It has been a hot minute since I updated this story. These last years have been hard- the toughest three years of my life. And now, with the coronavirus, I'm stuck in quarantine and I wish to continue writing this story as I am still in love with the Originals! So, here is a new chapter, and I hope everyone enjoys it.

This chapter contains child abuse because Klaus is an asshole, so do not read if it could possibly be triggering. It does, however, contain plenty of love and fluff because Hayley and Rebekah love Nik with all their hearts.

~Nik~

Downstairs is cold and musty, particles of dust drifting through the air.

She follows behind Rebekah and Hayley, looking around the basement with wide eyes. She fears what could be down here- fears what Klaus could have conjured up meant for torture and pain. Part of her hopes that her uncle is in one of these rooms as Klaus would never let her down here, keeping her upstairs and away from the basement.

"Dad would never let me down here. I expected a torture chamber," Nik says aloud, scared of what she might see.

Rebekah snorts inelegantly. "I would not doubt it. Your father gets his jollies by causing torment in some shape or form."

Nik watches as they walk, but Hayley stops as something catches her eye. Her eyes gaze into the room with some sort of silent horror and Nik begins to worry, rushing to her side to look as well. In the room are four coffins, polished to a shine and propped open as if a warning to never cross Niklaus Mikaelson.

Hayley looks to Rebekah with concerned eyes. "Do you think that Klaus killed him?" The three girls step into the room, looking at the four coffins with emotions ranging from disdain to utter horror.

"Originals can't be killed," Nik says. She steps forwards, running a hand over the coffin belonging to her Uncle Kol. "Dad…he kept my uncles and Aunt Bex in coffins whenever they would draw his ire. I was there last year when Elijah pulled the daggers from their chests. I was never told why he would ever keep them there. Aunt Bex doesn't like talking about it."

"He gets off on torturing us one way or another," Rebekah muses.

Hayley stares at them incredulously. "He keeps your coffin on standby?"

Rebekah shrugs. "He keeps them close by whenever someone inevitably disappoints him. And judging by what I see here, Elijah's isn't here. He stashed him somewhere else." She says this as though this is routine- a normal occurrence.

Nik frowns. "There are four, Aunt Bex." That's when it hits her- a white coffin, completely brand new. The edges are decorated in gold with accents of delicate flowers. She edges towards the coffin, her expression fearful as she studies the thing. There isn't a smudge on it. The wood is well polished and it shines. With a careful hand, she brings the lid down and gazes at the top. It is plain besides a simple gold plate that reads the name "Nikol."

Anger and disbelief courses through her. Nik shoves the coffin away, trembling as she watches it fall to the cement floor with a loud thud, the hinges breaking and the lid separating with a loud bang. "He made me a coffin!" Her voice is a growl and she feels tears well in her eyes. Everything was going well. She and Klaus actually had a relationship- an understanding. She did everything he said and never strayed from him. She never said anything about Elijah to Hayley and never questioned what was done with him.

She thought her father loved her more than this.

"Nikol; Nikol!" Arms come around her, pulling her out of her anguish and anger. She flinches away from the person, whirling around to see Hayley looking down at her. "Nik, it's okay."

"But it isn't! He has a coffin for me, and I know I will disappoint him. I've done everything he has asked and he still has one ready for the day I mess up…" Nik feels her eyes begin to water and her breathing hitches. "I'm good…I've kept his secrets. I've thoughtlessly followed his every rule and command and have allowed him to groom me into what he wants so I'd be good enough!" Her scream echoes off the walls and Nik feels herself slipping into a rage, and every primal instinct inside her is screaming for her to run. To protect herself.

Nik feels Rebekah's hand on her back, and she looks up at her aunt with blurry vision. "Nik, you have to tell me what is going on here. What is going on that we don't know about?"

Sniffling, she looks up to Rebekah and releases a shuddering sob. "He said he'd kill me if I told."

Rebekah pulls Nik into her arms. Nik clings to her aunt, trembling as she cries because this is her fault. It is her fault because she didn't stop Klaus. It's her fault because she never went to find Elijah. "It's going to be okay. Shh, it's okay."

"You're going to hate me," Nik bawls.

"I could never hate you, silly girl." Rebekah rubs her back and presses a kiss to her forehead, hugging her tight. "Stop those tears, calm down, and tell me what has happened."

