Catastrophes, contrivances
The latest heinous crime
Are passing shows, the real news
Is the stillness, beyond time.
- Rumi, Catastrophes
Warning: Graphical violence ahead in the chapter.
Proceed at your own discretion.
Spring, 1860
Cloverville Louisiana
Elijah's heart picked up as he heard the carriage coming to a stop in front of the mansion. He was hoping it would be Adelia. He had not seen her for a while and every time a carriage would stop, his heart would betray him for no reason.
She had been spending too much time outside and a part of him was missing her serene presence. As if a wish come true, she appeared in the parlour removing her gloves, not noticing the Original before the witch proceeded to move upstairs. He cleared his throat, startling her as she turned around, a smile spreading across her face.
"Elijah," Adelia muttered.
He got up from the chair and walked towards her. "Adelia. I haven't seen you in days."
"I apologise," she said before gripping her books closer to her chest. "I am in a hurry. I just came to drop these off," the witch motioned towards the book to his disappointment. "We can talk later for sure, Mr. Mikaelson." She gave a nod before she stepped back and moved to leave.
Involuntarily, Elijah's hand shot out to grab Adelia's hand as the books tumbled to the floor. She looked down at his hand and immediately knelt down to pick the fallen items, avoiding looking at him when he joined her and watched her closely.
"May I join you?" He asked and she glanced up curiously, "To the plantation. I have nothing better than to idle away in misery."
Adelia hesitated but then nodded hurriedly, exiting the room with her belongings to come down a few minutes later. Elijah joined her inside the carriage as the driver shut the door with a bang jolting her out of the book she was perusing.
Seeing her going back to the book, Elijah sighed and breathed deeply. He was immediately hit with her rose and freesia scent making him inwardly curse and he was suddenly regretting his decision.
Halfway through, the carriage stopped roughly and the Original steadied the Laurentis heir. He removed his hands quickly, avoiding the temptation to feel her smooth skin under his fingers. "I shall go investigate," he said and got down the carriage.
"The wheels seem to have broken, Sir. I am afraid we cannot continue further," the driver informed and Elijah nodded.
Adelia stepped down and looked at the wheel. "It is alright. The plantation is very far. Mr. Mikaelson and I shall trek back home and send for assistance," she told the driver who thankfully nodded and tipped his hat in farewell. The witch turned around and started walking along the road when she glanced back at the Original. "Do you not intend to come, Mr. Mikaelson?"
Elijah broke out of his daze and immediately joined her, "And here I was looking forward to an interesting day," he started.
"You must get bored often then," she answered.
"Oh dear, New Orleans is anything but boring," he humoured, stealing a glance at her.
Suddenly a carriage stopped beside them. "Lia," a familiar voice called out to Adelia.
The heir whipped around hearing that voice and sprinted towards the carriage door as a man in his forties stepped out to engulf the girl in his arms.
"Oh, my sweet, sweet girl. You have grown up," the man kissed her forehead as she clung onto him. "I have missed you."
"Father, that is nonsense. You were gone for a few months," she murmured into her father's neck as Arnold Laurentis caressed his daughter's hair with a smile on his face.
"And I most definitely missed my precious," he sighed finally at peace with his little girl in his arms when his gaze fleeted to the man previously standing beside her. "Elijah Mikaelson. Mother did inform me of your... business in town," Arnold stated, measuring his words.
"Arnold," the Original came forwards and extended his hand for a shake which the man returned firmly, "you have aged well."
"One cannot have the perk of being a twenty-something forever. It is good to see you, as long as you do not endanger my family."
"I respect that. Thank you."
"What were you doing here with my daughter?" The Laurentis patriarch asked the vampire, wanting the man far away from his precious girl. Arnold was aware of the Originals' insistent proclamations to many women and he did not want Adelia to fall for the same. The Mikaelsons left nothing but destruction behind and he would never allow his daughter to meet the same fate.
"Father, Mr. Mikaelson was accompanying me to the plantation and our carriage broke down. We were returning home," Adelia answered, recognising her father's hostile tone for the vampire amidst them.
"Very well, get inside," he ordered the two, who complied with a nod before stepping into the carriage.
Adelia's eyes lit up as soon as she saw a man asleep inside the humid box and hugged him tightly. Elijah averted his gaze not liking it one bit as to how her demeanour changed in the presence of another man that was not him.
The man woke up with a groan feeling a weight upon him. Opening his eyes, he saw Adelia smiling down at him and pulled her closer, using her shoulder as a cushion.
The witch shrugged it off roughly, "Rafael! Do wake up," she demanded with a pout.
The vehicle moved and the patriarch took a seat beside the Original, watching his daughter fondly.
"Let me sleep woman," Rafael said, putting his hat over his face and fell asleep again.
Adelia kicked his shin and got no response much to her disappointment.
