Author's note (PLEASE READ!): Hey guys, I've changed Grace's appearance slightly and have edited all of my previous chapters along with it. Please just keep that in mind. Other than that, here's chapter 9.
Grace Mikaelson
-Chapter 9-
Reigning Pain in New Orleans
Klaus, Hayley, and I are having dinner with many grown-ups I've never seen before in our new home. Klaus clinks on his drink glass with a spoon as he smiles at everyone.
"Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift: immortality." Klaus says to everyone. "After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt. For its beauties and its sorrows to diminish with time. But as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans could possibly imagine."
I tilt my head silently. Toast? But the grown-ups told me that's something we eat for breakfast... I don't know what Klaus is saying...
Klaus waves a hand and four more grown-ups walks over to stand behind us. "Insatiable need." Klaus continues. "Exquisite pain..."
At his words, some other grown-ups cut their wrists with a small knife. Goosebumps pop up my pale skin as they drip their blood into the empty bowl in front of us.
I bite down on my red lips and shrink back nervously. I don't know what's happening, but I don't like it... And I'm getting hungry...
Hayley, who's sitting beside me, silently raises her arms towards me and picks me up. She moves me onto her lap and hugs me close to her...
"Our victories..." Klaus speaks up again. "And our defeats... To my city! My home again! May the blood never cease to flow."
"And the party never ends." The dark-skinned man called Marcel smiles as he raises his drink glass too.
"To New Orleans." The man with curly dark hair says as he raises his drink glass too. I think his name is Diego...
"New Orleans." All the other grown-ups say at the same time as they all raise their drink glass too.
"I understand some of you may have questions about the recent change in leadership." Klaus says. "And I invited you here to assure you that you're not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have."
Then, Klaus waves a hand at Marcel before continuing. "What Marcel in fact took..." Klaus says as he puts a hand on Marcel's shoulder. "And built into this true community of vampires."
"What about her?" Diego points to Hayley. "The wolf holding your kid?"
"Let me finish, Diego." Klaus smiles. "There is one further matter I would like to address. As many of you know, Grace is my daughter. Consequently, I trust that you would all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor. That I intend to use Grace's blood to create hybrids. I assure you, I do not."
I don't really know what Klaus's saying, but I think the last part means that he won't hurt me...
"Father of the year." Hayley mutters unhappily. I don't know what that means, but she sounds as if she doesn't believe what she's saying.
"It appears that I would have to earn your trust." Klaus says loudly as he walks back over to his seat. "Very well. We'll eliminate the route of your anxiety. You see, how can I sire anymore hybrids, if there are no more werewolves alive in the Bayou to turn?"
Hayley's eyes widens. "What?!" She sounds VERY nervous. "Klaus, no..."
"So eat! Drink! And be merry!" Klaus interrupts Hayley loudly. "And tomorrow, I suggest you have yourselves a little wolf hunt."
"Go ahead." Klaus continues scarily. "Have fun! Kill the wolves."
It sounds like Klaus is going to hurt someone. I feel my big blue eyes grow wet as I'm going to cry soon. I'm scared...
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"... And so then I bit Elijah and left him in the Bayou with my hybrid venom in his veins." Klaus says angrily as Cami's sitting down and typing. "Serves him right for making such vile accusations against me. And then..."
I'm sitting on the floor and playing with my teddy bear and Mr. Bunny...
Klaus stops and looks at Cami. "Are you taking this down?"
"To be clear." Cami looks up at him. "If the quarter's your's now, you still need me. Why?"
"My memoirs." Klaus says. "A thousand years of history isn't going to write itself." I know a thousand is a lot. I don't know if I can count that high...
Just then, Marcel walks into the room. He frowns when he sees Cami. "Cami, what are you doing here?"
"My question exactly." Cami sounds unhappy as she stands up and crosses her arms.
I stand up too and walk over to her. I pull on her clothes and tilt my head up to look at her. "Are you going to play with me today?"
"Sorry, honey." Cami crouches down in front of me with a small smile. "Not today."
"Oh..." I pout sadly.
"Maybe next time, okay?" Cami tells me nicely.
"Okay." I nod my head up and down.
"Oh, it's quite alright." Klaus tells a frowning Marcel as he points to Cami. "She knows."
"She does?" Marcel crosses his arms.
