Thank you all for the nice reviews! They are much appreciated.
Chapter Three: Confessions
Elijah Mikaelson loved reading. He loved seeing old books and their hardbound covers magnificently displayed on shelves, relished the way turning the pages felt in his hands, loved the distinct smell as he opened a particular favorite novel. He enjoyed the relaxation it brought every time his mind was transported to another place. Reading was a good way to keep himself pre-occupied. And right now, that was what he was attempting to do.
Seated at their living room, he had been trying to turn the same page for the past half hour with little success. His eyes kept moving towards the words, but his mind wasn't really absorbing any of it. Unfortunately for him, his chosen method of distraction was currently being… distracted with much unnecessary ruckus from his surroundings.
From the top of his book he peered at his brother who was currently finishing off his second bottle of scotch of the day. Aside from paranoia and narcissism, they apparently needed to add alcoholism to his burgeoning list of problems.
He didn't know whether Niklaus' constant brooding had anything to do with what transpired a couple of days ago when he found Elijah in Camille's apartment. After that unpleasant bit of dramatics, Niklaus had been pretty much quiet, mostly keeping himself isolated in his bedroom. He'd heard brush strokes, some frustrated yelling, a canvas or two being ripped and thrown on the floor. Things which weren't really anything to be worried about because that was typical Niklaus behavior.
However when he was completely ignoring Elijah like this and just carrying a glass of scotch that seemed to infinitely refill itself, Elijah had due cause to get apprehensive. By the end of the day, some poor unsuspecting soul's neck usually got broken from Niklaus' temper getting the best of him.
After what felt like the hundredth time of hearing his brother come out of his bedroom and stumble through the living room to refill his unsurprisingly empty glass, rummage through the old stock of fine whiskey and scotch bottles, mutter to himself, accidentally break a bottle and soak one of Elijah's two-hundred-year-old tomes on the table, Elijah decided he had had it.
He shut his book with a loud snap and sighed audibly. "What seems to be the problem, Niklaus?"
Niklaus gave him a momentary glance before going back to examining bottles. "If you could, for once in your life, just mind your own business for now, Elijah, I would truly appreciate it."
"In case you haven't noticed, I have been trying to do exactly that for the past hour. But clearly you are in some dire need of attention. So here it is, you have my attention."
"This might seem a strange notion to you, I'm sure, but not every little thing is about you or involves you, brother. You can go back to the latest drivel you are reading and pay me no mind."
"Quite impossible to do that since you are being your usual good-natured self so early in the morning."
Predictably, that earned him a scowl. More pouring and drinking happened before Niklaus spoke in a nonchalant manner. "Are you seeing Camille today?"
At least that explained the mystery. To some degree.
"Is there something I should know?" he asked Niklaus.
His brother predictably didn't answer and chose to nurse his drink instead.
He was so tired of this brooding mood Niklaus had, while he, Elijah, was supposed to be the sick and "mentally unstable" one. He wanted, just for once, for Niklaus to confide something honestly without the ensuing rubbish that seemed to naturally pour out of his mouth.
Elijah was mentally praying for some sort of god to grant him more patience when Niklaus finally spoke. "A couple of days ago, I might have… lost control. With her," came the unexpected confession.
Elijah's eyebrows shot up. As he looked at Niklaus' agitated face, he finally understood where this was all coming from. "Did you hurt her?"
"No, but I nearly did. I can't…" he stopped and exhaled. He tilted back his glass and emptied it. He looked so unsettled that Elijah felt a little guilt for keeping a secret of his own.
"Brother, there is...something you should know," he started.
Niklaus stopped gazing out the window and turned to him expectantly.
"Back at the safehouse, I nearly did hurt her. I could not control it. Had she not called out my name, had she not begged me to calm down, I do not think I would have snapped out of it."
He saw Niklaus' look of disbelief , followed by his expected cry of outrage. "And you did not think of telling me this at all? Had I known what happened..."
