Chapter 15 – Laughter to Tears

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update guys, I am in University so you'll have to be patient with me when I get a heavy workload :( but I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! I made it a bit longer to make up for the lack of a quick update, and it's got some nice and painful Mikaelson family feels in it. Specifically Klaus and Rebekah. Hope you guys like it, make sure to review please!

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Caroline cleared her throat for what felt like the hundredth time and took yet another sip of her drink, avoiding eye contact with the girl across from her.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and leaned back in her own seat, crossing her arms and sighing dramatically. The two had been sitting at their table in Donovan's for about fifteen minutes now and hardly any words had been exchanged. To say it was awkward was the understatement of the century.

"So." Caroline finally said in a fake bright voice, making Rebekah look up at her curiously. "This weather, right? You'd think it would be warmer by now since it is almost April, but New York is always just so –"

"Caroline." Rebekah interrupted the poor girl. "Please, just stop. I don't want to talk about the weather and I know you don't either. I am perfectly alright with just sitting here in silence to appease my brother."

"Yeah well I'm not." Caroline said immediately, folding her arms on top of the table and leaning forward. "It means a lot to Klaus that you and I are friends, or at least not hostile towards each other."

"I don't have any hostility towards you." Rebekah said much too quickly.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend's sister in accusation.

"Okay so maybe I have some hostility towards you." Rebekah finally shrugged. "But I mean can you blame me Caroline? I finally meet an amazing guy like Matt only for his ex-girlfriend to start dating my big brother!"

"Oh geez, sorry for intruding on your territory." Caroline said sarcastically. "I didn't realize it was wrong for me to date your brother – who came on to me first I might add – when you were already dating my ex who dumped me for you!"

"Oh is that jealousy I detect Caroline?" Rebekah asked.

"What? No!" Caroline shouted. "Trust me, I have absolutely no feelings for Matt –"

"So something is wrong with Matt then?" Rebekah spat.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Caroline asked incredulously, her blonde hair whipping around her shoulders. "No nothing is wrong with Matt, and no I don't have any feelings for him because I'm like, crazy for your brother! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Rebekah huffed and turned her head to look at the bar where Matt was working, feeling Caroline's wary eyes on her.

"Alright I'm sorry." She finally sighed, looking back at Caroline. "That was ridiculous of me, I apologize. It's just that…it isn't fair okay? I came to the City and met a guy like Matt, the only person who looks at me like I'm worth anything other than my family, and then I find out he's still friends with his ex-girlfriend who is you. And I mean look at you, you're gorgeous, and fun, and not nearly as insecure as I am. And then you start to date the brother I'm closest to and he starts to put your needs above mine – as he should – but it's just…it's frustrating!"

Caroline laughed sadly and shook her head.

"Rebekah trust me, I might come across as confident and entertaining all the time, but it's definitely an act. I'm just as insecure if not more insecure than you, and you can ask Klaus that. You don't ever have to feel threatened by me."

Rebekah eyed the blonde across from her warily, not knowing if she should believe her or not.

"And also," Caroline continued, "You are absolutely nuts if you think Klaus puts my needs above yours. You're his family, Rebekah. You and Elijah are like, his whole world. He'd drop me for you guys in a heartbeat."

Rebekah relaxed at that, looking down at her lap and chuckling.

"Yes I suppose that is true." She finally said, looking back up across the table. "Niklaus' loyalty has been engrained in him since we were children." She paused for a moment, biting her lip and choosing her next words carefully. "But I will admit, you have certainly wormed your way into my brother's heart in a way I've never seen before. It's quite admirable."

Caroline's eyes widened, her mouth parting a bit in shock that Rebekah had said something even remotely nice about her.

"Well I-I mean we've only just started dating –" Caroline stammered out, heat flooding her cheeks.

"Caroline relax." Rebekah laughed. "I'm not over here saying I want to be the maid-of-honor at your wedding or anything like that. I'm just saying that Niklaus truly cares for you."

Caroline smiled bashfully.

"Yeah well I care for him too." She finally said. "A lot actually. Maybe even too much."

Rebekah laughed, which made Caroline beam because she could tell it was a real, genuine laugh.

"Well coming from someone who has loved far too much far too many times," Rebekah began, "It can be a slippery slope. But seeing you and Nik, no matter how much it pains me to say this…" She paused dramatically, "It's like seeing the dark meet the light."

And as if right on cue, both girls looked up as the bell above front door rang, Elijah and Klaus both walking in and laughing about something. Klaus' eyes immediately drifted over to where his two favorite girls were sitting and he smiled mischievously upon seeing them both. When he made eye contact with Caroline though he winked before heading over to the bar with his brother.

Rebekah laughed as Caroline's face turned bright red.

"Okay so," Caroline finally said, "Can we call a truce? No more being catty towards each other or talking behind each other's backs?"

Rebekah pursed her lips together in thought for a few moments before finally rolling her eyes and sighing.

"Yes, alright." She conceded. "No more pettiness."

"Great!" Caroline beamed. "So..." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "I'll tell you some secrets about Matt if you tell me some about Klaus."