"That you're vampires?" Cami looks at Marcel unhappily before looking back to Klaus. "Don't worry. He's compelled me to forget everything as soon as I leave. That way, I'm too busy agonizing over whether or not I'm losing my damn mind to realize that I'm playing spy for an immortal ego maniac."
"You compelled her to go out with me, didn't you?" Marcel smirks at Klaus before looking at Cami. "And I thought she really liked me."
"So did I." Cami shrugs.
"Well, to be clear, I only compelled you to give him a chance." Klaus tells Cami. "Anything you felt for him was quite real..."
There's a moment of silence as Cami and Marcel are not looking looking at each other and I feel something very not comfy. Something that makes me want to move...
"And for the record, the level of awkwardness we're all currently experiencing is entirely genuine." Klaus speaks up again.
"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Cami says to Klaus angrily. "Compelling the poor, naive bartender..." Then, she pulls out a piece of paper that has a picture on it. She gives it to Klaus.
"Real me." Cami continues unhappily. "Not your compelled therapist."
"Well, actually, I prefer devoted stenographer." Klaus sounds as if he might smile.
"You think this is funny?" Cami stares at Klaus with wide eyes, sounding as if she can't believe something. "Messing with my mind? My sanity is not a joke!"
"No, love, I don't believe it is." Klaus says before looking into Cami's eyes. "You never found this. You'll remember nothing of our life as vampires when you leave here."
Cami nods silently before Klaus looks away with a smile. "Well, I think that just about does it for the day. You may go."
Cami's silent grabs her bag and leaves as she looks a little scared. I don't really understand, but I think Klaus just did something mean to her...
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"The humans have called a meeting." Marcel tells Klaus as they're sitting across from each other and I'm hopping up and down a little on the sofa that Klaus is sitting on. "They're not exactly thrilled with the new status quo."
"How unfortunate for them." Klaus says as he's looking at the photo he got from Cammi. He reache's out an arm and wrapping it around my waist.
Klaus pulls me onto his lap. "Settle down, sweetheart. Drink this." He murmurs to me as he gives me an open blood bag to drink.
I start drinking from the blood bag as I look up at Marcel. I tilt my head as he's looking at me with raised eyebrows. "So, Grace is born a vampire?" Marcel looks to Klaus.
"And witch... And werewolf." Klaus tells him. "She's the original tribrid."
"Look, it's your show now." Marcel sighs. "But you want to know how I built what I built. Politics. A little diplomacy goes a long way, especially with the human faction."
"Dully noted." Klaus smiles before looking down at the photo he's still holding. "I haven't thought about this night in ages. 1919, the opera house just before it burned. This was the end of an era. Now, in the interest of new beginnings, I feel there are somethings I should probably confess to you."
Klaus stands up, picking me up with him before continuing to Marcel. "But, where to begin? Thierry was never disloyal to you." Klaus says as he's pouring two glasses of something that's yellowish-brown. "I set him up in an attempt to locate my brother. He's your friend, and consequently he can return to the compound at your disgretion. Cami's part, you just learnt. And then, there's young Joshua. I've been compelling him from the very beginning, although I suspect you already knew that as he was the one who led me into your trap."
I feel my light brown eyebrows squeeze closer together in a frown. Klaus is saying lots of things, but I don't really understand...
"I may have fed the kid some misinformation." Marcel smiles crookedly as Klaus sits back down and puts me down beside him. Klaus gives Marcel one of the glass cups he's holding.
"And then there's Davina." Klaus says. "She's a powerful weapon. At this point, I'd like to keep her close at hand. I think we should have her move into the compound, here with us."
"She can't leave the attic." Marcel sighs and shakes his head. "I already tried to move her once."
"Yes, about that..." Klaus smiles. "It turns out your little witch is quite the actress. She made a deal with Elijah while he was in captivity, tricked you into letting her stay put in exchange for some spell books from my mother's grimoire."
"Good to know." Marcel nods. "Is that all?"
"I do believe it is." Klaus says as he drinks from his glass.
"I appreciate the honesty." Marcel says before standing up. "Meeting's in an hour."
Klaus stands up too and reaches out a hand for me to hold. I hop off the sofa and take his hand. "Where are we going?" My head tilts up to look at him.