Elijah cut him off. "You knew. You told me yourself that you knew this would happen, brother. What was that you said before? It was a"great risk leaving her alone" with me. It was indeed a great risk, I still do not understand why you have done it, but back then I could not question your decisions. I have apologized to Camille profusely, and she has… such a magnificent heart, she forgave me without hesitation. I do not think she grasps how easily she could have lost her life there and then."
Niklaus looked stunned.
Elijah went on. "We are built to kill, you and I. She is human, after all. Prey to natural predators like ourselves. She has forgiven me in the end, that is the type of courageous woman that she is. She understands what plagues us, what makes us do these unspeakable acts. But Niklaus, let me remind you that every day we continuously interact with her puts her life at greater risk. We could lose control or one of our enemies, your enemies specifically, could put a veritable target on her back. A thing she is more than likely aware of because she has confided in me of wanting to learn self defense. And that was exactly what I was doing the morning you came to her apartment. I was teaching her how to defend herself."
Niklaus kept staring at him, apparently speechless at everything he'd now just revealed. He saw in his brother's eyes, more conflict, instead of the resolution he had hoped his speech would bring.
They did not speak for a long time, as Niklaus was still as a statue, perhaps thinking, perhaps plotting some kind of plan in his head once more. He had lived with his brother for centuries and still to this day, he could not always predict what went on inside that convoluted mind of his. All his life he had done his best to preempt reckless actions to prevent tragedy, but Niklaus continuously surprised him at every turn. There really was no way to predict what he would do, he was a combination of calculated machinations and angry impulse. Who on earth can be one step ahead of that?
Elijah gave up and finally went back to his book.
"Hayley is coming tonight by the way," his brother casually said.
Elijah's hands nearly tore out a page. He certainly didn't expect those words to be the next one out of his mouth. "She is spending the night I assume?"
"Of course. Hope's first birthday party is tomorrow. I trust you remember I have told you about the little get-together we planned for her."
He didn't really remember anything about a party, given the catatonic state he was in for the past couple of weeks, but he nodded his assent anyway. He wanted to go back to Marcel's, but he had no choice but to be there. Family and duty came above everything else. Unfortunately they were also the very things that were driving him insane.
…
It was a slow day at Rousseau's, a weekday afternoon, and there were barely any customers except for a middle aged chain-smoking blond woman and this twenty-something dark-haired guy who was grossly absorbed in his sci-fi novel.
Lately, to distract herself, Camille O'Connell purposely had been throwing herself a hundred percent to her studies and work. There were a million things she could have been doing, and ruminating about something that happened days ago was the last possible thing in her mind. She had work, she had school, Kieran's notebooks to read, and friends to keep in touch with during her free time.
But of course, the road to hell is always paved with good intentions. When things were quiet at the bar, or when she drifted off while reading another chapter of Kurt Lewin's scientific studies, all she thought about was that kiss.
That and how much of a jerkwad Klaus was.
Right now, mostly, felt pretty stupid for getting herself involved with a presumptuous, egotistic, womanizing… bounder. It's not like she was a weak kneed eighteen year old with no romantic experience. She was used to dealing with high-levels of douchitude, ego, and testosterone since she worked in a bar.
Except that she couldn't really compare a hybrid vampire-werewolf to a bunch of rowdy frat boys, could she.
Why did he do that though? Did he just want to prove a point? Did he honestly think that she was flirting with Elijah? Was he jealous of the time she and Elijah spent, even if it was him who asked her to help his brother out? After everything they've been through together, she thought he would be above doing petty things to her, but apparently not. The Klaus who risked his life to save her, the Klaus who came when she called for help, the Klaus who she thought she was finally reaching through… she had to constantly remind herself that it was also the same Klaus who could do things like that, jump to the wrong conclusions and act so impulsively, so quickly, it was beyond understanding.