Nik released a heaving sob and nods. She struggles for a breath and leads her head heavily against Rebekah's shoulder, trying to find courage to speak. Rebekah only holds her, waiting for her to collect herself so she can speak.

Once Nik is calm, she pulls away from Rebekah and she sniffles. "It was the day that we came home when the witches took me. He was acting strange…and I should have picked up on it. He and Uncle Elijah were downstairs talking, and I came downstairs to find them and I heard something fall. They were in the study, and he staked Elijah. I begged him to bring Elijah back. He just told me that if I ever breathed a word he'd send Elijah somewhere not even God knew…and he'd stake me and be on his way. He said Elijah came between him and his kingdom; Elijah came between me and him."

Rebekah sighs heavily, then she captures Nik's chin between her finger and thumb. "None of this, I mean none of this, is your fault. You handled the situation as best you could. If you said something to Hayley and he found out, things would have gone down much differently. I'm here, though. That means I can negate whatever he does with no harm to you or Hayley and the baby."

"I just really want Elijah home," Nik says miserably, tears welling in her eyes again.

"I know you do. We're going to find him and bring him home." Rebekah kisses her forehead and squeezes her shoulders. "Now, hold your head high. We are going to find Elijah, so that means you and I are going to be doing some searching. Are you up to that?"

Nik nods and wipes her eyes, releasing a trembling breath. "Yeah."

"There's my girl." Rebekah smiles and runs a hand over Nik's hair. "Go get dressed. We have business in the Quarter."

"Yes, ma'am," Nik says, her eyes flitting over to Hayley. She frowns at the woman's expression and gives her a worried look. "Hayley?"

Hayley gulps. "Just…I feel sick."

Rebekah gives her a look. "You should have left the moment you realized Elijah was gone."

"And leave Nik behind? Besides…the witches have some sort of hex on Nik and I. We can't leave New Orleans. They'll kill us."

"Well, knowing Klaus, he has a box for you somewhere once you give birth to what is cooking in your tum," Rebekah comments off-handedly. "This hex will be broken and as soon as we find Elijah, I'm taking Nik and leaving."

Then, Rebekah looks down to Nik and nods to the stairs. "You- clothes, now. We're burning daylight."

…

Nik follows Rebekah to what seems to be a bar, her brows furrowed. It seems to be closed, and Nik wonders if anyone would be here.

"You are to stay back and listen," Rebekah tells her. "Take in as much information as you can. Besides, you already know what these witches are capable of."

Nik nods slightly. "Yes, Aunt Bex." She and Rebekah go around the back of the bar, sauntering in quietly. Nik can hear movement and the sound of a heartbeat, and she watches as Rebekah speeds off, creating a breeze that trails behind her. The heartbeat speeds up and Nik feels fear in the air followed by a shaking voice.

"Hello? Seriously, Marcel? Trying to scare me? I had nothing to do with the attack on your guys last night!" Nik recognizes the voice as Sophie Deveraux, the witch who was at the cemetery those three months ago.

Then, there's a sudden gasp and she hears something clatter to the floor. "Sophie Deveraux. My brother, Elijah, told me about you. Do you know who I am?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Then you know we need to talk."

…

Nik follows beside Rebekah as they stroll through the cemetery where she was held.

Sophie walks stiffly beside them, talking about what has led them to this situation. Nik can only stare at her with disdain because Sophie is the reason she has been drawn into this mess.

"A little birdie told me that Klaus had something to do with Elijah's disappearance. Klaus has long since staked my brother and done away with him in a place I know not where," Rebekah ambles on, looking at Sophie with pointed eyes. "These stakes are magical objects, and you are a witch. Use a locator spell, locate the dagger, locate Elijah."

"I can't- it's punishable by death." Sophie is defensive, her eyes wide. "Marcel's rules."

Rebekah lifts an eyebrow. "Marcel? What do you think I'm going to do to you if I don't get what I want?"

Sophie laughs dryly at Rebekah, crossing her arms. "Not much. I've been linked, so anything you do to me happens to Nik and Hayley."

Rebekah shoots her an evil look and Nik watches as she runs her fingers through her hair. "How did Marcel get so bloody powerful, anyways. He wasn't like this when I left a hundred years ago."