"We're going to go see Davina." Klaus smiles down at me. "Would you like that?"
"Okay." I smile and nod. Klaus has told me stories about her, but I've never seen her before...
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"You're going to love it at the compound." Marcel says as he's standing in a room with someone while Klaus and I are standing outside the room. "I've already got one of the best rooms picked out."
We're in the same place as Father Kieran, who's downstairs. He said that this is where he works. He said this place is called church...
"I can't leave." A girl's voice sounds. "Remember what happened last time?"
I pull on Klaus's arm silently and raise my arms up towards him before he crouches down and picks me up into his arms.
"I know about your deal with Elijah." Marcel sighs. "We can't be lying to each other. I'm trying to protect you. With the witches still looking to kill you for the harvest, believe me, you're safest with us."
Klaus carries me into the room with him. "Plus there's excellent light in the afternoon." He smiles at the girl as he walks over to look at the VERY big pai ting behind her. "I see you're an artist. Wonderful. I look forward to witnessing your many talents."
I tilt my head between Klaus and the girl. "Is she Davina?" I ask Klaus.
"Yes, she is." Klaus smiles.
Davina looks at me as if she's not sure about something. Then, she looks at Marcel with a frown. "Who is she?"
"She's Klaus's daughter." Marcel tells her as he looks at me quickly before looking back to her. "Her name is Grace."
"What?!" Davina sounds unhappily surprised.
"Yes." Klaus smiles. "I know it's rather shocking."
Davina narrows her eyes at Klaus before looking back to Marcel. "Was moving me to the compound his idea?" She asks Marcel angrily.
Klaus puts me down on the floor before looking to Davina. "Davina, please." He says. "I understand that you're devoted to Marcel, but Marcel is devoted to me. I assume you'll want what's best for all of us?"
I walk over to look at the BIG piece of paper that Davina's standing in front of. I stand on my tippy-toes and tilt my head up a little to see better. My oval-shaped face frowns silently. The paper's covered with thick black lines...
I raise a hand to touch it. But the picture of the woman I saw when Sabine touched me pops up in my mind again. Celeste... The scary lady...
I feel goosebumps pop up my pale skin as I feel something in my tummy turn VERY cold. I'm scared as I whimper and start crying. "It's scary..."
"Ohh... What's wrong, love?" Klaus bents down and picks me up into his arms again. He hugs me close to him.
"I'm scared!" I cry as I wrap my arms around him.
"Shh..." Klaus whispers in my ear as he walks away from Davina before looking at Marcel. "We've a meeting to attend to downstairs. Hayley's waiting downstairs too. She'll take care of Grace while I'm at the meeting." Klaus tells Marcel before leaving with me in his arms...
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Hayley and I are putting a puzzle together in my bedroom. It's a puzzle of Little Mermaid. "We've two more pieces left for the ocean." Hayley says. "Can you find them?"
I bite down on my red lips as my eyes look at the puzzle pieces on the floor. "This one?" I point to a blue piece.
"Nope." Hayley shakes her head. "That blue is too dark. Look for a lighter one."
Just then, Hayley's cellphone rings. Hayley stands up and looks at it before looking back to me. "You keep looking." She smiles at me. "I'm gonna be right back, okay?"
"Okay." I nod before she grabs her phone and walks out of my bedroom.
My big blue eyes look down at the puzzle pieces again until I hear footsteps coming into my bedroom again. I look up to see Davina before she sits down on the floor in front of me.
"You like Little Mermaid?" She smiles at me.
"Uh-huh." I nod.
"I did too." She says. "When I was younger."
"How old are you?" I tilt my head.
"I'm sixteen." She says.
I raise my hands to try and count, but Davina stops me with a soft laugh. "You're not going to have enough fingers." Then, she leans closer to me. "When you touched my sketches, did you see something?"
That scary lady called Celeste pops up in my mind again. I feel my eyes grow wet as I sniffle and whimper. "I saw a scary lady..." I cry a little. "Something scary is going to happen..."
"I know..." Davina murmurs quietly. "I've been getting that feeling too..."
Just then, I hear footsteps walk into the room. I turn my head to see Hayley looking between me and Davina with widened eyes.
"You're the super witch..." Hayley looks at Davina nervously before she quickly whooshes over to me and picks me up. "What are you doing here?"
