A/N:
So here it is! Chapter 30. What a milestone for this story. It's incredible to be here, and I am so excited to share this with you. It has a surprise in store for you: KLAUS AND CAROLINE POV's! Its so much fun writing Klaus' outbursts, but don't worry, they are for a good reason! Hope everyone enjoys, and happy reading!
Cheers,
Erin
Disclaimer) I don't own any of the characters or places associated with TVD or the Originals, but I do own anything not related to these shows (ex. Georgiana DeBelle.)
Chapter 30: And So We Meet Again
I stood in front of the mirror debating with myself over which dress seemed right for the negotiation meeting with Marcel. But I also knew who wanted to see me; the person behind my attendance was my obsessive ex-boyfriend.
Sighing in frustration, I once again held up the two outfits which seemed appropriate for the occasion. The one in my left hand was a light pink peplum style with criss-crossed straps in the back and a sweetheart neckline. The I was holding in my left hand was completely opposite; it was navy blue, with a scooped neck and mesh stripes on the neckline and hem.
Tyler had always told me that he loved when I wore pink. He said that the color matched my personality. Remembering that factor, I hung the pink garment back up in the armoire. Taking off my silken bathrobe, I slipped the elegant Chanel branded dress over my head. One of the perks of being in the company of the Originals was the endless flow of cash, which meant fancy designer clothes and pristine shoes. I then picked out a pair of Tory Burch navy espadrilles.
My hair had actually decided to cooperate today, and I had been able to pin it up into an elegant fishtailed half-up half down. Keeping with the simplistic look of my outfit, my makeup was minimal, and my accessories were limited to a pearl necklace and a matching headband. I felt as if I was channeling the look of a southern prep, which I couldn't decide if that was good or a bad thing.
I took one last look in the mirror, and then headed towards the bedroom door. Opening it, I closed it behind me and went down the stairwell to the main foyer. When I reached the bottom, there was no sign of either Klaus nor Elijah. Looking around, I finally caught the sound of both of the brother's voices wafting from the plantation's study.
I made my way towards the drawing room, dodging the scattered housekeepers that were working throughout the first floor. As I approached the study's entrance, I could hear Klaus and Elijah discussing the upcoming events that were take place today. Carefully, I pushed open the door. Klaus and Elijah's attention turned to me as soon as I entered.
"You look beautiful, love. Elijah has decided not to attend the negotiation with us due to his concern about the young she-wolf. He wants to be sure she that she is being properly cared for." Klaus informed me. I looked at Elijah, but then just shook my head.
"As my brother previously stated, you look wonderful Caroline. Enjoy your brunch. Niklaus, please try and control your temper. For all of our sakes." Elijah gave his brother a pleading look, and Klaus just returned the request with a wicked grin.
"Farewell, Miss Caroline. Niklaus." Elijah gave us a curt nod before disappearing behind the study's French doors. I then turned to Klaus, eager to know what we were doing next.
"The car will be here at 8:30." He told me. I looked over at the grandfather clock, realizing that it was 8:15. I then looked back to Klaus, observing the solemn look on his face. His teeth were clenched; I could tell by the tightness of his stubble covered jaw.
"Why are you tense?" I asked the Original hybrid, tilting my head in curiosity. Klaus gave me a smile, before responding.
"The last I saw Marcellus, he was strapped to a burning cross on the stage of an opera house. It was the night that I and Rebekah fled New Orleans in 1919." Klaus recounted the night he had left New Orleans for good.
"Wasn't Mikael after you?" I asked, and Klaus nodded grimly. I knew Klaus and Mikael's past with one another had scarred Klaus in unimaginable ways. Mikael had ruined so many things for his children.
"Mikael was a coward, and I am ashamed that I ever had the idea to call him my father." Klaus spat.
"You were raised to think of him as your father. You didn't know any better. Klaus, you survived his abuse, and made yourself a powerful enemy to face." I tried to comfort him in the gentlest way possible, without bringing up some of the more shameful things that Klaus had done in this lifetime.
"The car is here." Klaus ended the conversation. He then proceeded to offer me his arm as we exited through the house and to the front door. I had been so absorbed in our previous conversation, I had lacked to hear the crunching of the town car's tires as it pulled into the plantation's roundabout drive.
