So in this one, some more time passes. You'll notice that Kol's part is very similar to the original version, but it won't always be like that.
I should've done this last chapter, but I'm doing it now.
To Guest - I ship Stebekah too, but they aren't together in this fic. Sorry about that.
To ahyeon - Thank you so much! I really love and appreciate your support.
To Pinguin05 - Thank you! I love Kol, too. At this point, I don't plan on him having a boyfriend but his bisexuality will definitely be explored. Who knows though, maybe my plans will change and Kol will get a boyfriend.
Chapter title from Fight Song by Rachel Platten.
WARNINGS: Anxiety, mentions of their past child abuse, some more about Cary.
March 30th, 2013
1.5
Once breakfast is over, Freya goes to Lucien's office.
She does this often, enjoying a quiet space that she can calm down in. The couch in particular is her favorite spot (though Lucien privately jokes her favorite spot is actually his lap).
When he'd said that, Lucy, who'd overheard, had asked why. Lucien had replied it was easier to hug that way, and didn't she love hugs from Papa?
"Oui, papa," she'd said, just before tackling him to the couch for a hug.
Thinking of her precious daughter eases some of the worries Freya has about what she's about to do.
It should just be a Skype call. She will be fine. It's just talking to her grandparents. She talks to strangers all the time, so this should be easy peasy.
As she sits down and boots up Skype, she realizes there's nothing about this situation that is easy. It's rare that anything in her life is.
The Skype noises that indicate a video call makes her jump. The call is from TorunnLeifsonn, who she's been informed is her aunt. Apparently, she didn't want her elderly parents to go alone and is helping with all the techy stuff.
Freya doesn't really care about all that - what she cares about is that she has an aunt. She distinctly remembers her parents both saying they had no family, except her mother's sister Dahlia. She shudders at the mention of that...well, just that. To force herself away from those particular memories, she presses accept call.
The couple's faces fill the laptop screen within seconds. Freya's heart jumps to her throat; she has to do breathing exercises to calm herself down. She doesn't think she's ready for this conversation. She isn't ready to be disappointed, or disappoint them.
"Freya? Is that you?" Aerona asks, coming even closer to the camera. She turns, "Torunn, is the screen frozen? Why is it so dark?"
Another person, a blonde woman who doesn't look that much older than Freya herself, clicks around on the screen. "Mamma, it's not frozen. And it's so dark because the brightness is down…. There! I think we're good now," she says to Freya, a friendly smile on her face. Freya knows that she and Torunn are similarly aged, but looking at the woman now, she feels like they could be twins. It's a little unsettling. "Hello."
"Hi," Freya says, thankfully managing to say it normally. "You're Torunn, right?"
She nods, "yes, I am. It's so nice to meet you, even if it is over the computer like this."
Well, it's not like Freya can just uproot her life to go to New York City. She's thinking of a way she can say that nicely, explain that's why they have to meet like this, when Leif speaks up.
"It doesn't matter how we meet, only that we do." He smiles at her kindly, saying, "we are overjoyed to meet you, dear."
Freya manages a weak smile back. She isn't ready for this, she isn't ready for the affectionate tone. But she's done it, she's called, and now she can't stop what's going to happen. She has to deal with this like an adult.
"Me too."
3.2
As soon as Matthew is down for his nap, Elijah goes down to the living room, where he won't interrupt anyone's sleep. Both Katerina and his son need to take naps, and neither appreciate it when he wakes them up from one. It's better that he's downstairs.
As soon as he's settled on the couch, he's searching his last name again. He has no idea what to expect, but for some reason he's nervous of what he'll find. His mind flits between possible arrest records, Facebook profiles, obituaries. The last one is terrifying. He'd be fine if he found the first two, but the last one would surely send him spiralling.
Thankfully, the first hit is the website from before. He clicks on it apprehensively.
The first thing he sees is a picture of himself. There are no pictures of himself before eighteen years old in his possession. When this picture was taken, he was newly eleven years old. It feels like a lifetime ago; feels like a lifetime since he sat down with his older siblings next to him, his younger siblings around him, flinching at the flash of the camera.
It feels so nice to be able to say, 'that's what I looked like'. Katerina has always wondered - now she won't have to anymore.
Elijah reads the little excerpts with an attention to detail he usually reserves for class (or his old cases). Freya is still missing, as are all of his younger siblings. Finn is in regular contact with them and planning to visit as soon as he can; he lives in St. Louis with his wife and children. Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik were adopted.
Elijah's heart constricts when he reads that Niklaus ran away. 'Niklaus, after being in a foster home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for only three weeks, ran away. There has been no concerted effort to find him. He has been missing since March 17th, 2005. He was not reported missing until March 21st, 2005. He was seventeen when he went missing; he would now be twenty-five years old. Please, if you have any information on where he could be, send in tips.' Elijah hasn't spoken to his younger brother since the nurses let them visit each other in the hospital; in the past 16 years, the idea of his siblings has become faded, something he knows is true but can't prove. So yes, his heart constricts. But it doesn't feel real. Niklaus doesn't feel real anymore, and neither does his missing status.
He moves on, not wanting to think about what could have befallen Niklaus.
