Chapter 18: Breathing
By: ASHDU4

We walked cautiously through the small town that held so many memories. Telling Rebekah we wished to see how the streets had changed but really Annie and I just needed a few moments to collect ourselves before seeing the other originals.

Upon arrival at the house both Elijah and Nik were waiting for us side by side. Annie gave a semi-polite nod to each of the men before stepping back allowing me to greet them properly. I slowly and with great hesitation made my way to Elijah first; I had no choice if he was to think we were still bonded. But it killed me not to be in the arms of Niklaus who was less than a foot away.

"Hello Beth" Elijah greeted sounding guilty as he hugged me harder. I suppose it's because of the girl Hayley he now feels for.

"It's so good to see you again Elijah" I said as I hugged him tighter.

I tried my best to make sure nothing sounded forced and he seemed to have bought it. Without the sire-bond we have no connection that would tell him I'm lying.

"I am sorry to leave you so quickly but I have some business to attend to with Marcel. I will see you both when I get back later tonight" Elijah said just before he sped off.

Annie and I looked at the two originals left in the room hoping for an explanation. Last we heard Elijah wasn't too fond of the young vampire and from what Rebekah told us that fondness had only turned to hatred since we'd been gone.

"Nothing to worry about, Nik sent him on a useless mission so you would have less pretending to do you first night here" upon seeing our confused faces she continued "he didn't want you to pretend about the sire bond all night so he made Elijah go do him a useless favour to prove his trust which he needs to earn back from a previous issue involving an annoyingly little witch"

"You both have free roam of the house and the city but if you go out be careful, we have made a lot of enemies since we've been here" Nik smirked.

"C'mon Annie it's been awhile and we haven't gotten the chance to fully catch up"

Annie nodded and followed Rebekah outside to where I'm guessing is a lounge area. Not that they don't like each other but Annie and Rebekah have never been close so I know them leaving was just giving Nik and I alone time.

"It's been awhile, love" Nik hugged me.

"I got detained, sorry" I hugged back.

As we pulled away he smiled, one of his rare genuine smiles he reserves for only a few people.

"I'd love to show you the house"

"All of it?" I asked playfully.

He pauses for a moment and before I can even think I have him at a loss for words he picks me up bridal style and is running at full vamp speed, well full hybrid speed. He wasn't running long before he stopped but still didn't let go of me.

I looked around to see we were in a large bedroom most likely the master of the house and no doubt Nik's room. Everything was blood red, the bed sheets, the blankets, the curtains, even the rug by the bed was a deep red. Like he says though it's easiest to hide and he likes to bite.

"No"

I refocused my attention back on him.

"No?"

"No… I'm not showing you the house, just this room" Nik said before he was suddenly inches from me.

Within seconds he was kissing me and I was kissing back. Just like all the other kisses we've shared in the past it was passionate and wild and before I could blink he had moved us to the bed. There was no way I was letting him have all the fun though.

I quickly ripped off his shirt and flipped us so I was on top then started kissing and lightly biting his neck.

I don't think I've ever seen him look more shocked or more turned on than in that moment. But that moment ended when he used his hybrid strength and pinned me against the wall on the opposite side of the room; knocking a couple paintings off the wall in the process.

XXX

I woke up to see it had gotten very dark outside. Also to see Nik lying naked beside me. Without even thinking about it I moved closer to him, our bare skin touching. He reached out and pulled me impossibly closer.

"Elijah will be out until morning if you'd like to stay here" He whispered.

"I'd like that" I whispered back.

It was silent for awhile, I would have thought he'd fallen asleep if he was not stroking my side gently with his hand.

"Normally there are many more people in this house, vampires and werewolves and on occasion witches and humans. But we sent them away for your arrival, so if you have anything you'd like to ask me honestly now might be your only chance as I am very busy"

I nodded knowing when he said honestly he meant he can't always answer honestly because others are listening in.

"Rebekah says you are now able to have kids because of the whole hybrid thing, that must be weird to grasp after all these years"

"Indeed, though I didn't expect you to speak so freely on the matter of the child I lost"

"I'm sorry, if you don't want to talk about it I understand. Rebekah just seemed a bit off on the whole situation, like there was more to it and she told me to ask you about it if I ever got the chance. But you're right, it was rude of me to bring it up like this" I tried moving away from him a bit but he again pulled me impossibly closer.

"No no don't be sorry. You're right there is something more I just wasn't sure when to bring it up" Niklaus sighed deeply before continuing "my daughter's name is Hope and she is still alive but Esther wants her dead so we have her in hiding. Originally she was with Rebekah but we needed her here because Esther was growing suspicious"

He has a daughter. Niklaus Mikaelson, the man I love, has a daughter. I mean it was a shock when Rebekah told me the first time but she also told me the child was dead so I figured I had time to process and move on from there. Now I'm scared because despite everything else I've overlooked he also has a child with one of his hybrids and I still love him just as much.

I turned around in his arms so that I was facing him completely before kissing him gently. He responded immediately and kissed back sweetly.

Another genuine Niklaus smile.

"I do have another question though, why have you not undaggered Kol?"

Nik looked very confused before averting his gaze elsewhere.

"Rebekah did not tell you the whole story I see. She said she might lie about some things just to make the transition back easier on you both"

"I don't like the sound of this story, did something happen to him? Did he leave Annie for someone else?"

"No of course not, he loves her. But please let me explain fully before you do or say anything because it is an unusual tale"

I nodded my agreement and waited anxiously for him to continue.

"After sealing you two away Kol was only daggered for a couple of days. I needed his help with something back in Mystic Falls, I needed him to befriend Elena's brother. Using Annie as my leverage he agreed and everything was going smoothly until those idiots turned Elena into a vampire then found out about the cure. That Silas guy that Kol was so afraid of apparently guards the cure so he tried to kill the hunter they were using to find him which just so happened to be Jeremy Gilbert . The fool got himself killed with a white oak stake".

It took all my energy not to interrupt especially when I saw a tear slide down Nik's cheek. I myself had tears streaming down my face. I may not be a huge fan of Kol but I have come to think of him as family over the past 1000 years and I can't deal with the thought of him being gone.

"We mourned him and left town, came to New Orleans to get away and take back our city only to find the witches were working against us after finding out about the baby I wasn't yet aware of. After Hope's birth a witch calling himself Kaleb started showing up around our witch and us and getting in the way. Turns out Esther had done a spiritual body switch spell and put Kol into Kaleb's body, or whatever his real name was. Right person wrong body"

"So Kol's walking around with another body right now?"

"Yes love he is" Nik answered wiping away the tears that were still flowing down my cheeks "I didn't realize you would be so emotional over him"

"I would get emotional over you as well, but because I love you" I smiled shyly.

"I love you as well. So why is it you get emotional over Kol then? If not for love" he asked curiously.

"He is my family, after all this time we have spent together I consider all your siblings family. I would cry over Rebekah, Elijah and Finn as well"

"Right, about Finn…"