Klaus opened the front doors in a flourish of motion, and offered me the right of way as he turned to close the doors behind us. I heard the turning of the key in the lock, and waited on the front steps for Klaus to join me. Once again, he escorted me to the town car's backseat, where a driver dressed in the traditional uniform held the door open for us. Nodding my head in a silent thanks, Klaus helped me into the backseat as I navigated my steps in the wedges I was currently wearing.
Finally, after Klaus and I had both be seated in the backseat, the driver pulled out the plantation's drive. Klaus popped the cork on a glass of sparkling water, before handing me a chilled glass filled to the brim. Taking a sip, I tried not to recoil back at the taste of the sharp flavor invading my senses. But I know Klaus noticed my sudden distaste, and gave me a small grin.
"It's lemon and ginger sparkling water. Takes an acquired taste. Would you like something else?" Klaus asked me, and I nodded feverently. Handing him back the glass that was filled with the sour liquid, in return he handed me a cold bottle of regular Pierre.
"There are pastries in the mini bar if you wish to have a snack." Klaus added as we continued to ride down the road.
"I thought we were meeting Marcel and Tyler at some bar and grille. Shouldn't we be saving our appetites for when we arrive?" I questioned him.
"As much as I love New Orleans cuisine, sweetheart, I wouldn't exactly recommend the food at 'Snatchers'. The menu is less than appealing to the palette, I assure you." Klaus laughed, and I looked at him oddly before snatching a blueberry muffin from the basket on the mini bar's shelf.
Removing the muffin's decorative wrapper, I began casually munching on the pastry. Silence once again filled the air as Klaus and I wandered into our mental bridges. My thoughts traveled to the idea of Tyler's plans for his reasoning for wanting to speak to me. Obviously he was still angry about our harsh breakup, but he was acting so out of character. But I knew that Klaus would protect me, no matter what Tyler and Marcel had in mind.
"Have you decided where you want to visit in New Orleans?" Klaus asked me, interrupting my mental break. I looked at him and shook my head; ever since we had arrived, it had been nothing but drama. I hadn't had any time to research tourist spots I wanted to visit.
"I promise you, once all this mess pertaining to Marcel and Tyler is over with, that you will experience New Orleans to the fullest. This city is filled with so many wonders, and I cannot wait for you to experience them." Klaus gave me a promising smile. I just nodded and smiled, my mouth now filled with muffin.
I felt the town car lurch to the right as we turned into what seemed to be a dilapidated looking bar that had long gone under the waves of tidiness. The siding paint was peeling, the exposed wood underneath visibly rotting with age. The shutters and doors were weathered beyond repair, and the bar's neon sign was blinking in a mangled pattern. The place in simple terms; a dump.
"I see what you meant when you said that the food was going to be unappetizing. Even just the building makes me want to gag." I turned my nose up at the establishment in disgust. My personality and conscious was normally not this snotty, by the bar and grille were in ruins.
"Sweetheart, I apologize in advance for the experiences you are about to encounter." Klaus informed me, and I nodded understandingly.
Klaus opened the town car's door, and helped me out of the backseat. My wedges touched the dry, hard packed ground, sending dust swirling around my feet. The scent in the air smelled like molding cheese, and I had to keep myself from gagging.
"Come on, sweetheart. We have business to attend to." Klaus closed the car door, sending the town car away to find a place to park and wait. I took a step towards the building's unhinged door, but Klaus stopped me for a second.
"If at any moment you feel uncomfortable, or that you're in danger, I want you to run like hell. Get in the car, and just keep driving. I will contact you will when it is safe to return." Klaus advised me. I gave him a perplexed look, but nodded willingly.
"Alright, love. Let's go settle this once and for all." Klaus breathed, and took my hand in his. I wouldn't say I was completely terrified of what was about to happen, but I was damn well scared about what lied behind that door.
Klaus and I both walked carefully through the gravel lot towards the limp building. We both took a deep breath before Klaus opened the door, letting an even more pungent scent develop throughout the air. My hand immediately went up to cover my nose and mouth to keep from inhaling the horrid must.
"I apologize for the smell; comes with the territory." A masculine sounding voice echoed through the walls of the dingy shack. Klaus gripped my hand harder as the individual approached.
"Hello Marcellus." Klaus spoke, his teeth clenched. He had on his infamous defensive face, with tightened jaw and visible veins popping out from the side of his neck.
