. "Then I suggest we get you out of here and cleaned up and off to bed. You are all bloody and have quite the bump on your head." Elijah stands and brings Nik with him. She clutches her uncle tightly- not out of any pain or dizziness, but because she missed him. "Are you feeling unwell, Nikol?"

Nik shakes her head. She hugs him tightly, head on his chest. "I just missed you, Elijah."

"I missed you, too, darling," Elijah says, smoothing Nik's blood-matted hair. Then, Elijah gently pushes her back and he smiles. "Let's get you home."

Nik nods eagerly, taking Elijah's hand as they walk out the mausoleum. She takes in the morning sky, noting that the sun is just coming up. The horizon is an explosion of colors- shades of pink and green and gold.

Before Nik realizes it, they have passed the gates of the cemetery. Her blue hues snap towards her uncle's black car where she sees Hayley already inside, but Klaus stands outside the vehicle, smiling his usually wicked smile.

"Good morning, Nik," Klaus chirps, playing with the keys to the car by twirling them on his fingers.

"Good morning," Nik mumbles, snaking around her father so she can open the car door to the back. Before she can reach, Klaus open the door and Nik looks up at him with an accusing glare.

Klaus raises an eyebrow. "Didn't Elijah teach you good manners?"

"Thank you, Klaus," Nik grits through her teeth as she sits in the back seat next to Hayley.

Klaus chuckles darkly. "That's more like it, love." Then, the door closes with a little more force than necessary and Nik clenches her jaw, crossing her arms while holding all of her screams and curses.

A few moments later, Klaus and Elijah join them in the vehicle. Thankfully, Elijah has taken the role of driving, which puts Nik at ease. That leaves the teenager slumped in the backseat, head resting against the window as she already begins to doze back off, tired of witches and hybrids and her eternally-evil father.

…

Nik knows she'll never take another shower for granted.

The moment the teen stepped through the door, she sped off to her room to collect clothes and quickly locked herself in her in-suite bathroom. She'd spend the next hour and a half scrubbing herself of dirt and grime from her night spent on the ground, turning the water black. Then, she washed her hair twice to rid it of blood and conditioned it so her curls wouldn't be so tangled.

She finally felt like a person.

Now, she wanders downstairs to see where her father and uncle have gone off to. Hayley locked herself away in the room next to Nik's a while ago- presumably to shower and get some sleep like Nik plans on doing once she knows where everyone is.

"Elijah?" Nik calls as she walks around the plantation house. She wanders near the study where she had been last night, her brow furrowed. "Elijah? Klaus?"

Then, she hears something heavy hit the floor. Another one of their quarrels? Nik edges into the study, her eyes landing on Klaus' figure who stands tall, his chest heaving. In the floor, she sees the lifeless form of her uncle with a stake embedded in his chest. His form his limp and lifeless, his skin ashen.

"Elijah!" Nik cries, shoving her way passed Klaus and she kneels over the man's body. She releases a breathless sob, reaching out to pull the stake from his chest. Instead, she feels Klaus' hand on the collar of her shirt, yanking her up as he pulls Nik away from Elijah.

"Eli…" Her scream is muffled by Klaus' hand over her mouth, eyes exactly identical to hers staring back.

Klaus draws his hand away, but he still holds Nik by her shirt collar. She's left dangling as Klaus holds her eye-level to him, his expression evil and twisted. "Don't you breathe a word of this to Hayley. Do you understand me, girl?"

"Bring him back!" Nik wheezes, wriggling in Klaus' grasp.

"You see, Nikol, I cannot do that. With Elijah in my way, he stands in the way of my kingdom. He stands against everything I must do to win my city back. He stands in the way of you," Klaus states matter-of-factly. He smiles darkly, then lets Nik fall to the hardwood floor.

Nik struggles for a breath. "You've never wanted me. I'm a disease to you."

Klaus chuckles. "What is a king without an heir?" Then, he looks down at Elijah's body and back to Nik. "You will learn to accept me as your father. Forget all of the love and kindness and mercy- it makes you weak."

"I hate you," Nik sneers. After all these years, Klaus has decided to take an interest in her. And for what reason besides to make her miserable?

Klaus grins. "That's a good start. Now, say your goodbyes with your uncle. You won't see him for a very long time." He starts to walk from the room, his footsteps echoing through the study. Then, he stops and turns to look at Nik. "Listen, and listen well- the moment you tell what has happened here today, I'll take Elijah away and hide him in such a place where God couldn't even find him. Then, I'll have no problem putting a dagger in your chest and I will be on my merry way. Do I make myself clear?"

Nik takes in a shaky breath. "Yes."

"Yes, what?"

Tears rush down Nik's face for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. All of the fragile pieces that made up her life comes crashing down around her in little pieces that she won't be able to fix again.

"Yes, Father."