From the corner of his eyes Arnold saw Elijah warmly smile at his daughter and immediately frowned.
Damon laid in his bed listening to Elijah's conversation with Elena and Stefan downstairs. He got up, already annoyed and went to join them and noticed Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy there and internally huffed.
"What are we waiting for?" Jeremy straightened his leg yet again.
Just then a car screeched in front of the Boarding house in high speed and all occupants exchanged glances as Elijah got up and went out. Adelia dressed up in a very regal gown exited the car with a scowl evident on her face. She silently handed over three black cards with an owl sketched over them to her husband who quickly put them inside his jacket. The heretic passed by him, making her way inside as the Original proceeded to walk beside her.
"I hope everything went accordingly," he slyly smiled.
"Sabotaging world domination plan is a hobby of mine. Camouflaging is what I do for fun and avoiding your ex-paramour and her legion has become my life mission. Thank you very much, Elijah," Adelia replied and rolled her eyes making Caroline who was eavesdropping, curiously giggle.
"I would not have entrusted you with the task if I didn't know you could achieve it," Elijah said.
"And I have been doing it for more than a century. Next time I am going to explode their headquarters," she stopped and turned to look at him, "only if I have your summum probat of course."
"Ah... my supreme approval. That is difficult concerning my current dilemma, but I must say you look divine," the Original told Adelia, giving her a look and if it weren't for the work ahead, they surely would have ended up in bed the next second.
"I am the Elijah Mikaelson's wife. You should know better than to expect anything less of me," Adelia lifted her chin up in exaggeration, moving past him when he gripped her hand.
"Are you alright?" Elijah asked her, concern gleaming in his hazel orbs.
"Of course I am," she shrugged it off, avoiding his gaze, but then caught his eye, "Are you?"
"Only if you are," he smiled softly and Adelia kissed him squarely on the mouth. "Oh, how tremendously happy you make me..." Elijah held out his elbow to her as they walked inside.
"Hello. What's the occasion?" Damon asked, his eyes roaming across her gown-clad figure.
"Your funeral, but it is none of your business," she replied but then hummed sitting down.
"Adelia..." Elijah stopped her with a smile tugging at his lips before turning his attention to the group. "Tonight is the full moon. Klaus is prepared to break the curse."
"I advise you not to cross him. We will take care of the specifics," the heretic advised them.
"Why are we letting him break the curse again?" Damon questioned with a roll his eyes.
"Damon..." Elena started.
"Who said you have a choice when it comes to Klaus?" Adelia raised her brow.
"All right, how do we break this curse?" Stefan asked.
"Well, the ritual itself is relatively straightforward. The ingredients, so to speak, you already know," Elijah said.
"The Moonstone?" he inquired with a frown.
"In our possession," answered Adelia.
"A witch will channel the power of the full moon to release the spell that's bound within the stone. After that, Klaus, being both werewolf and vampire, will sacrifice one of each," the Original continued.
"And where does Elena fit into it?" Bonnie questioned.
"The final part of the ritual," he sighed, taking a wooden box out of his suit. "Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelgänger... to the point of your death."
Damon looked at Elena as Stefan took her hand in reassurance. He opened the box and pulled out a jar from it.
"And that's where you come in," Elena muttered, looking at the vial held by the Original.
"This is an elixir that I acquired some 500 years ago for Katerina. It possesses mystical properties of resuscitation," Elijah continued with a nod.
"So I'll be dead?" She questioned.
"And then you won't."
"That's your plan? A magical witch potion with no expiration date?" Damon looked at Elena in disbelief.
"I have studied the elixir. It will work," the witch confirmed.
"You want to come back to life, what about John's ring?" The elder Salvatore offered.
"Those rings only work on humans. The doppelgänger's a supernatural occurrence. Odds are, the ring won't work," explained Elijah.
"I'll take those odds over your elixir. What if it doesn't work, Elena?"
"Then I guess I'll just be dead," she said quietly and Damon looked at Stefan who just shrugged in acceptance.
"It's going to work. Adelia is an experienced witch, she knows what she's talking about," Jeremy told, trying to assure the group.
"She could be lying for all we know," the elder Salvatore gestured towards the Original's wife.
"If I had to lie then I would've abducted Elena, incapacitated you all and made the bargain with Klaus. Believe me when I say this, but dealing with you people is very tiring," the witch informed them with a tilt of her head.
"You want to kill Elena," Bonnie said outrageously.
"We are saving her too, are we not?" Adelia impassively answered. "Being denied a part of you equals death. You did not have your powers, courtesy of Jonas Martin, how did that feel Bonnie?" The younger witch averted her gaze. "Klaus has been suffering for a thousand years. Spare me the talk."
"My love, it's alright," Elijah said trying to calm her down who was always the first to defend Klaus.
"Do we know if Klaus has everything he needs to do this? Does he have a werewolf?" Elena diverted the point.