"Niklaus Mikaelson, in the flesh. And the famous Caroline Forbes I've heard so much about." Marcel removed himself from the shadows, and I took a deep breath at the sight of who was behind him.
"Tyler." I breathed. My ex-boyfriend's eyes met mine, and he smirked.
"Caroline." He spoke bitterly. I had never heard him say my name like that before, and somehow it felt right at that moment.
"Are you ready to discuss what we came here for?" Klaus broke the moment between Tyler and I, speaking directly to Marcel.
"Here's how this is going to go down. You and I will speak privately, and Tyler here will get some one on one time with Miss Forbes. I promise, no violence unless positively needed." Marcel dealt out the conditions.
"She is not going to be alone with that pathetic excuse of a creature." Klaus nodded towards Tyler, who had to visibly keep himself from lunging at the Original hybrid.
"That's the conditions. Take them or leave, because I'm an inpatient man. I would hate if you wasted resources getting here just to leave." Marcel was taunting Klaus, and by the tension in Klaus's grip he knew.
"I'll be fine." I reassured Klaus, and he looked down at me a look of steel, but then nodded willingly.
"Alright. But if you lay a hand on her, I will gladly rip your heart out, like I've promised for years." Klaus threatened Tyler, who snarled in response.
"Let's take this to the game room." Marcel said, and looked towards Klaus to follow him. Klaus placed a soft kiss to the crown of my head, before giving Tyler one last death glare. He then proceeded to follow Marcel out of the darkened room, leaving me with the guy who had broken my heart too many times to count.
Klaus POV
"Congratulations on the twins, by the way." Marcellus spoke first as soon as we arrived in what he referred to as the game room. It was just a musty, wood panelled room with a moth-eaten pool table in the center.
"Leave the niceties in hell, Marcellus, and tell me what you want." I growled. I was here for two things; to protect my children and Caroline, and to find a solution to Marcellus and his insanity.
"Okay, I guess we're doing this in the traditional Niklaus Mikaelson way. What I want is you and your family out of New Orleans for good. This is my kingdom, and my family is here now. I want you, and Elijah, and your blonde plaything gone." Marcellus snapped. I nodded, and reminded him of the only members of my family that he left out.
"And what do you want to become of my offspring?" I asked.
"I want them dead." Marcellus responded coldly. Then is when I could not restrain myself any longer. His neck was in my grasp against the wall in a nanosecond.
"If you even attempt to touch a hair on my children's, or the young werewolf that is carrying them head, I will pull you limb from limb and rip out your heart." I whispered in his ear.
"Then I will have Blondie ripped to shreds. All I have to do is give Tyler the word, and he'll filet her like a fresh cut steak." Marcellus whispered back in gasps of air.
"He wouldn't hurt her. He loves her too much." I reminded him, and he attempted a maniacal laugh.
"A person cannot love if they have no emotions." Marcellus taunted me once again, and then I made the realization. I threw Marcellus down from the wall.
"Tyler has shut off his emotions?" I asked the disgrace of a person in front of me.
"It was his choice. I like him better." Marcellus replied, and my fist punched the rotting pool table. It shattered to bits.
"If you touch Caroline, I will kill every person you hold dear. Every man or woman that pleads allegiance to you will be slaughtered without mercy." I told him, my voice unwavering.
"With what army?" Marcellus questioned me.
"You forget, my dear boy, that I have many allies in this world. Connections that you've only dreamed of having. And I will exert every force, pull every string, and build a big enough army that you will cower with fear. Your head will be severance for your sins." I gave Marcellus a wicked smile.
"An army of your compelled allies will not prevent the destruction that those demons you and that werewolf created. They will destroy New Orlean, and I won't let that happen again. Your mistakes destroyed my home once. I'm not going to let it happen again." Marcellus warned me. I remembered when my father Mikhail's anger had destroyed New Orleans in flames of fury.
"What are you saying?" I asked him.
"I have a young witch, her name is Davina Claire. She has had premonitions of the destruction your offspring will cause. The only way we can save those we love is to kill them, and the mother they are linked to."
"I will not kill my children for the satisfaction of low .lives such as yourself. As you can attest yourself, Marcellus, I care about my family. These children are my family." I reminded him of the vow I intended to honor.
"I was part of your family. And you left me burning on the stage of an opera house!" He accused me, his voice rising.