Hayley and Davina are looking at each other as if they don't like each other very much. "Are you Klaus's wife?" Davina narrows her eyes at Hayley.
"Ew." Hayley twitches her nose as if she's smelling something bad. "No. Never."
"Klaus is my daddy." I speak up to Davina.
"I know." Davina tells me softly.
"Does Klaus know you're here?" Hayley frowns.
"He's the one who told Marcel to get me to live here." Davina shrugs.
"Yeah, great idea." Hayley sounds as if she doesn't really believe what she's saying. "Let the all powerful super witch live in the same house as his daughter. That's a sure way to keep Grace safe."
Then, Hayley rolls her eyes and sighs. "As usual, Klaus's power grabs are more important to him than his family." Hayley looks to Davina coldly as she hugs me close to her. "I'm not Klaus. I don't care how powerful you are. I'm not trusting you with Grace, not until you prove yourself."
After that, Hayley carries me away and out of my bedroom. I think Hayley and Davina don't like each other, but I don't know why...
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Klaus and Marcel walk into the living room as Hayley and I are watching Finding Nemo. "Hello, sweetheart." Klaus smiles at me as he walks over to me and picks me up from the couch I'm sitting on.
"Hug-hug." I smile as I wrap my arms around him.
Klaus hugs me close to him before looking to Marcel with narrowed eyes. "This act of your's, the imitation of friendship..." Klaus says to him. "Don't get me wrong, you played the part well enough, I should know, having played the part myself. But there was a time when the affinity between us was quite real."
A lot of times, when Klaus is talking, I don't really know what he's saying...
"Oh, sure." Marcel nods. "And then you got in your head to take what I created. When I picked up that coin, I swore loyalty, Klaus. Not friendship. Hey, I'm holding up my end, the other one has to be earned."
"Fair enough." Klaus sighs. "Then you should probably know the whole story. My decision was not entirely my own."
"Klaus, I don't think you should..." Hayley starts.
"Go upstairs, Hayley." Klaus interrupts her. "I've no need for you at the moment."
For a moment, Hayley just looks at Klaus unhappily. "Fine." Hayley sounds angry before she whooshes away.
"What do you mean your decision wasn't entirely your own?" Marcel frowns at Klaus.
"If I didn't agree to use up your power, the witches swore to kill my daughter." Klaus hugs me tighter and rubs my head. "And despite my unwillingness to give in to such a weakness, I refuse to allow such acts of horror to be bestowed upon her."
"All this..." Marcel sounds a little angry. "The spying, the manipulation, it's something you were forced into. Is that it? And what now? You feel kind of bad. Hey buddy, it's nothing personal. Is that it?"
"I admit, I was jealous." Klaus sounds as if he really believes what he's saying. "I saw the empire you have created on your own, and I wanted it."
"You're wrong, you know." Marcel smiles a little. "I didn't do it on my own. I stood in the shadow of my father my entire human life, and I never would have gotten out from under it if not for you. You're the one who taught me that a man can't be defined by anyone but himself. So... What now?"
"This community you've built..." Klaus says. "You've their respect, their love... I can rule them, but I cannot win them, not without you. So rule with me, side by side, as equals, friends, brothers."
Marcel doesn't say anything, but he smiles, and Klaus smiles back. I tilt my head, I don't understand...
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Klaus is sitting on the couch with me on his lap. "Shall I read you a story, love?" He asks me with a smile.
"Okay." I nod and smile back.
Just then, Hayley whooshes into the room angrily. "Those werewolves you ordered killed, that's my family." She looks at Klaus unhappily.
I bite down on my red lips nervously at Hayley's words. That sounds scary... Did Klaus hurt someone? I hope he didn't...
"Not for long, love." Klaus says, looking up at her as she's standing there. "I mean, this so-called family of your's, they haven't done you much good, have they? You said it yourself. They abandoned you, left you on your own. Now, it's simply your turn to do the same."
"Maybe they had their reasons." Hayley says unhappily.
Klaus puts me down on the couch before whooshing over to Hayley. "Yes, well, I've reason too, little wolf." He sounds a little angry. "If the werewolves are dead, then the vampires have less desire to kill you. I'm trying to ensure your safety. After all, there's no better bodyguard for Grace than a sired hybrid."