"Klaus has been waiting to break this curse for over a thousand years. He has sights on one, though he refuses to speak of it. If he doesn't already have a werewolf, my guess is by tonight, he will," Elijah replied.
"I request all of you to maintain caution. You never know what Klaus might do," Adelia finished with a sigh.
"That preposterous Harvey had the audacity to send for a betrothal contract at our residence in Seattle," Arnold told his mother as she sighed before going back to sipping her tea. "Days later I hear, he is announcing his engagement to the General's daughter."
Adelia instantly looked towards Elijah, clearly remembering him saying that he would take care of it. The Original met her eyes and she looked away, biting her lip.
"General's daughter? Victoria?" Sharel inquired. "I might have forgotten to send the tea invite to her grandmother. You know the one with no measure of proportions?"
"I remember Maeve demand you invite her," Klaus said with a smile.
"Old age Klaus. It might have slipped my mind," Sharel conspicuously answered as Adelia narrowed her eyes.
"The next day the man himself arrives at our doorstep!" Arnold continued as Rafael tossed a coin in the air before catching it, "says he wants to marry my dear Adelia and we should promptly discuss dowry. The nerve!"
"Of course, you refused. What was it this time? A tiny freckle on his nose?" Sharel said with a roll of her eyes.
"His eye color, mother," the son answered and Adelia swiftly got up in exasperation before leaving the room as the patriarch continued, "and he was a conceited pig."
Stefan joined his brother outside who was drinking, again. "Breakfast of champions, huh?"
"I'm surrounded by idiots. I need all the help I can get," Damon replied.
"You know, you're not helping. I still have no idea what you and John are up to," the younger brother said with a frown.
"I am bidding my time," Damon hummed with a smirk on his face.
"The powder thing was so cool! And he sounded just like Alaric except the love thing," Jenna told Adelia.
"I expect he behaved cordially?" Elijah asked.
"I didn't give him the opportunity. Adelia intervened and then there was some knockout powder involved," the redhead gestured at the woman who was today in a silver gown - a weird feat, not to be nosey or anything.
"Klaus shouldn't have approached you in the first place," Adelia replied.
"He is Niklaus, the one for theatrics," Elijah answered.
"You managed to get him this far," the witch said with a shrug of her shoulder.
"How old are you again?" Jenna asked.
"I forgot keeping track after thousand," the Original smirked.
"Talk about old age," Adelia quipped.
"It's stone age," Jenna replied, making the couple smile.
"He's a Viking," the witch whispered conspiratorially in the human's ear.
Jenna's eyes widened with interest as she gave the vampire a once-over, "You are a walking wonder, Elijah."
"And he and his family inhabited this place a thousand years ago," Adelia continued as the redhead glanced at the Original in surprise.
"You two are very exhausting companions. I must go look for a better one," Elijah said and disappeared swiftly.
"So is he the woman abducting, territorial Viking turned vampire with heightened possessiveness?" Jenna smirked at the witch and raised her brow. "You know with the raw, primal streak in action?"
Adelia choked on her drink as she stared at Jenna, horrified. "Sheeesh Jenna, too soon. Too soon."
"You ruin my fun," the human rolled her eyes.
"You should have your fun with your hunter. Leather jackets, boots, corsets, ropes. Goes with the theme," Adelia smirked against her glass, as it was now Jenna's turn to look horrified.
"You are a terrible company," the Sommers woman commented before looking around. "The corsets, where do I get them?"
"People here have a supernatural hearing, Miss Sommers. You might want to take the conversation to a more private setting," Elijah joined his wife immediately, his hand gracing the exposed skin at her back, making Adelia shiver.
"Oh good lord. You two need to get yourself in a private setting," Jenna looked between the two and left immediately.
"What do I hear about corsets?" The Original inquired.
"Why? Do you want me to wear one?" Adelia raised her eyebrows.
"The strings were time-consuming and tested my patience. So I believe the corset wouldn't be a wise investment," he said and pulled her closer, inhaling her scent. "Though I appreciate the effort."
"How practical you are, dear husband?" She kissed the corner of his mouth.
"You come to desire a practical approach, and how good a husband will I be if I voluntarily put my wife into that stifling thing," Elijah humoured and caressed the ends of her hair with an odd fascination.
The Original checked his watch when Jenna's voice reached their ears and they looked at each other before walking towards the source.
"Get out!" Jenna shouted.
"Jenna, Jenna!" Alaric said, going hysterical.
"Get out!" The human aimed a crossbow at Alaric.
"Jenna, put the crossbow down, okay? It's me."
"Stay away from me."
The Salvatore brothers with the doppelganger and Elijah and Adelia came around to see the matter.
"What's going on?" Elena asked.
"It's me, Elena. I swear, okay. He let me go. Klaus let me go," Alaric replied.