Nik gulps, looking at her aunt. "Marcel…has a way to tell when magic is done in the Quarter."

"And you know how?"

"A story for another time, Aunt Bex," Nik says with a shrug, crossing her arms as she looks between her aunt and Sophie. Then, she looks at Sophie with a curious expression. "You could easily leave the Quarter. Why doesn't the coven move away?"

Sophie sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We practice ancestral magic. This cemetery is filled with the remains of our ancestors. Without access to them, we're powerless. If we run, we are leaving our legacy behind- our name, our family."

"Well, family is overrated. Look at me. I'm in a city that has given me nothing but heartache, looking for a brother who is hell-bent on protecting a baby who I hardly care for."

"I find that hard to believe. You're here, aren't you?"

"I'm here for Elijah and my niece. The instant I find him, we're gone. He was the one to idiotically follow Klaus, and now he is missing. You were foolish enough to believe that Elijah would convince Klaus to go against Marcel, when everyone knows they have a history." Rebekah is seething with anger and Nik frowns, watching the exchange.

"Klaus sired Marcel. I'm aware."

"You don't understand. Marcel is more to Klaus than just a man he turned into a vampire. Klaus loved him like a son."

Nik becomes dazed, listening to Rebekah go into the story of Klaus finding Marcel. She recalls Elijah's journal telling the same story, but she didn't know that the bond was so deep. How could Klaus just leave? How could Klaus abandon someone he thought of as his own?

How could Klaus ever love someone?

…

"Aunt Bex, this is a coroner's office," Nik says quietly, looking at the exchange happening outside.

Rebekah looks down to her and smiles. "Helpful hints have led us here to your father. So, with that being said, we are spying. That means be quiet or else Klaus will inevitably do something Klaus-like and have both our heads."

Nik chuckles a little and nods, leaning against the building and she watches as the scene carries out below them. She sees her father leading someone out to a car, leading them by their wrist. As Rebekah said before, he seems to be up to something absolutely dastardly and Klaus-like.

Then, the feeling of a breeze brushes across Nik's

skin and she looks up just in time to see a flash, and her eyes fall upon Marcel who looks down at her with a broad smile. "Now what are you doing here, squirt? I hardly think this is a place for a little girl."

Nik frowns at Marcel. "I'm not little."

"Still doesn't explain why you're here," Marcel grins, bending down to her height.

"Then explain what you're doing with Dad and we might reach an agreement," Nik says, smiling innocently. "You owe me, remember? I recall you trapping me in the basement at the Abattoir."

There is a slight cough from Rebekah. "I strongly suggest you back away from my niece, Marcellus."

Marcellus turns towards Rebekah, standing to his full height again. His hand comes to rest on Nik's head, ruffling her hair. "It's all in good fun, Bex. Nik here is my little buddy."

Nik pushes his hand from her head, leaning away from him. Marcel looks down to her with an amused look and laughs, but his expression falls when he looks at Rebekah again. "Rebekah Mikaelson. Come here to teach me another lesson? Last time I saw you, Royal Street was burning and you all were fleeing the city from your daddy."

"I thought you were dead," Rebekah defends, her voice almost helpless. Nik can tell she feels deeply for Marcel, and she wonders what their relationship was like.

Marcel chuckles humorlessly. "You never came back to see. Why are you here?"

"Elijah. Klaus has done something with him."

Marcel holds his hands up, stopping her from speaking. "Stop. Stop right there. If there is one thing I learned about you Mikaelsons, it's don't get in the middle of family feuding. Doesn't end well."

There is a tense moment of silence between them, and Nik wonders what has happened with this family long before she was ever born.

"Even with all you have achieved, you're scared of him," Rebekah says, obviously speaking of Klaus.

Marcel laughs. "I'm not scared of anyone."

Rebekah grins, taking a step towards him. "If I find out you know where Elijah is, you needn't fear Klaus- I'll kill you myself."

Marcel merely shrugs as if her words have no effect on him. "Nostalgia's been a blast and all, but I can't help you. It's nice seeing you though." Then, he turns towards Nik and he winks. "Be good, kid. Remember what we talked about, hmm?" Then, he jumps off the balcony, going back to his task at hand.