Despite telling herself that logically, a person cannot be a hundred percent good or a hundred percent evil, that there must be some reasoning why he treated her so poorly the other day, she felt upset by everything. She looked out for Elijah when he asked her to do so, even coming to her at the most inconvenient times. How many times had she had to drop something because he or Elijah or somebody from their family needed her to do something? She normally would never account for things she did for people she considered friends, but when they went as far as to behave horribly, affecting her on such a personal level, it wasn't fair to her at all.
For the first time, she realized she wanted nothing more than to just up and say "Fuck you crazy Mikaelsons, I quit" and run away to Timbuktu.
She groaned inwardly, trying to snap herself out of her destructive thoughts, and went back to vigorously wiping the counter.
Her phone in her pocket rang loudly and she gave it a peek to see who was calling at this time.
KLAUS M CALLING, the glowing screen displayed.
She was surprised he was even calling after three days, given his penchant to not keep in contact after doing something that particularly annoyed the heck out of her. Right now, she wasn't really feeling like talking to him and getting stressed at work over something that was his fault. She can deal with that later.
She let the call go through voicemail.
Her phone rang with two more calls from him before it finally stopped and she was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Now if she could just go back to work and focus on the important aspects of her life, that would be fine by her. Live a completely normal...
Her phone rang again, this time it said ELIJAH M CALLING on the screen.
She debated on letting it go to voicemail as well, but her conscience got the best of her and she answered on the third ring, "Elijah."
"Cami, it's me," came Klaus' voice.
Shocked, she hung up immediately, horrified to hear his voice.
Wait, did she really just do that? Hung up on big bad wolf, Klaus Mikaelson? She was going to pay for that later, wasn't she. Not that she cared what he thought right now because in her opinion, he was just a jerk. A big dumb jerk.
She knew she was being juvenile with her thoughts and not answering her calls, but it's not like she was ready to deal with Klaus as of the moment. All she could do was call him names in her head.
"What did that counter ever do to you?" came the voice across the bar.
She blinked. Huh?
It was one of the bar's customers. Sci-fi Novel Guy. He sauntered over to where she was and said, "You've been wiping that counter so forcefully for the past ten minutes, you would think it did you a grave personal offense."
She looked down and realized that the specific spot was polished way more than the rest of the counter. She gave out an awkward laugh. "Oh it's just.. I'm a clean freak. There was a particularly persistent spot in there I had to really put some elbow grease into it."
SciFi Dude eyed her thoughtfully, "A persistent man-shaped spot, I gather?"
Embarrassed at being caught wool-gathering indeed about a man, she blurted out. "Nope, just a regular spot." And then seeing his raised eyebrows, added, "Really annoying, selfish, egotistical spot."
He laughed, guessing exactly what she was talking about.
Before they could converse on anything more, the devil himself, Klaus Mikaelson, appeared on the doorway of Rousseau's, casually ambling towards her, dressed again in an ensemble that was probably twice as expensive as her monthly rent. Those piercing eyes and that five o'clock shadow made him look even more dangerous than usual and she wondered for a crazy second, why on earth the Original hybrid couldn't be a balding, duck-footed sixty-year-old man with a paunch and a lisp. It would probably have been easier to deal with him that way.
Nope, this particular one had to look like he stepped right out of the cover of GQ Magazine. God certainly had a lousy sense of humor.
Klaus drew close and he gave the guy talking to her no more than a careless sideways glance, completely focusing on her.
"Cami," he started. "I was hoping to speak to you in private."
She swallowed but met his gaze steadily and said, "Well that's worked out well for us in the past, hasn't it."
He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again, suddenly looking as if he was unsure of what to say.
"We can talk later," she said.
He gazed at her for a second and finally set down a small envelope on the counter. "This is for you, for tomorrow's event. Just a simple gathering of friends. I would really like it if you could make it."
"Is that…?"
"Hope's first birthday party, yes."
She paused, not knowing what to say. She did want to go there for Hope, but there were some complicated matters she wanted to avoid. At this point she didn't know if the best action for her was to distance herself from the original family or not. A normal human being would have run away screaming a long time ago.
Klaus interpreted her silence as a 'no' and started to object, "Cami…"
"Is this guy bothering you?" Sci Fi dude finally spoke up.