"He didn't inform us," Elijah looked at him, suspiciously.
"Prove it," suggested the elder Salvatore.
Alaric looked at Jenna, "Okay, uh, the first night you and I spent together, Jeremy walked in right when I was about to..."
Jenna interrupted him going all red, "Okay, it's him." She lowered the crossbow and Adelia nudged her playfully.
"Why did he let you go?" Stefan questioned.
"He wanted me to deliver a message. The sacrifice happens tonight," the vampire hunter replied.
"As if we already didn't know," the witch huffed.
"So you don't remember anything that happened?" The younger Salvatore questioned later as they all occupied the living room.
"No. It's like I blacked out and woke up three days later. Katherine was there."
"She's under compulsion."
"Where is Damon?" Elena asked.
"I saw him go upstairs," Jenna replied and Elena got up and left the room.
"So what else did I do?" Alaric inquired, almost wincing at the thought.
Five minutes later
"There goes the elixir," Adelia commented, rubbing her temples as Alaric and Jenna left to go upstairs after Stefan, the commotion too loud.
"This is not good," Elijah agreed.
"I have to go through grimoires or resort to talking to Klaus," she got up.
"Until we get the coffins, no," the Original denied getting a look of disbelief from his wife.
"Elijah, father said..."
"Well, it sounds like you won't be needing this anymore. Feeding her vampire blood rendered it useless," Elijah interrupted her, closing the box with the elixir as Damon arrived downstairs.
"We both know that elixir wouldn't have worked anyway," the Salvatore scoffed.
"It would have. Elijah and I have to look for something else. There might be something in the grimoires," Adelia sighed.
"The problem Damon, you talk a good game, but you don't actually know anything. She'll never forgive you. And never for a vampire... it's a very long time," Elijah gave him a look and left him alone in the living room with Adelia glaring at the impulsive vampire.
Jenna and Alaric walked down the corridor after tending to an injured Stefan, the tension evident.
"I know it's, uh, it's a lot to take in," Alaric started.
"Yeah."
They heard loud noises from the living room and rushed downstairs. Elena and a weakened Stefan followed to see many men at the entrance. Caroline, Jeremy, and Bonnie frowned at the sight.
"Who is Maeve?" One of the men asked and Adelia stiffened.
"Who's asking?" The witch replied nonchalantly.
"Klaus would know. We were informed that she's here."
"It must have been an inconvenient journey, gentlemen but I assure you it was for nothing," Elijah told the men.
"And who are you?" The second man asked.
The thousand-year-old vampire stepped forward, "We haven't introduced ourselves. I am Elijah and meet my beloved wife, Adelia."
Some men froze at the mention of the Original.
"You do know him, wonderful," the witch said with a grin. "I am sorry you had to come this far."
"She is Maeve. Get her," the leader pointed at her.
"Did I not make myself clear? Leave," Elijah told them, wrapping his arm around her waist when a man grabbed her wrist and the Original swiftly knocked his head off, the blood splattering the pavement. "Nobody touches her."
Stefan stepped forward to help only to be stopped by Damon who smirked. Other occupants froze at Elijah's actions, never having seen such swift violence except for Elena, who was a first-hand witness to Trevor's death.
"Darling, we have a problem, don't we?" Adelia hummed.
"It appears so," Elijah looked at the driveway and noticed several people.
"Maeve has to compensate with eight dozen men for anonymity of eight decades," The witch said looking down at the attire, already mourning the wonderful dress. She tied her hair up in a second and flexed her fingers as the men started approaching.
Elijah removed his cufflinks, looking at his beloved, "Will you do the honors?"
"Gladly," she twisted her palm and all the vampires fell onto the ground clutching their heads as Elijah went one by one tearing their hearts out.
The humans at the doorway stepped back in shock and Jenna stared wide-eyed at the Original and as Alaric tried to hide the display from her; she glared at him.
Adelia snapped a neck, breaking a vampire's arms before stabbing one with her wooden heel - don't judge, she was at her husband's minion party, just a little precautionary measure. Her hands automatically went inside a vampire's chest as she pulled out his heart in a swift motion before pulling off a man's fingers who dared grab her shoulder. She glanced at her husband as he came to stand beside her, both looking at the scene with distaste rolling off of them.
A series of shots went off as a wooden bullet swooshed by their ear and Adelia stopped the set with magic in front of them, all freezing in the air before turning into ash with a flick of her wrist. The witch waved her hand and snapped many necks but they woke up next second much to her husband's dismay.
"Witches," he blew off a head, kicking three more in the guts and discarded his jacket with an annoyed huff.
Adelia stabbed her heel into a man's chest, jumping up with the leverage to kick his head off before tearing off another man's limb. She wiped a trickle of blood from her neck, smearing it even more, growing agitated with each passing second.
Suddenly the Original and his wife held their heads as new additions came out.