"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" I roared.
"Well, I wasn't. And when you left me here, all alone, I found a new family. My own family. I rebuilt everything from the ground up. This is my home, and like you, I will protect if. Always and forever, right Klaus?" Marcellus threw my familial vow that I had taught him as I had raised him.
"I think we have come to an agreement, then? There must be war, seeing as you will not spare the lives of my children." I asked.
"So there will be war. Prepare to lose everything and everyone one you've ever loved, Klaus. For I intend to be victorious." That sealed our conversation as I left him with my last words.
"Then may death great you like an old friend." I said, and nodded Marcellus farewell. I then proceeded to retrieve Caroline, and get the hell out of this dump.
Caroline POV
As Klaus and Marcel went the opposite way, Tyler motioned for me to follow him through yet again another dingy doorway. The air still reeked of moldy cheese, and the signs of my gag reflex were flying high. But I kept following Tyler, careful to avoid the debris that littered the floors. I was wearing wedges, and it was hard enough to walk.
"Tyler, where are we going?" I asked the boy who had held my affections for so long. He didn't respond.
We continued walking until finally, we came upon a set on grim covered glass French doors. Tyler jerked the handle, and I followed him out into the bright sunlight. My heels sank into the spongy grass as we walked farther out from the building.
"You look nice." Tyler said simply.
"Thanks." I don't think it had ever been more awkward between us than that moment, with Tyler and I just standing there aimlessly. It was five minutes before either one of us spoke again.
"I can't believe you chose him." Tyler mumbled, but I caught every word.
"He's not so terrible. Why can't you see that I am happy when I'm with him?" I argued, and Tyler took a step towards me.
"He is a monster. He killed my mom, Caroline."
"Oh my god, Tyler! I know. He's killed a lot of people. And you know what? You've killed a few people too. So have I. We're vampires and werewolves, it's what we do. I wish you would see the good in him." I sighed.
"There is a fine line between what you and I have done, and what he's done." Tyler said, his tone cold.
"He's about to be a father, and he wants to be good for them. I'm helping him! He wants to change, and I have full faith he can." I informed Tyler, and he scoffed.
"Those kids are going to be as evil and inhuman as their don't deserve to live." Tyler snapped.
"They haven't even been born yet! They are innocents in this conflict. What is wrong with you?"
"I believe in the same thoughts that Marcel does. Whatever monsters that Klaus has created, they need to be stopped at the source. The only way to protect everyone in this community, in the world, and is to make sure the offspring of Klaus Mikaelson never walks the earth." Tyler growled.
"Tyler, he's brainwashing you! You have a vendetta against Klaus, I know. But you would never kill innocent children. Not unless…" My voice trailed off at my sudden realization.
I looked closely at Tyler's eyes, searching for the ever so familiar light. But it was gone, occupied but what I could only describe as a boiling cauldron of darkness. They were blank; emotionless.
"You turned off your humanity, haven't you?" I whispered. Tyler held my gaze, but didn't speak as I stared at him in shock.
"It was for the best." Was all he said.
"Tyler, I'm begging you. Please don't help Marcel. Klaus wants to be a father, and it's helping him become a better person. Don't take this opportunity away from him." I begged. I wanted Klaus to have the chance to raise a family, to start over. Tyler and Marcel murdering his children would destroy that.
"Just like all the opportunities I missed because of his ridiculous sire bond? You remember, Care, right? No prom, no graduation, no anything! He gave me nothing! I'm not giving him the opportunity to have happiness when he took mine away from me." Tyler's voice echoed through the open field.
Before I had a chance to reply to him, a voice spoke behind us.
"Caroline, love, I advise you to step behind me." I turned to make eye contact with Klaus. I then proceeded to vamp speed into the safety of his arms.
"You are a villain, and I hope you are prepared to spend an eternity in agony." Tyler looked Klaus dead in the eye as he threatened him.
"I would advise you the same." Klaus spoke simply, before zooming us both away.
"Are you alright, sweetheart? You're shaking." Klaus asked me when we arrived next to the town car. I nodded, but it was a weak motion.
"He says Marcel wants to kill the twins." I whispered.
"I know."
"What are we going to do?" I asked Klaus as he helped me into the backseat.
"We are going to war, love. And we're going to win."
A/N:
Hope everybody enjoyed. Have a great day/night!
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~Erin