C.7: Our Little Messed Up Family

Hey! I'm so sorry for the late update… school and work eats up most of my time and I've literally had NO time to write anything. So, with my few days off, I have written a small chapter. I will come up with the rest for next week and I can only hope everyone enjoys this!

Thanks for reading and please review!

~Month 3~

Nik startles awake at the sound of someone pounding against the front door.

The blond teen huffs, rubbing her eyes- she's exhausted from having stayed up most of the night. She and Hayley stayed up into the wee hours only to be herded into bed by Klaus when he came in, telling her she was up way past any reasonable hour.

Swinging her feet over the edge of her bed, she makes her way out of her room and down the stairs. The knocking becomes louder and Nik fears the door may collapse because the knocking is so ferocious.

Nik gulps in uncertainty, edging towards the door where she carefully twists the knob and opens it. Usually, she's fearful of what could be on the other side of the door. Since she was taken by Marcel's posse, she's been rather reluctant to leave the plantation house and anyone who may wander by. Either Klaus or Hayley takes care of the few souls who comes here.

Once the door is open, she sees a familiar blond woman. She's angry, wearing a similar expression her father would wear. Rebekah. Nik grins widely and throws herself at the woman, hugging her close. "Aunt Bex!"

Rebekah's hug is warm and strong. The woman brings her close, hand cradling her head while her other arm holds her around the waist. "There you are, sweetheart. I've been terrified for the last three months."

Nik sniffles, tears burning at her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I should have tried to call but Dad wouldn't allow it." She hugs Rebekah tightly, clutching her shirt.

"'Dad?' What in the world has this psychotic wanker done to you, Nikol?" Rebekah asks, sounding every bit as angry as she had when she first walked in. "Just you wait until I get my hands on that backstabbing jackass. I'm going to-"

Heavy footsteps sound on the stairs and Nik looks up to see Hayley thundering down the stairs, holding an iron fire poker. She stared at Rebekah with narrowed eyes, body tense. "Who the hell are you?"

Rebekah flashes Hayley a smile. "You must be the maid. My bags are in my car- get them, will you?"

"I'm not the maid," Hayley says pointedly.

"You're Hayley, then," Rebekah says, looking over Hayley analytically. "You're the werewolf girl my brother knocked up. I was expecting some sort of supernatural, miracle baby bump. Guess you're not showing yet. It's Hayley, right?"

"You have your brother's manners."

"And his temper, so watch it," Rebekah snaps, winding her arm around Nik's shoulders. Then, she smiles down at Nik and smoothes her hair. "I hope you've taken care of my niece. Klaus doesn't care for her and Elijah doesn't seem to be present."

Nik feels guilt pool in her stomach. She recalls what her father done that horrid morning. He took away her uncle and has hidden him away she knows not where.

"He's been gone for a long time, actually."

"I do not believe that my brother would just leave. Not with Nik and your magical, miracle child," Rebekah says, her eyes drifting to the stairs. "That leads me to believe that my brother, Niklaus, has done something dastardly and Klaus-like. Klaus! Get out here and tell me what you've done with our brother, you narcissistic, backstabbing wanker!"

Nik watches as Klaus emerges from his study upstairs. The doors open with a dramatic flair and Nik has to keep her smile suppressed. Her father loves theatrics and to make things worse than what they are.

Klaus leans against the banister and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Enough of the shouting. Little sister, I should have known. I assume the six dead vampires are your doing?"

Rebekah smiles innocently. "They were very rude. They tried to victimize a poor, innocent girl trying to find her way through the Quarter. Were they friends of yours? Oh, I'm sorry- you have no friends."

"I have Marcel," Klaus says smugly. He descends the stairs, his jacket slung over his shoulder. "He fancies himself 'King of the Quarter' now and he has these rules about killing vampire. I'll enjoy seeing what punishment he conjures up for you."

"I don't care about Marcel or his rules. Elijah doesn't welch on deals. What did you do to Elijah?"

"Perhaps he's taken a holiday," Klaus says, grinning widely. Nik feels the guilt grow stronger and she looks wrings her hands together, frowning ever slightly. She's terrified, though, if she tells what took place three months ago that her father will hide Elijah away from her and bury Nik six feet under ground. "Or he's taking a long autumn nap upstairs. Go on...take a look around the house. You remember it as well as I, sister."

Klaus saunters by them and he stops, looking down at Nik. He smiles softly and stoops down to kiss her forehead. "Behave yourself, Nikol. Do not leave the house."

Nik gives her father a small smile. "I won't, Dad."

"And be in bed at a decent hour. I should be home early, but do not be up late in case I stroll in at an ungodly hour," Klaus comments.

Nik rolls her eyes. "Alright. Now go on."

Klaus smiles smugly and ruffles Nik's hair. "Fantastic. Behave for your aunt- give her a hard time if you wish." Then, he's out the door and no one speaks until Klaus is out of earshot.