"Witches," she groaned in annoyance this time-only Klaus could make vampires and witches have a surprising alliance to destroy him.
Elijah and Adelia continued to fight, shutting off the pain and the heretic rushed, latching her mouth onto a witch's neck to drain her dead. She made her way to the other witches and dropped onto the ground in extreme pain. The heretic gestured her hands forward and the witch dropped dead but she shut her eyes, unable to bear it when the witches linked their hands.
Damon eyed the two in triumph, drinking straight from the bottle as he enjoyed the show. Stefan glanced at his brother, overall conflicted with the entire situation. The others remained frozen as Alaric tried getting them inside but failed. However inconvenient the ordeal was, a full blown bloody fight like this was never witnessed by the residents of Mystic Falls.
Elijah ripped out two hearts and used a discarded crossbow to impale another witch as he made his way towards his wife.
A vampire came forward and Adelia kicked her foot out making the man stumble as she instantly set him on fire, throwing him towards a group of vampires with a spell.
Another vampire went to attack her when he dropped onto the ground, Klaus behind him with a heart in his hand shocking the couple. "You two need another pair of hands?" The younger Original went behind a witch, snapping her neck and looked around the massacre, "I am impressed."
"Nik..." Adelia muttered, getting up and gripped Elijah's wrist to siphon a large amount of power, making everyone fall onto the ground in pain. The occupants watching them from the front door rubbed their foreheads with a wince, getting affected too.
"I expect a show of gratitude in order," Klaus kicked a vampire, tearing out his hand.
"My wife has been in danger because of you Niklaus," Elijah took a deep breath, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins.
"You were the one to put your stamp of approval. But then I could convince dear Adelia to send me another box of those sweet treacles. I positively hope she remembers the recipe from 1971," he started tearing out hearts and heads in order as the vampires and witches alike remained under Adelia's spell.
"I expected for you to get the first set, but unfortunately she sent the best ones," Elijah remarked, looking at his wife kicking a vampire as she glared at her husband, wiping away her blood-matted hair.
"Positively delicious," Klaus said, licking the blood off his fingers as Adelia waved her finger and the remaining offenders fell to the floor with snapped necks without any new witches' interference. Klaus and Elijah proceeded to finish them permanently, blood soon coating their apparel.
Adelia threw a glance at the occupants of the Boarding House and rolled her eyes seeing Damon's expression. Confusing his troublesome expression with a general one, she looked at the bodies ahead before flicking her fingers at them.
The bodies dragged themselves onto the pavements as they settled in a pile, the liquid painting the entrance red. Doing this back and forth, the desiccated vampires staggeringly decorated the surrounding gardens.
She turned around to look at the Salvatores. "My car needs a way out of this place. Do compel yourself a cleaner; I am not spending a dime on this wretched lot."
"The witches, my love," Elijah gestured towards a dead pile of witches and Adelia instantly set them on fire, staring at the bodies impassively when Klaus came to stand beside her.
"Is everything alright, love?" He asked and she snapped, finally losing her composure.
"You!" Adelia shouted, throwing a punch at him and then another one. "You are the wrong Niklaus!" She went on to do it thrice when he stopped her fist with a hard gleam.
"This is getting out of hand, Maeve," he replied and immediately clutched his head in pain as she proceeded to give him aneurysms, a tear sliding down her cheek when Klaus instantly got up and pinned her to the car.
Elijah stopped his work and leant against one of the trees to watch the scene unfold, never tired of seeing his wife put his brother in place.
The heretic kicked Klaus in the stomach and used the momentary distraction to bang his face on the car roof. The next second she had her hands pinned at the back, her front pressed against the car door.
"Calm down!" Klaus shouted as Adelia wiggled in his hold. She brought her head back to his face breaking his nose before turning around to mutter a spell making him fly and hit a tree hard.
He got up from the forest floor and wiped his bloody nose, staring at her with anger filled eyes, "You have certainly improved," he commented and rushed towards her to pin her to an opposite tree. The Original howled in pain when his bones started breaking, bringing him down to his knees.
"Maeve, stop it this instant!" He said before looking at Elijah, who had an impassive expression on his face.
Adelia followed his gaze with teary eyes and Klaus used the second to trap her against the tree where she attempted to futilely hit him. She clawed his face, weeping when her coffee brown eyes met his sea-green ones and Adelia didn't hesitate to hug him immediately.
Her arms went around his neck as Klaus stroked her hair softly, inhaling her rose fragrance that he had come to recognize as hers. Her hair still gave that mystifying essence of Freesia, not overpowering, but slowly taking hold when he gradually wrapped his arm around her waist.
Klaus then inferred that his Maeve hadn't changed at all. A smile filtered across his face at the realisation as he lifted her off the ground, holding her tightly.