Nik looks up to Rebekah who is utterly confused and flustered by Marcel. Rebekah gives her a look that Nik knows quite well, and she knows that they will be having a long talk as they leave. "You owe me an explanation as to how you know him, Nikol."

"I can't say you'll like it."

"That means I'll kill Klaus and Marcel. So, let's walk and talk, shall we?"

…

Night falls as they walk through the park, Nik still explaining her story to Rebekah that goes back to the beginning of her arriving here in New Orleans. She speaks of the witches and then being kidnapped by Marcel's crew, telling her of things said and done by the supernatural in the Quarter.

"Your father will surely hear about all this. He has put you in more danger by being here, and I'll not have it. This is not the life Elijah wants for you," Rebekah scolds, clearly angry with the hand Nik has been dealt.

Nik shakes her head. "It won't do us any good, Aunt Bex. Dad does not listen and he does as he pleases. There isn't any point in making him realize what he has done, intentionally or not."

"Sadly, you are right," Rebekah says. Sighing, she checks the time on her phone and looks at Nik. "We should get home. Klaus will have surely heard about our excursion, so expect a temper tantrum tonight."

"Maybe he will have us daggered," Nik says, shoving her hands in her pocket. She opens her mouth to speak once more, but a shriek cuts her off and she hears the familiar sound of a heartbeat she knows well.

Before Rebekah can stop her, Nik begins to run. She speeds through the park amongst the trees lest she be seen and she comes face to face with three vampires surrounding Hayley. One of them is screaming in pain, slumped on the ground and the smell of burning flesh is strong in the air. The other two stare at Nik, ready to jump at her, a trembling Hayley long forgotten.

Without realizing her actions, she snaps one's neck and her hand is pushed into another's ribcage, pulling out his heart in a quick motion. Their body slumps onto the ground and Nik is left staring at the still pumping heart in her hand, horrified with what she has done.

"Are you insane? Klaus is going to kill us," Rebekah fusses, and Nik drops the heart onto the ground.

Nik, still in shock, looks between Hayley and Rebekah who are as shocked as her. She doesn't know how to speak, her mind still stuck on the fact that she has killed two vampires.

Sighing, Rebekah grabs two of the bodies, throwing them over her shoulders like rag dolls. "That leaves you with the other one, Nikol. Let's take these home for proper disposal while Hayley gets to explain herself, all in time for Klaus to come home and blow his top."

Gulping, Nik looks down, looking at the body at her feet. She haphazardly throws the man's body across her shoulders, the weight awkward.

"Grab the heart, too. No one will want to stumble across that."

…

Just as everyone predicted, Klaus pops his top and the three of them are berated as Klaus stacks the bodies in a pile in the yard for burning.

"This is why I told you to never leave the house!" Klaus shouts, his anger directed at Hayley he throws down the last body. "Werewolves are banned in the Quarter. I had a plan, and your little nighttime stroll put it all in peril!"

Nik watches as Rebekah moves towards the bodies as one of them is still alive, ready to kill him, but Klaus screams for her to leave him. "Leave him!" Then, he turns to Nik and she can see the hate in his eyes. "And you! You've done enough, don't you think? You and your aunt have left a trail of bodies like a roadmap to my door!"

"If Nik hadn't heard Hayley, everyone here would be screwed. And don't give me this crap about having a plan. You've had all the time in the world to execute a plan, and no one has seen you do a damn thing! Elijah made a deal to protect your children so they could protect you from your selfish, rotten self. But you obviously don't give a damn about Nik, the baby, or Elijah, because what have you done to honor it?" Rebekah is furious, and Nik is afraid that they will begin to fight with each other. Their voice continue to rise and rise until her ears begin to ring and she feels shaky- like she was living back in Mystic Falls with her mom and stepdad

"I have done everything. Let me spell it out for you, shall I? From the day I arrived, Marcel hasn't trusted me. From Day One, he's had his vampires ingest toxic vervain which, as you know, little sister, protects them from my mind control." Klaus launches into the story of compelling a new vampire without vervain in his system, and Nik realizes that Klaus is tearing down Marcel's kingdom from the inside. He has compelled this vampire into loyalty, compelled a woman named Cami into watching Marcel, and has single handedly set up a coup against Marcel amongst his own members.