Klaus turned his head quickly to his direction, eyes narrowing with menace as if unbelieving this man had the audacity to address him so rudely.
"No," Cami said quickly, shooting Klaus a warning glance. "He's not. He's just dropping something off and leaving." Under her breath, she muttered, "Klaus, whatever you're thinking, please don't do it..."
Klaus' face was the picture of barely concealed ire at her last sentence. She could tell he was trying to keep his irritation restrained and thoughts of snapping this man's neck were probably running rampant in his head. For a tense couple of seconds, as she saw a vein pulsate wildly on his forehead, she thought he really was going to do it.
"Klaus?" she tentatively asked.
With some difficulty, he nodded wordlessly at her and left.
….
The day mercifully ended without any more untoward incidents for Cami. She plopped exhaustedly on her bed breathing a long sigh of relief, her feet sore from standing up from afternoon until two in the morning. Right now the only thing she could think of was whether to take a long hot shower or be disgusting and just go to sleep exactly like this, make-up on and spilled drinks on her shirt. She was just about to get up when her phone rang.
ELIJAH M CALLING, the screen glowed. She cancelled the call and let it go to voicemail.
A text message popped up within a minute.
[Answer the phone, Camille.]
She groaned and mustered the energy to type back. [Who is this?]
[Elijah. Who else?]
She typed a lengthy reply. [I don't trust you. Prove you are Elijah. What drink did you order the first time you went to Rousseau's? Also, do you know what time it is? Some of us are not beings of the night.]
There was a delay in the next text message wherein she imagined, if it really was him, Elijah rolling his eyes.
Wait, she couldn't really picture Elijah doing that. But then that was the problem with Elijah wasn't it? He never really showed his feelings. He would just sit still in silence and curb any impulse or emotion until he had things back in control again. The complete opposite of Klaus. Figures.
His message came through after some minutes.
[Martini, two olives. My apologies for contacting you this late.]
Martini, two olives, that was the right answer. She suddenly went back to that scene of Elijah talking to her the first time at the bar. It felt like such a long time ago. Before she was even aware that vampires, werewolves, and witches existed. Before she found out the truth of what happened to Sean. Before Kieran's death.
Sometimes she wondered if she could travel back in time, would her younger self even listen to her older self's warning about supernaturals? More importantly, even if she could travel in time to warn herself, did she really want to undo everything she learned and regret opening this pandora's box? Would she be happier living her life as normal as possible without knowing everything she knew now about the supernatural world? She honestly didn't even know the answers to those. Knowing about them equally brought both good and bad in her life. All she had to do was try to ride the wave as best as she could.
She finally dialed Elijah's number.
He answered, his voice with a hint of impatience. "I suppose Niklaus informed you of the party for Hope tomorrow?"
"Yes, he gave me the invitation for it. I can't believe she's turning one already. But surely that can't be the reason you're calling?"
"Were you planning to attend at all?"
"How did you even kno-"
He cut her off. "I really would like for you to be there, Camille."
"Why?"
"To assist in rectifying whatever it is that is plaguing Niklaus. His typically obnoxious behavior has become even more boorish. I cannot have the peace of mind I need in my own home."
She was silent, tempted to just give him a big fat no.
"I believe you said to surround myself with things I enjoy and at all cost, avoid things that I find vexing and troublesome?"
"Yes but…"
"The things I enjoy? Music, fine wine, reading. Everything that requires some form of peace and quiet. The things I find vexing and troublesome? Niklaus drinking our whole stock of scotch as if the prohibition starts tomorrow. Niklaus consistently trying to get me and Hayley in the same room. Niklaus speaking the moment I start to close my eyes to sleep. May I just say that ever since that day when I left you two alone, I've found him very… and I shall pleasantly put it this way for your delicate ears, taxing, more so than usual."
"You act like this is all my fault."
"I know it is not, but I assure you, that you do have the solution to my problem."