Every time he reads the word 'missing', he feels worse and worse. A feeling of hopelessness washes over him as he reads each little excerpt.
It's that bleeding heart of his that told him to become a social worker, making him feel this way. That is now telling him that surely his siblings have seen this, if they're even alive, and are surely feeling the same way he is.
(He knows that isn't true. Of them all, he's the most family-oriented, one of the most sensitive to these sorts of things. But thinking that his siblings are hoping he's found gives him courage.)
It's his bleeding heart deciding for him when he exits out of the site, pulls the phone app, and calls the number.
March 31st, 2013
4.2
Going to Wal-Mart is not something Klaus enjoys. His Wal-Mart is full of "witches" who do "voodoo" and proclaim him to a have "a long life line" and "great sorrow". (Davina doesn't count.)
Still, he has to get food for the pets and for the humans he's taking care of. It's not like he can just skip out on groceries. He has his non-plastic bags with him, the ones Marcel insisted on, even though they make him look like an idiot.
He holds the bags close as he walks the streets, not interested in talking to any of the people around him. Especially not Cary, who he thinks has taken the early morning to sleep instead of following him.
Soon after he steps into the store, he catches sight of Davina.
She sees him and gives a wolf-whistle.
"Maybe in ten years," he calls, relaxing into the easy routine they have.
She rolls her eyes. "I'm nineteen, loser."
"In dog years?"
"Ha ha," she replies dryly. They're both grinning, though, so the sass is lost. She walks closer, taking a few of the bags from him. The store is practically deserted, so it's okay if she walks with him. "So what are you doing here? Is Marcel already at school?"
Klaus shrugs, grabbing a cart. "You know he gets up early." She also knows why he gets up early, but that's a can of worms he's uninterested in opening. "Anyway, I have some news."
"Stalker news or family news?" She questions, following him to the frozen foods aisle. She looks excited, which is no surprise to him. She's been pestering him about the Mikaelson Manhunt since she first made the connection of Niklaus being Klaus.
"Stalker news," he says, grabbing a few pizzas. "He came up to the counter last night just before my shift ended, and he actually spoke to me."
Davina gasps. "Seriously? The freak can talk?" Cary has been stalking him for so long without a word spoken that it is kind of shocking.
"Yeah. He said his name is Cary."
"Cary?" She asks with distaste. Though he suspects that anything about him causes distaste in her. "He didn't do anything creepy did he?"
"Not any creepier than usual."
"Hmm," she says as they move into the next frozen aisle. She grabs a milk and turns pleading eyes to Klaus. "Can we get the chocolate milk? Please?"
Klaus sighs, unsure of how this is his life. Telling a nineteen year old girl there's not enough room in the fridge for chocolate milk. God, if Caroline knew what he's become…. "There's no room in the fridge."
"We can make room! I'll even pay for it." Davina clasps her hands under her chin. "Pleeeeease."
"Fine. But Marcel will want something, too. Go find him some cake mix."
"And what are you going to be doing?" She teases. "Getting condoms?"
"Davina!"
Her cackle as she leaves rings in his head as he continues his shopping. He shakes his head in an effort to get the sound of her laugh out of his head.
Now if only he can get Cary and his siblings out of mind, too.
April 2nd, 2013
5.1 - Los Angeles, California
Kol steps off the plane and wants to melt. Dammit, why is L.A. so hot?
It's the price you pay for seeing them, he reminds himself. And it's a good enough reason, he supposes. If it wasn't, he wouldn't be here.
He starts walking to baggage claims, and tries to ignore the looks people are giving him for his coat and jeans. It was cold when he got on the plane, alright, people? He isn't crazy. New York weather is just the complete opposite of Los Angeles'.
He picks up his bag, buys a piece of candy to tide over his sugar addiction, and sets off towards the front doors. His parents should be there, waiting for him. His thoughts stray to the paps; god, he hopes they aren't there. Or if they are, there aren't many. He's already gotten in trouble for shielding himself from them with a few thrown fists; if his parents are having any trouble at all, he'll -
His publicist calls as he's ranting to himself. He attempts to balance his bag and his candy in one hand - it's difficult, but he's got it. Kol can handle anything.
"Hello, dearest. How are we today?" He jokes.
Taylor is silent.
"Fine, be that way." Again, there's no reaction. He sighs, giving into Taylor's no-nonsense demeanor. "What can I do for you?"
"I need you to tweet something about the Mikaelson Manhunt." Kol stops dead, and coughs harshly at hearing his true last name. He ignores the glares of the people who bump into him, and steps off to the side. Taylor takes it as him disagreeing. "Listen, Cole, it will make you look good. Lots of celebs are doing it. Helping some little old man find his grandkids makes you seem compassionate and - "
"What in the hell are you talking about, love?" He rasps out. He drops his bag to the ground, and stuffs his candy in his pocket. It's his weird way of making sure he's giving his full attention - he can't do that if he has things in his hands. He's always been like that.
"The Mikaelson Manhunt? Aerona and Leif Trulsson, little old couple from Norway, looking for their estranged grandchildren…? How do you not know any of this?"