Klaus picks up the vampire by his shirt collar, dragging him into the house and he demands everyone else follow. "And this one- I'm going to drain him of vervain and compel him to believe his mates found religion and moved to Utah, so he can explain to Marcel why he lost three more vampires." He once again snaps the vampire's neck and tosses him onto the floor, turning to the three girls with wild eyes.

"Does anyone have any more questions? No? Good, because I have questions. Starting with you, little girl," Klaus sneers as he stalks towards Nik. "What business do you have out of this house? You have been told by myself and your uncle to never step foot out of this house unless someone was with you, and it seems, according to Marcel, you have been following Rebekah."

Nik feels him lift her up by her shirt collar, pinning her to the wall. Hayley and Rebekah begin screaming, throwing themselves at Klaus who easily keeps them back. She panics, scratching at his hands and kicking wildly only for his hand to completely close off her airway. He gives her a hard shake, making her shriek.

"Answer me!"

"We went to find Elijah!" Nik screams hoarsely, trembling as Klaus is nose to nose with her now.

His face turns blood red and his eyes become the familiar gold color with black veins. "What did you tell Rebekah? What did I say I would do if you told anyone?"

Nik sputters, choking as she finds her words. "You had a coffin set a-aside anyways. I had nothing to lose." Then, at her answer, she feels herself being thrown clear across the room, her back hitting a table and breaking under her. She hits the floor and the air leaves her lungs. Her body feels paralyzed and her vision is in and out of focus. All she can feel is crippling, icy fear.

More screaming ensues and there is plenty more thrashing and shoving and hitting. It all ends, though, and she feels steady arms pull her into a sitting position. She is still gasping for air, but her vision finally settles on Rebekah who is looking at her worriedly.

"Nikol? Hey, it's okay. It's okay. I need you to breathe. Can you breathe for me?" Rebekah begs, her hands cradling Nik's face. "Just one breath. C'mon."

Another set of hands are on her back, patting gently as though to encourage her to breathe. She sees Hayley in the corner of her eye, and Klaus is nowhere to be found. "Nik, you have to breathe. Just one big breath."

After a few more moments of sputtering and choking, she manages a breath. Her body hitches forwards and she feels Rebekah pull her into her arms. She rubs Nik's heaving back, and Nik can feel her shaking. "Oh, God. You're okay. It's gonna be okay." She can no longer speak, sobs and wheezes seizing her body. Tears blind her vision and she feels her chest squeeze tightly as though a vice were squeezing her.

She feels a hand squeeze hers, and she knows from the way the skin feels it is Hayley. Nik squeezes her hand back just as tightly, soaking in the comfort everywhere it is. She is terrified and shocked at Klaus' rage. The injuries don't matter, but the actions displayed by her father…they prove that he never loved her.

She is a pawn in his game, and he has played her so well.

Nik manages to calm down nearly thirty minutes later. The tears and sobs cease, but her wheezing stays behind. She feels Rebekah carefully push her away, beginning to inspect her for injuries dealt to her. "Nik, can you tell me what hurts?"

"Everything," Nik gasps. Her entire body is on fire with pain. Her head aches and her back hurts. Her throat still feels as though it is being squeezed. Her arm, though, is what brings her the most pain. "My arm hurts really bad."

"Which one?" Rebekah asks, and Nik gestures to the one sandwiched between her body and Rebekah's. She nearly screams as her aunt moves it, and the look on Rebekah's face nearly sends Nik into another round of tears. "It's broken. I…I don't know what to do. Hayley?"

"Do we take her to a hospital? How…how does she heal?" Hayley is panicked, obviously as lost as Rebekah is.

Rebekah shakes her head, looking down at Nik, clearly and utterly helpless. "They'll take her from us… I-I don't know."

Nik releases a shaky breath. "We can fix it here. I don't want a hospital and there is no one to call on." She falls heavily against her aunt, her broken arm cradled to her chest as she struggles for a breath that never seems to come.

"Alright- upstairs it is. Let's get you standing, okay?" Rebekah rises to her feet and hauls Nik to hers. Nik's legs are trembling so hard she can barely stand, and Rebekah holds her up. "Let's go, huh?"