"Elijah, I completely understand you but you keep forgetting, there is only so much I can do. I'm not some… miracle worker," she said exasperatedly.
"Camille, after all this time, you still do not know?" Elijah countered. "To him, you are."
After that, there really was no debate on whether she was going or not. So much for trying to distance herself.
...
To say that Hope Mikaelson's first birthday party was extravagant was an understatement. Long ropes of light spread all across the Mikaelson compound, covering the area in little firefly-like glows. Entwined with the strings of light were pieces of baby pink tulle and ribbons, giving the area a whimsical feel. Flowers of every shade of pink were strategically arranged all over the tables and the rails of the staircases. Dozens of tables were laid out on the edges of the room, each one decked with more food than the next. The dessert table looked especially delightful with its dozen different pink and white colored desserts and frothy concoctions, but it was the centerpiece that stole the show.
It was a huge seven-tier birthday cake, each tier covered in candies of a different shade of pink, the top layer with the lightest shade going down to the bottom with the darkest shade.
Cami arrived a bit late to the party, it seemed things have started since late afternoon and everybody was just milling about and socializing. She self consciously put down her birthday present, a baby book for Hope's first words, on a table which was already overflowing with gifts. Next to all the extravagant looking ones, hers did look pitiful and she hoped it wouldn't get lost with all the princess castles and dollhouses she saw in there.
She took another look around. This was not exactly a simple gathering for friends, as Klaus initially put it. It seemed everyone who was anyone in New Orleans was invited. She could have sworn she saw the mayor of New Orleans talking to the local weatherman by the corner. There were also numerous vampires and werewolves decked out in their Sunday best, clustered by the champagne fountain, all eager to partake in the free-flowing alcohol.
Before coming here, she initially thought she would be overdressed in her outfit, a lacy emerald green cocktail dress. She loved the dress because it was quite modest from the front, but had a partially open back that emphasized all the intricate lace detailing. She'd hesitated putting it on, thinking it might be a little too much but upon seeing what the rest of the crowd was dressed like, however, she immediately heaved a sigh of relief on that decision. Which she thought was just a bit crazy given that this was a baby's first birthday party.
In her time a kid's birthday party meant a lot of kids running around, a bouncy castle set-up, lots of balloons, lots of clowns… at least, that's how she thought normal people did it. Somebody badly needed to intervene with the Mikaelsons and their ridiculously extravagant parties.
She tried not to look so out of place and thankfully caught a glimpse of Hayley and Jackson by the stairway. Hayley looked positively lovely in a pink knee-length Grecian-style chiffon dress. She was carrying an already sleeping Hope, which made Cami assume the baby had been up for hours before the party.
Upon seeing Cami, Hayley waved and walked towards her, all smiles as she approached. "Thanks for coming. It's been seriously crazy since this afternoon."
"Tell me about it. I certainly didn't expect all of this for a first birthday party!"
"Please! I told Klaus to keep things simple but of course, he had to go do it his way and hire some frou-frou event planner. You know when he started talking about that a month ago, I just zoned out and nodded to whatever he wanted. Then before I know it, people are wheeling in this seriously excessive cake. Have you seen that thing? Like who the heck will even cut that open and eat it?"
Cami laughed, amused at how Klaus was the one concerned with party-planning. "That cake is over the top even for him. He is aware that there are kids starving in Africa?"
"He knows but the question is, does he care?"
"Wouldn't bank on it," Cami said while reaching out to stroke the sleeping toddler's cheek.
Hayley eyed her, "You know… he's been in a mood lately." There was something in her stare that was a little too knowing.
"Oh?" Cami asked, eyes now focused on Hope.
"Like, oddly even more than usual. Know anything about that?"
"Not really."
Hayley pursed her lips, not saying anything. She finally let it go and changed the subject. Soon enough Marcel and Gia joined their little party to all make fun of the monstrous pink cake.