Rebekah's eyes flash down to Nik. "So, what has your hellish father done to make you bend to his will?"

"Believe it or not, he had been less...prick-like the last few months," Nik replies, giving her aunt a smile she thinks is unconvincing.

"Hell must have frozen over," Rebekah mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her blue eyes flicker down to Nik and she only smiles. "I'm only glad you two are getting along. Now, why don't we begin the search for Elijah?"

Nik nods, looking up to Hayley. "Let's follow Aunt Bex. She knows this house better than what us two do." She has not ventured anywhere near the downstairs area yet. Perhaps Klaus has hidden Elijah downstairs in his coffin? She recalls when her aunt and uncles were brought out of their coffins- Rebekah was ecstatic to meet her and Kol was curious. Finn, though, was cautious around her and distanced himself. Elijah told her Finn had been staked for centuries and Kol had been in the coffin over a hundred years. Rebekah was the one sibling who had been staked the least- ninety years spent inside her coffin.

She's sure they all have a fear of Klaus and his daggers.

The younger blond follows closely behind her aunt, traveling down the stairs leading to the cellar. The walk is reminiscent of the day Elijah led her downstairs to wake up their sleeping family members.

…

~Mystic Falls, 2010~

"They will be confused when they wake up, won't they?" Nik looks up to Elijah who have pulled the daggers from the hearts of her aunt and her two uncles.

Elijah gives a nod and a sad smile. "They have been sleeping for a very long time, Nikol. Times have surely changed for the three of them." He looks down at his siblings fondly and Nik sees that he loves his family more than anything. Nik silently wonders if they'll love her, too. Elijah is the only person in her life who grants her love and affection. She has been separated from her siblings a long while, her mother is dead, and her father hates her with everything in him.

Nik hopes she will have more people to love her.

"Do you think they'll like me? I'm afraid they won't because I'm Klaus.'"

Elijah turns, grasping Nik's shoulders. He smiles down at her, stroking her blond curls. "They will love you, little one. Rebekah will simply love having a niece; Kol will love your wicked sense of humor; Finn will love your intelligence."

"How can you be sure?"

"Would I ever lie to you, Nik?"

Nik shakes her head. "No, Elijah."

"They will love you. I promise. Now, why don't you go upstairs? I will remain here until they wake and I will bring them to meet you once I have them caught up," Elijah suggests, smiling.

Nik only nods, looking between her uncle and the three coffins. Then, she edges up the stairs and scurries off to her room where she finds peace from the anxiousness of her family members.

…

After what feels like a lifetime, Nik hears a knock on her door and she sees Elijah peek his head in. She can see he has been crying a little, but she chooses not to say anything about it. Outside her door, she hears quiet heartbeats and deep breathing.

Elijah smiles. "Come. I have three people who would like to meet you."

Nik gulps, carefully marking the page in her book and she rises from her bed. She edges out into the hallways, looking to her left to see a blond woman, a brown haired man who resembles Elijah a great deal, and an older man with brown hair and hazel eyes. Rebekah, Kol, and Finn.

Kol looks at Nik with wide eyes. "Oh my God, she looks just like Klaus. I bet she acts like him, too."

Rebekah shoves Kol a little. "Nothing has changed at all, you moron. After almost two centuries you don't know who to keep your mouth shut. Let the girl talk to us."

Nik gives a soft smile to her three family members. "Hi. I'm Rebekah, but I go by Nikol. Nik, preferably."

Rebekah grins widely. "I like her even more. She was named after me! It seems only positively beautiful are named Rebekah."

"Too bad she looks like Klaus." Kol smiles at Nik, chucking softly. "It looks like she's fairly nice, though. Perhaps it'll be enough."

Finn only rolls his eyes. "As long as she did not drone on with needless gibberish, I will tolerate her."

Nik decides she likes Rebekah. She is a little unsure of Kol, and is entirely iffy of Finn. She can only hope she grows to love these three individuals over time and they learn to love her.

She watches Rebekah walk forwards, looking down at her. "I've been asleep for quite a while now- will you catch this old soul up to the times?"

Nik smiles sheepishly. "It shouldn't be a problem."

"Excellent," Rebekah chirps. Then, she turns to Kol and Finn and gives them a look. "Well, are you going to come with us?"

Finn sighs heavily and Nik silently wonders whether he'd like to be back inside the coffin. "I'd prefer to stay to myself."

"I think I will catch up with Elijah, but I'll be happy to have a lesson on the 21st century later," Kol replies softly. "It's nice to meet you, though, love."

Rebekah only smiles down at Nik. "There is more time for us, then. So, tell me about this cell phone Elijah told me of and this thing called the...interweb?"

Nik giggles, leading her aunt down to her room.

"We have quite a few areas to cover, it sounds like."