Nik takes trembling steps next to her aunt and she feels Hayley grab her arm and wrap it around her neck. With Hayley and Rebekah on both sides, she is more or less carried up the stairs and into her room. They lay her on her bed and Nik groans, her entire body on fire with pain.

"We have to take care of your arm first," Rebekah tells her. "Once we straighten the bone we will find something to splint it with and make you a sling. Then, we have to check everything else. I don't know how bad he has hurt you."

Nik nods, looking at her aunt pleadingly. "Please, just make it stop."

Rebekah gives her a sad smile. "I will. You're going to be okay." The Original looks over to Hayley and gestures for her to come to the bedside. "Hold Hayley's hand for me. It's going to hurt, but it will be over quickly. Okay?"

"Okay." She feels Hayley take her hand and she looks over to the woman with wide eyes. Hayley squeezes her hand and strokes her hair, smiling shakily. "I'm scared."

Hayley hushes her, running her thumb across Nik's cheek. "I know you are. Just keep looking at me. Your Aunt Bex and I are going to get you on the mend."

On her other side, she feels Rebekah poking and prodding at her arm to locate the break. "It's a clean break, thank God. All it's going to take is a quick pull and then we'll wrap it up." Rebekah then bends over her and presses a kiss to her head. "You are being so brave. Elijah would be proud of you."

Nik nods and sniffles, squeezing her eyes closed. She feels Rebekah take her arm carefully in her hands, the woman releasing a shaky breath. "We're going to do this on the count of three. It's going to be quick and easy."

Nik releases a sob, turning her head to look at Rebekah, but Hayley stops her. "No, look at me. Just keep looking at me. Hey, imagine what we're gonna do after this. Until you're better, it's going to be days of being lazy and staying on the couch. Pizza and movies sound amazing, doesn't it?"

Then, she hears Rebekah take a deep breath and she begins counting. "One. Two. Three." She pulls Nik's arm and the teen releases a harsh scream, gripping Hayley's hand and she feels Hayley stroke her hair, hushing her and telling her how good she is doing. There is a pop and then the pulling stops, and Nik falls against the bed in a harsh bout of sobs as she curls into Hayley who holds her tight.

"It's okay. You done so good," Hayley soothes, her voice quaking with barely controlled tears. "It's over. Rebekah is going to bandage that arm and then we're gonna change into pajamas and go to bed. What do you think about staying in my room and watching a movie tonight?"

Nik releases a quaking sob and she nods. Hayley presses a haphazard kiss to her forehead and she lays her head against Nik's. "God, I love you, kid. Do you know how much I love you, you little brat?"

"I love you, too, Hayley," Nik sobs.

Rebekah soon returns with what seems to be gauze, and she begins wrapping Nik's arm tightly so the bone can't shift. Nik barely keeps herself together the entire time, and she fears she holds Hayley's hand so hard that she has broken it.

"All done, sweetheart," Rebekah says, sitting on the bed and she rubs Nik's back. "You did amazing. Last time I fixed a broken arm, I got punched."

Nik managed a shaky laugh. "W-Who?"

"Your Uncle Kol. He got into trouble often and he happened to break his arm. I reset it and he punched me," Rebekah laughs, continuing to rub Nik's back. "Now, let's get you into bed clothes and off to bed."

Nik sniffles, then looks to Rebekah with fearful eyes. "W-What about Dad?"

"He will be six feet under if I have anything to do with it," Rebekah says with rage mottling her voice. "Now, how about those pajamas?"

Nik lets Rebekah sit her up, propping her up against several pillows. She goes to fetch pajamas, and Hayley sits next to her on the bed. Nik slumps against her side, her eyes drifting closed despite the throbbing pain in her body. Then, she feels Rebekah rouse her and she is awake long enough to change out of her clothes and into a pair of shorts and a long night shirt that feels amazing against her skin.

Rebekah guides her to lay back down, pulling the blankets around her and she lays a hand on her forehead. "Get some sleep, Nik. It's going to be okay now."

"'Night, Aunt Bex," Nik mumbles sleepily, the pain no longer mattering. "'Night, Hayley. Love you guys."

They both respond with, "I love you," and Nik begins to doze, holding Hayley's hand in hers and with Rebekah's hand stroking her hair, tonight's nightmare forgotten for at least now