Jackson came over as well, looking dapper in a fitted gray suit. He reached out and touched Hayley's shoulder, "I want to introduce you to a couple of wolves that just arrived." Hayley nodded, "Sure thing," and made a move to go with him when Hope fidgeted and cried out.
"Oh no, let me just go put her in the nursery…" Hayley said, panicking.
Cami volunteered, "I can go do that for you if you want."
"Really? Are you sure? I seriously don't want to impose on you."
She shook her head, "Not at all. You go do your thing. I'd love to have the honor of putting the birthday girl to bed tonight." Hayley gave Hope a tender kiss on the forehead and Cami gingerly took the baby from her, watching as Jackson took hold of Hayley's hand with a smile and led her away.
Briefly, Cami wondered where Elijah was and whether he was seeing all of this.
She hoped not, for his sake.
….
Cami carefully laid Hope down on her crib, making sure to tuck her in properly with a little blanket in case it got drafty. She watched her wriggle for some time before settling in to a more comfortable position. Cami smiled as she gave Hope's leg a couple of pats while humming a song, trying to soothe her back to sleep.
She got lost in thought, thinking of how it would feel like if she had a child of her own. Someone to pour all her love into. It felt weird for her thoughts to be taking into this direction. She had always thought of herself as a woman who wanted a career first, but then spending time with Hope changed her perspective in some ways. It also made the growing ache inside of her feel even more pronounced.
She was just finishing humming a second lullaby when she heard soft footsteps behind her.
"I thought I'd find you here," came Klaus' voice.
She spoke before turning around to face him, "Well here I am… oh."
Klaus looked impressive in a well-fitting black suit and tie, with his hair brushed back. She noticed he'd also gone along with the color scheme of the party by wearing a salmon-colored button down with his suit. He looked so good that she wanted to raise her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding effect of his presence.
Instead she just mentally cursed the gods once more for bestowing this man with beauty his ego didn't really need.
"Ugh, Klaus, don't you ever turn it off?"
"Turn what off?"
"Your basic ugliness."
He smiled at her, generously allowing her that petty little snipe, the way only a man so confident in his blessed good looks would. He, of course, was fully aware she'd meant exactly the opposite.
He eyed her appreciatively. "You, on the other hand, look beautiful. That dress.."
She suddenly remembered she was supposed to be upset at him and not stupidly ogling over how good he looked in a suit. How easily she got distracted.
"I just showered today is all," she waved his compliment off and turned back to check on Hope.
She could feel his eyes burning a hole through her back and it was a while before he even spoke.
"Cami, listen. I want to talk to you, to apologize. Back at your apartment I did things I'm not really proud of…"
She faced him once more, irritated, "Like accusing me of flirting with Elijah when you specifically asked me to help him? Like nearly losing control and almost biting me? Or was it kissing me only to stop and leave, making me look like a fool?"
"I…" he stopped his train of thought and stared at her, confused, "You were angry I stopped kissing you?"
"Klaus, that wasn't the point! The point is you were…"
"A cad of the highest degree. I behaved horribly towards you when I should have been thanking you for getting Elijah out of the house. The thing is…"
He paused for a bit, and she could tell he was having difficulty with what he was about to say. "The thing is, Elijah, has always... taken things from me."
"First it was our father's love. Elijah was always the better son. The better fighter. The good son who didn't murder his other brother. Then it was our sister, Rebekah's affections. Elijah was the better brother. The better protector. The brother who wasn't a beast. Finally, it was Tatia's heart. He was the better lover, the better confidante, the better man. I, who have done nothing except go with what is my nature, have always been inadequate next to the noble and perfect Elijah."
His eyes, full of turmoil, met hers. "That day, I saw him with you, I wanted nothing more than to get him away from you. Is he to take this from me too?"
"This?"
"Everyone has always liked Elijah better. He has always been the one who is chosen-"
"I don't."
"Don't what?"
"Like Elijah better."
He looked dumbfounded, as if that was the last thing he'd expected her to say. There was a breath of silence as he digested that piece of information.
"Why would I like Elijah better? He wasn't the one who saved my life countless of times."