"I've been on a plane - "
"This has been a thing for at least a week and a half, Cole. Don't give me that 'I've been on a plane' BS."
Kol sighs heavily, and rubs a hand over his face. "Why is it called 'The Mikaelson Manhunt', exactly?"
"Because that's the last name of the grandchildren. Their names are Freya, Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah, and Henrik Mikaelson. They're - "
"Dammit, Taylor. Do they have a website, or something? I'll do it, I just don't have time right this second." More like, I don't want to deal with the repercussions of this right now.
"Yeah, I'll send the details to you. Sound good?"
Kol lies, "sounds good."
5.2
James and Kathy Henderson had taken Kol in when he was a scared little 5 year old. They'd renamed him Cole Nathan Henderson (not much of a stretch from Kol Nathaniel Mikaelson), and they'd fed, clothed, and comforted him.
They were his parents, even though he didn't call them Mom and Dad. After what had happened, he'd vowed three things - he didn't have a Mom, he didn't have a Dad, and he would never have children.
James and Kathy were cool with it, thank god. They'd been so kind to him since they met him that he'd tried his best to be as good-behaviored and easy to take care of as possible. (He hadn't done that with Mikael; no, he would break shit around the house and scream as loud as he could about the littlest things just to piss him off. If Mikael was going to ignore his existence, Kol was going to make it hell on earth for him. Those memories aren't good ones but they bring a joy Kol wishes he didn't know.)
So when Kol sees that there isn't any paps around their car, he is eternally thankful. He doesn't have the brainpower to deal with them right now. What Taylor was talking about is weighing too heavily on him for him to be able to keep the paps away.
He throws his stuff in the trunk, and slides into the backseat. Hailie is already there, smiling widely at him. He hugs her, happy to see his adoptive sister, but he doesn't put his best effort into it.
"Hey bro. You okay?" She frowns at him, and her freckles show adorably.
He ruffles her natural hair. "Just jetlagged, you know how it is."
She nods, accepting his fib. James and Kathy don't, though. They never have and probably never will.
"So, Cole," Kathy says, turning around partially as James drives off to their house. "How's the movie going?"
"Oh, it's great. You already know it's a horror movie, and my character is fuc-freaking crazy. It's awesome."
Kathy gives him a look at his almost slip, but doesn't comment on it. "I saw online that you pranked your co-star?"
"Ah, yeah. But he deserved it."
Hailie questions, "he deserved your prank almost dropping an entire set?"
Kol can't help but giggle under his breath. By far the best prank he's ever done, even if it almost got him fired. "Man, I got so much shit for that."
"Cole." James reprimands.
"Sorry, sorry, I got so much shite for that."
He cackles at the unimpressed looks James and Kathy give him. Hailie smiles, clearly amused.
After a moment's pause, Kathy asks bluntly, "then what's the problem?"
Kol's face drops. "What? There's no problem."
"Yes, there is. You came out of the terminal looking like you were about to keel over. So what's wrong?"
"There's nothing wrong," he tries. At their looks, Kol blurts out, "do you know anything about the Mikaelson Manhunt?"
James shakes his head, "I've heard of it. What about it?"
He says, "well, Taylor wants me to tweet about it, to help my image. I don't know anything about it and I'm just...I don't know if I should or not." He bites his lip. "I was hoping you could shed some light on it, but since you don't know anything…."
Kathy shrugs, "sorry kid."
"It's cool," he waves it off. It's not cool, but it's not the end of the world. He'll just look it up when he gets home.
Hailie, on the other hand, says, "well, Leif Trulsson got a call about a month ago, it was some guy saying his son, Mikael, had died in prison. The son's wife was dead, that's why he was in prison in the first place, so their kids were put in the system, but they'd all aged out or been adopted. He and his wife are looking for them, so they can reunite them. Three have already been found - Freya, Finn, and Elijah. The eldest three."
Kol blinks at her, shocked. Hearing about his family, his father….
The thought of his siblings, more than his parents, does something to him - instantly, his heart starts pounding. He loses his breath, and his awareness of the people in the car with him lessens to almost zero.
Kol pushes himself forward, so his head rests on the back of the passenger seat. It doesn't help like he wants it to, but he can't think of anything that will help even though he's had these problems for years, so he doesn't move again after that.
Hailie immediately starts rubbing his back - his anxiety is old news by now, and she knows well how to deal with this.
He barely notices as tears start to fall, and his chest gets tighter. His gasping is beyond him.
He's thinking only about his siblings, about being ripped away from them like they all meant nothing, like it was perfectly okay to separate them.
God, Nik's screaming and Bekah's sobs were the worst sounds he'd ever heard, even more than the inhuman screech Mother let out when Father -
"Cole, look, there's a red car. Oh, and there's another one. That's two. Can you help me count, baby? There's a third, and a fourth…."
Kathy's voice cuts off his bad thoughts. He drags his head up, and looks out the window. There's a red rust bucket next to them, so he chokes out, "five."
Kathy nods encouragingly. He says, "six," when he sees a red SUV, and "seven," when a fire truck passes by them.
Hailie keeps rubbing his back the whole ride home.
God, he hates this part of himself.