"I missed you so much, Nik," Adelia told him quietly, clinging to his Henley. A moment later, she got out of his arms and observed him closely, "Your hair is better than the 30s at least. Elijah gave a nice description then."
Klaus wiped away her tears, chuckling at her observation. She grinned and turned her head to gently kiss his cheek, briefly making him close his eyes. He stared at her for a second before his lips touched her forehead, lingering for a while. He cared about her immensely and that was something he knew he'd forever cherish, his brother's wife or not.
"Have you seen your husband love? Talk about a bad hairdo," Klaus smirked after recomposing himself as he took her hand and walked towards the car where Elijah was slightly smiling.
"It's his moody rebellion phase, no thanks to you. He'll be fine once he acquires the coffins," she told him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I assume everything is sorted out now?" Elijah said as he opened the car door for her to get in but Klaus slammed it shut.
"Hmm, almost," Adelia replied with a nonchalance that made her husband smirk as he turned towards the pair.
"I am stealing your wife for a tea break. Maeve and I have some catching up to do."
"Let her get dressed," Elijah suggested his brother, looking around at the bodies.
"Of course, I cannot allow Elijah's wife to go out in anything less but something snobby and spectacular," Klaus glared at him before he fleeted away with Adelia.
As they disappeared out of sight, Elijah turned his attention towards the spectators watching them with their jaws on the floor. "I presume you will send the bill at our residence?"
"I got your letter... about the latest exhibition," Klaus watched Adelia braiding her hair as he lounged in his brother's bedroom.
"I wrote what I meant," she replied, clasping her watch around her wrist.
"You attended every exhibition of mine," he murmured as he looked at the ceiling, hands behind his head.
"You are my dearest friend Niklaus, of course, I would," Adelia leant against the door-frame to strap her heels and gestured for Klaus to get up. As he pressed the ground floor button inside the elevator, she added, "Elijah called it your repression phase."
"He attended along with you?" He asked curiously. Klaus knew his older brother admired his talent but did not hold much interest in the art itself.
"I dragged him along," she giggled as they stepped out and sat in his car.
"What were you up to all these years?" Klaus questioned her as they walked alongside each other in the town square after an hour.
Adelia sipped her coffee, thinking for a moment. "Looking for our family. Convincing my husband to not put your head in a pike, leading the destroyer away from you. We were busy."
"You two were happy?" He asked as envy filled his veins.
"Happy is a subjective term, Niklaus. We were content having with each other but it does not imply we were happy. You weren't there, our family was somewhere... it felt wrong. Distraction only works for long."
"And Elijah? How does he feel about it?" Klaus hesitated.
"You know your brother well. He lives for his family, but the hypocritical part of him puts you at the top of his priorities," she rolled her eyes. "He felt he let his family down, disappointed in himself. No amount of encouragement or hopeful words brought him out of his anguished stupor. It was painful to watch him go through the same routine every day."
"And you?"
"Nothing," she smiled, looking at him. "I wouldn't ask about you as I do not wish to know how you flourished as an individual without your brother or your only friend by your side."
"So much for personal growth," smirked Klaus as they stood admiring the fountain.
"I know," Adelia humoured. "But I am glad to see you managed just fine without Elijah pushing you to do things. He coddles you."
The Original wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Is my brother's wife jealous of me for having her husband's unwarranted attention?" He cooed in her ear when Adelia turned her head towards him with a pout.
"You haven't changed Klaus and no, I am not jealous. Merely worried about my husband's sanity."
"For indulging me or yourself," he grinned and got elbowed at his side immediately. Adelia's phone rang and Klaus glanced at it to see Elijah calling. "Your husband becomes unhinged if left alone for longer periods of time."
She narrowed her eyes in offence on behalf of her husband and received the call, "Elijah."
"Where are you?" The voice on the other end asked.
"So impatient brother," Klaus said into the phone.
"Niklaus," Elijah sighed.
"I will be there in five minutes, Elijah," Adelia informed her husband, not wanting Klaus to ruffle up his brother.
"I will be waiting," he replied before ending the call as she turned to look at Klaus.
"Do not worry. Everything will be alright," she assured the Original who seemed worried about the ritual tonight.
"I know," he gave her a half smile when Adelia kissed his cheek in farewell and fleeted away as Klaus stared at her retreating back.
January 1860
Cloverville Louisiana
Adelia sat on the floor rearranging some papers when Klaus knocked on the door and entered inside. She collected the papers and got up depositing it over the bed.
"Do tell what you're here for?" She asked with a smile, turning to look at him.
Klaus grinned before grabbing her wrist and dragged her to his assigned room. She looked on in confusion as he made her stand in the middle of the room before walking towards a canvas.
"My expectations are quite high, so to speak. You boast too much, Niklaus," the witch said with a smirk.
"Then I am guilty of your rising expectations," he humoured and uncovered the canvas and Adelia stood stunned at the sight of the painting.