His face softened a little. "Are you saying you like me better?"
"Don't push it. I'm just beginning to forgive you now." She stared at him more, thinking. "You know, I can see why you would be jealous of him in the past, but why would you be jealous of him now? You have everything he wants."
"Like what?" he challenged.
"Like Hope, for one. He will never get to experience being a father, you know that right? Every time you carry that child in your hands… you just have her devotion to you as her father, as long as she lives. Something Elijah, not in a million years, can ever have. And you will always have this bond with Hayley as your child's mother, no matter what happens. That's something Elijah has had to cut off from his life forever. He should be jealous of what you have and not the other way around."
He stared at her, as if memorizing her face.
"Your life is not as empty and pitiful as you make it out to be," she said, a hint of resentfulness creeping in her voice.
They both stared at Hope in silence, listening to her steady breathing.
He suddenly turned to her, noticing the momentarily dark expression that overcame her face before, "Do you think yours is?"
"You're the one with issues remember? Since when do we talk about me?"
"Why, since you said you liked me better than Elijah."
"I didn't, really."
"I want to know the answer."
"Do I think my life is empty and pitiful?" she took a deep breath, not knowing what to divulge or keep to herself. "Sometimes."
He looked on in askance.
"Since Sean and Kieran died, I've just been having this feeling, of listlessness, belonging nowhere, maybe you could even call it depression. I can be surrounded by a room full of people, have a big smile on, talking like everything is normal, and still feel the loneliest I have ever felt in my life. At the safehouse with Hope and Elijah was the first time I felt like I could… belong somewhere. When I took care of… of both of them, it felt like someone needed me, depended on me. I was looking out for both of them, while they looked out for me too. And now I'm back at my old apartment and I suddenly feel this… gaping hole in my chest. And I…" her voice broke. "I realized that was what I was missing. A family. All of you here, despite being homicidal lunatics with a lot of psychological issues, are still part of the same family. You will always have each other in the end. You will always risk everything for each other. And despite all the crap you say about your siblings, you love them and they love you. You will never know the feeling of being alone."
She went on. "Finn was right. I refused to believe it but now it all makes sense. When he told me the reason your mother chose me as a vessel, it was because I was by myself, no one would question if I was different. Because if the real Cami disappeared, no one would notice or even bother go searching after me. It hurts like hell, but it's the truth. I try to throw myself into other things which is why I don't mind helping you or Elijah at all, but sometimes I just wake up and ask myself what's the point. Because... because sometimes being alone just gets tiring," she laughed shakily and looked down at her feet, suddenly embarrassed she revealed too much.
The silence that followed her statements was deafening. Why did she say all those things? He didn't really need to hear those. She would rather that she kept a strong front through and through, but she was just so tired. It was the first time, after a long time, someone had asked about her life. She didn't expect it to be him, is all.
"Cami…" Klaus started.
She looked more intently at her feet. The last thing she wanted was to see the pity on his face.
"Look at me."
Unable to raise her gaze, she said, "Thanks, but no thanks, I've looked enough for tonight."
He reached out and tenderly cupped her face with his hands, forcing her to meet his eyes. He looked at her with such gentleness, she ached.
"If you disappeared from your body, who do you think will look for you first?"
She bit her lip, willing herself not to get emotional as he stared straight into her eyes. Those eyes that were normally filled with ferocity looked at her with so much understanding and kindness, she feared coming undone.
"In the centuries I've lived, I have always felt alone. I have always traversed life feeling alone, and it is just now I am beginning to shed that notion. For you to feel that pain..." he said.
"I want you to listen to me and remember what I am saying..." he spoke carefully, making sure she caught every word.
"You are never alone. Not while I am here."
Only when she blinked and felt a single tear roll down her cheek did she realize how much she needed to hear someone say that. How much she needed to hear that someone had her back. How much she needed it to be him.
He gently wiped the lone tear with his thumb.
"For as long as you live, Camille, I will always, always, come when you call."
And she believed him.
….