"Well, aren't I lucky..." Hayley sounds VERY unhappy and as if she REALLY doesn't believe what she's saying. "And in the meantime, while I ensure that your reckless power grabs don't put Grace in danger, I'll find a way to pay you back for this..."
Then, Hayley whooshes over to me and picks me up off the couch and into her arms. "Come on, honey." She says. "Let's get you ready for bed..."
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"I'm gonna make you a bubbly bath, okay?" Hayley tells me with a smile.
"I like bubbly baths." I smile and nod happily.
Hayley puts me back down when we're in my bedroom. "Why don't you pick out a few bath toys while I start running the bath water for you." She says.
"Okay." I say before skipping over to my purple toy box. I can hear Hayley's footsteps and then I hear the sound of water running from the bathroom.
I grab my favorite octopals. They're colorful and they sing and squirt water out of the top of their heads. I whoosh over to the bathroom happily.
Hayley turns her head to look at me. "Oh, the octopals." She smiles at me.
"Uh-huh." I nod as she turns off the water now that the bathtub is all bubbly. Then, she crouches down in front of me and helps me get out of my clothes.
"Here, you get in the water first." Hayley tells me after my clothes are all off. "I'm gonna be right back, okay?" She lifts me up and into the bubbly bath, it smells like strawberries.
"Okay." I say as I put the octopals in the water with me. Hayley walks out of the bathroom with a smile. I can hear her footsteps...
Her footsteps stop and I hear the same sound that grown-ups make when they're looking for something. I hear Hayley talking to someone. "What are you looking for?" Hayley asks.
"My violin." Davina's voice says. "I must have left it in the attic."
"So just go get it." Hayley says.
"I can't." Davina says unhappily. "It's not safe for me out there."
"Funny, I was under the impression everyone was afraid of you." Hayley says. I pout silently. I don't like it when grown-ups use hard words. It makes me not understand what they're saying...
"The witches are after me." Davina sounds a little annoyed.
"You mean that crazy witch, Agnes?" Hayley says. "Yeah, she tried to kill Grace too. The thing is, she's dead. Elijah killed her."
I feel goosebumps pop up on my pale skin. That sounds scary... I know dead means that the people around that person won't see them again...
Everything I see becomes fuzzy as my big blue eyes grow wet. That's what happened to my mommy...
Something in my tummy feels as if I've just eaten very bad-tasting medicine. I don't like that feeling, I start crying...
VERY quickly, Hayley whooshes back into the bathroom to me. "What's wrong?" She frowns at me worriedly.
"I..." I hiccup and cry. "I miss my mommy!"
"Oh..." Hayley sounds as if she's not sure about something as she starts taking off her clothes too. "Do you want a hug?"
"Uh-huh." I sniffle and nod before Hayley finishes taking off her clothes and climbs into the bubbly bath too.
"Come here." She says softly as she pulls me close to her and wraps her arms around me. "Is that better?"
I nod and whimper as I lay my head on her chest. "Thank you..."
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"So, which story do you want to hear tonight?" Hayley asks after we're done taking our bubbly bath and we're both wearing pajamas. Hayley's holding me in her arms.
Before I can say anything, Rebekah's voice sounds. "I was thinking maybe I can read to her tonight." Rebekah smiles at us as she's sitting on my bed.
"Auntie, hug-hug." I raise my arms towards Rebekah before she stands up and walks over to me with a wide smile.
"Come here, princess." Rebekah says as she takes me from Hayley's arms. "Did you miss me?"
"Uh-huh." I nod before tilting my head at her and pouting. "Where were you?"
Just then, Elijah whooshes into my bedroom too. "We were on a bit of an adventure." He tells me.
"Would you like to hear about it?" Rebekah asks me with a smile as Elijah goes over to Hayley.
"Yes, please." I smile back widely as she carries me to bed. She lays me down and puts my blankie over me. Then, she lays down next to me.
"Goodnight, Grace." Elijah says to me before he and Hayley walks out of my bedroom.
"Nighty night." I say back before looking to Rebekah with a pout. "Did you have fun without me?"
Rebekah smiles as she pulls me into a hug. "Well, it revolved around a group of scruffy wolves..."
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Author's note: hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in so long, things got busy once the school year started, but here's the next chapter. Please remember to review!