Klaus stared at her with his hands behind his back and walked towards her. "Do you like it?"
"It is certainly not a horse," Adelia mumbled and glanced towards the Original, "I was expecting a horse."
"My muse might not reach the horse's level but she is quite exquisite as well," he answered.
"Your muse looks different," she pointed out, staring at the painting. The witch remembered the emerald green gown from the Charleston ball where she met Klaus for the first time.
"Is that a critique's thoughts?" Klaus hummed. Adelia narrowed her eyes at him before giving the painting her full attention. It was unnerving to see herself painted so well on canvas.
"I do not see anything," Adelia walked towards the painting and traced her fingers over her frame. "I wanted it to be a horse," she said as her eyes followed the darkened contours in the painting, "but of course not drunk." The witch turned back to see Klaus observing her with a roll of his eyes and she continued, "Well, my hair looks definitely more entrancing than the horse's."
"You do not know art," he commented.
Her fingers caught the thick layers of paint and she pouted in offence as the words tumbled out her mouth. "The paint is nice, very good quality," she told him.
"You truly are the worst critique," he replied impassively.
"No, you just do not know how to paint," she said, crossing her arms.
"You should stick to the horse theory. I liked it better," Klaus muttered before leading her out the room.
"Am I really that beautiful? Or did you exaggerate it?" She asked with a crinkle on her nose.
"You are the definitely more beautiful than the horse" he mused as a smile appeared on her features and his eyes widened in thought, "and not inebriated."
Adelia locked the apartment door behind and trekked inside the bedroom to see Elijah zipping up his garment bag containing his suits making her frown.
"Elijah?" She called and he turned towards her before going into the closet to come back with a handful of her dresses, putting them inside a bag. "Elijah, what are you doing?"
"We are leaving with the coffins after the curse is broken," Elijah replied impassively, emptying the closet into the bag.
"But Klaus..."
"Klaus will terrorise our family again. Undagger them until convenient and I will not see them in that state again," he interrupted his wife.
"We can be a family again... Klaus included."
"You cannot change my mind on this. I have thought about it, Adelia," he made her sit on the bed and cupped her cheeks. "I refuse to sit and watch this anymore. The torment I had been under all these years not knowing the whereabouts of my siblings is beyond comprehension. I cannot bear the same pain again."
"Klaus is family, Elijah," Adelia said. "We cannot leave him behind. You are aware of his fear of abandonment. Don't ruin his newly found happiness by taking away the ones he cherishes most."
"He'll be fine," Elijah dismissed her concerns, reassuring himself that his brother will be fine without them. He was doing all this for his family and the ones inside the coffins needed him. He shall come back for Klaus later.
"Please reconsider," she requested him and Elijah looked away, zipping up the bags.
"I request you agree to this. Not for what is right, but for me."
"I worry for you."
"Then you will not question my decision on the matter," he kissed her forehead. "Stand by me... please."
"I refuse to do that to Niklaus," Adelia's voice quivered. "It is wrong."
"Do this for me," he said, engulfing her in his arms. "We are doing this for our family. We will help them first."
As Adelia nuzzled into his neck and remained silent, Elijah kissed the side of her head gratefully. Both unaware of the other Original pressing the ground floor button of the elevator with fury in his eyes.
Spring 1860
Cloverville Louisiana
"Once more," Arnold ordered, making Adelia huff as she aimed her pistol before firing a shot.
"Father, my ears are hurting. I want to go to sleep. It is not even six in the morning," she said, turning towards her father.
"Why do I find you suddenly childish in my presence? You were doing fine all these months," he asked.
"I am your only daughter. I am allowed to act like a child, padre," she justified and turned around before firing a shot again. It missed by inches and Arnold took a deep breath, looking at the failed attempt.
"Fire one perfect shot and I shall let you go to sleep," the patriarch said and Adelia almost stomped her foot.
"My arms are aching."
"They have not fallen off yet. Continue. I shall be back with some bread. I require food if I am to hear you complaining all day."
Adelia stared at her father in indignation as he walked away. She turned around and fired another shot as it missed the target again. A pair of hands suddenly enclosed her upper arms and she let out a squeak. She turned her head to find Elijah behind her.
The Original looked at her before he gestured to the front and Adelia followed. He gripped her arms tightly. "Steady your hands," he said, positioning her hands well. "Grip the pistol tightly," the Original straightened her wavering wrists before moving his hands to her shoulder and pressed the muscles, "This not too firm, not too tight. Recoil is highly dangerous."
The witch looked at him, awaiting his directions. Elijah gently turned her head to make her look ahead.
"Focus is the key, Adelia. Concentrate," he instructed as she took a deep breath before firing a shot. It missed the target by centimetres and her mood deflated, her body slumping in defeat.
Elijah patted her arms twice and nudged her spine to straighten her posture as she immediately did so. "Again."
She shot and it hit the target, making her smile, but it immediately disappeared when he nudged her once more.
"Repeat," he ordered and she hit the target again. His hand came to land on her hips as Elijah stepped closer, "Again."
Suddenly a shot hit near their feet as it uprooted the grass making Adelia scramble away from the Original in fright.
"Elijah, I missed! Mind giving me the same lessons?" Arnold said, glaring at the vampire. "I assure you I am a much better shooter. Just directions, I detest physical contact."
"Father! I hit the target!" Adelia rushed to her father and took away his rifle, seeing his riled up behaviour.
"Oh my, you did," Arnold patted her cheek lovingly. "I dropped my loaf due to a vile scenery. Come we shall have breakfast." He smiled and held out his hand to escort his little girl inside, the Original forgotten.
Elijah watched them walk away when Adelia turned back to look at him and smiled. He smiled back.
Klaus looking at them from the window pursed his mouth before going back to his painting, splashing red paint on the canvas.
"Everything okay?" Katherine enquired when Klaus arrived, his mood at the lowest.
"What have you been doing?" He asked gruffly. How could Elijah do this to him? And Adelia? They will certainly pay for it.
"Making coffee. Do you want some?" She offered when he rushed over to her, grabbing her by the throat.
"Tell me what you've been doing," he compelled the doppelgänger.
"Making coffee," she answered, trying to act compelled, not wanting him to know about Damon giving her vervain.
Klaus released her and she gasped, holding her neck. "Wait. Take off your bracelet," he ordered and Katherine took it off and handed it over her daylight jewellery to him. "Now, I want you... to walk over to the window and stand in the sunlight."
"But I'll burn," she hesitated.
"You don't have a choice," Klaus impassively said. She slowly stood in the sunlight and the side of her face exposed to the sunlight started to burn, making her scream while the Original looked at her with a smile. "That's enough," he blurted out and the doppelgänger rushed over to the corner of the room, in the shadows, "Guess I was wrong. All right, then. I need you to do something for me."
Damon got up from the floor and remembered he was in Alaric's apartment after Klaus snapped his neck - confronting an Original was not the greatest option.
"Should have used me. Why didn't he use me?" He frowned, clearly confused as to why he was not the backup vampire.
"He couldn't. Damon, he said you were as good as dead," Katherine answered.
"What does that even mean?" He asked.
"What does that mean?" She looked at Tyler's bite on the vampire's forearm. Katherine pointed, "What is this, Damon?"
"It's a werewolf bite."
Arnold stared at his daughter and Elijah sitting on the porch, reading in peace. Both absolutely silent except the sounds of turning the page and Adelia scribbling notes. He narrowed his eyes when the Original stole a glance of his little girl before going back to his task. His eyes narrowed even more when the Original did it again, this time with a slight smile.
The patriarch looked towards his daughter to see her sitting unaware of Elijah's glances and his heart thawed at her innocence. He chose to glare at the vampire with a huff.
His butler slowly approached the Laurentis male and turned to look at the scene with raised eyebrows.
"You are seeing what I am unfortunately witnessing?" Arnold said with a grimace.
"Indeed, sir," the butler replied, now used to the man's overprotective behaviour.
"How much is polite, Conan?" The father asked, his gaze not wavering from the peaceful pair.
"An hour, sir? Will that suffice?"
"Make that fifteen minutes," Arnold ordered.
"That might be impolite," Conan implied, hesitant of disturbing the Laurentis heir and her admirer after the said minutes.
"Very well. Ten minutes," the patriarch continued, clearly unaware of the concept of patience and civility when it came to his little girl.
"I shall arrive there in five, sir," the old man said with a nod.
"Do not be tardy. My darling girl needs to be saved from the man's clutches."
A smile appeared across Arnold's face as Conan arrived there not too shortly after and separated the two, feigning Adelia's assistance required in the study.
The patriarch reached the room before his daughter and sat comfortably on the chair while scrutinizing the newspaper headlines.
Sharel sitting across him demanded an explanation.
"Father?" Adelia knocked on the door. "You called for me."
"Please sit."
"Is there something you wanted?"
"Just your company, my little girl. You wish to leave?" Arnold said, faking sadness and Sharel raised her brows.
"No father. I was merely worried," Adelia answered and sat on the floor, keeping her things on the ottoman. "Good afternoon, grandmother. I shall continue my work here." She smiled and started on the notes immediately.
Arnold hid a grin at his victory and sighed in relief before grimacing at the thought of another man near his daughter again. He huffed and looked around, avoiding his mother's suspicious glare.
A/N: So many elements in this chapter!
Owls printed on cards *wink wink*
Elijah borrowing his paranoia from Klaus. Arnold is very observant.
Introducing
Colin Firth Arnold as Warren Laurentis
"You are the catalyst to her destruction, Elijah."