The two girls shared stories and laughed much too loudly for the rest of the night, their differences long behind them.

Matt and Klaus finally had to separate the two after Caroline spit out her drink upon hearing about the misadventure of Klaus and Kol going skinny dipping. He had to hear about that from her for the next two weeks. And even though he pretended to be annoyed, nothing made Klaus Mikaelson happier than seeing his two favorite girls becoming friends.

######

Caroline was breathing harder than ever before, her legs pumping behind her with a speed she didn't even know was possible. Mason was screaming at her to go faster and she gritted her teeth to push even harder and make it to where he was standing before Tyler – her opponent – did.

"Faster, faster!" Mason shouted from where he stood by the clinic building. "C'mon Forbes, you can do better than that!"

Every cell in Caroline's body was screaming for relief and just as she made it to the makeshift finish line with Tyler barely a foot in front of her, she came to a screeching halt and leaned against the building where the race started, her legs giving out so that she sank to the ground.

"Get up Forbes." Mason said after barely giving her a whole minute to catch her breath. "You're gonna go again until you can beat Tyler."

"I…can't." Caroline breathed out, her eyes fluttering shut in exhaustion. She could hear Tyler in a similar condition a few feet away from her.

"You can't?" Mason asked condescendingly as he knelt down in front of her. Caroline's eyes fluttered open weakly. "You can't?" He repeated. "Yeah well what are you going to do when you can't run anymore and there's twenty Infected on your ass?"

"Mason back off." Tyler breathed out, bracing himself against the wall as he confronted his uncle. "We've run the circuit three times today and she's kept up with me every time. Give her a break."

"I won't give her a break!" Mason retorted. "I won't give any of you a break because in four days you guys are leaving these walls and going into a death trap!"

The two were silent, Caroline looking up at Tyler with a weary expression. The circuit that they had been running three to five times a day every day since the 'Suicide Squad' as Enzo had so aptly named it had been formed was about a mile long. And a mile wasn't difficult at all for Caroline nor Tyler except that Mason expected them to sprint it. It carried them from the clinic building at the backside of Whitmore, halfway around the perimeter of the community, past the well, and then back to the clinic.

And whenever Tyler and Caroline weren't running it, Enzo and Kol were. Or Katherine and Elijah, or Stefan and Lexi. Mason had given each of the Suicide Squad a partner that he felt would push them the most in their training for the journey to New York. And it hadn't taken them all long to realize that Mason's training was the equivalent to hell.

"It's fine, Tyler." Caroline said, taking a deep breath as she pushed herself back up to a standing position, sweat pouring down her face. "Mason's right. The Infected don't give us breaks, so he shouldn't either. Let's go again."

And so Caroline pushed herself harder on that fourth circuit run than she had any of the others, even going so far as to lap Kol and Enzo, who had left the start of the circuit about twenty seconds before she and Tyler had ended there. She was quite proud of herself when she beat Tyler by thirty feet, even though she was sure he let her win just to get Mason off her back.

It was another hour later before Mason finally let them go. He had them each do two hundred sit ups and one hundred pushups, followed by fifteen minutes of hand-to-hand combat. Needless to say, Caroline was exhausted beyond belief when they were done.

"Hey, you okay?" Tyler asked as he walked her back to her room, the afternoon sun bearing down on them even though the October air was brisk. "I know Mason was pretty rough on you back there."

Caroline shrugged. "It's fine. I'd rather he be tough on us now so that we can actually come back and thank him for it after we get the cure."

"What about everything else?" The dark haired boy continued, making Caroline raise her eyebrows at him. "You know, with Klaus. I heard he kind of flipped on you the other day."

Caroline smiled weakly, and Tyler could tell it was forced but he didn't comment on it.

"Klaus can't help it." She finally said after a few moments, pausing as a group of kids ran past the two laughing. "The Infection it just…it affects him differently than Maggie and Aaron. He's either hostile or acting like his old self and he can switch between the two in an instant."

Tyler nodded as if he understood which irked Caroline. He could sympathize, sure. But he didn't have a loved one in that position like Caroline did so he couldn't truly understand.

"Well I'm sorry." He said genuinely. "If I had to guess you're probably stressed out to the max with this whole Klaus thing and his sister being pregnant and Mason and –"

"Yeah." Caroline cute him off brusquely, not wanting to hear any more about how screwed up her life was at that moment. "Yeah it's pretty stressful but we just have to deal with it, right?"

Tyler smiled at her, showing off his perfect white teeth.

"Right." He said. "And it's all going to be okay once we get the cure and get back here."

It didn't escape Caroline that Tyler didn't sound like he even believed himself.

Once they reached the building with Caroline's room (in a different building than before thankfully, Katherine and Elijah were getting a bit out of control with their shared room), he bid her goodnight and left to his own home. Caroline went in and washed up the best she could in those conditions, sighing as the tension left her body. She was sore as hell and her head was pounding, but her heart was what hurt the most, still reeling from her encounter with Klaus three nights ago.

He had actually tried to kill her. The love of her life, the man she had given everything to, had actually been planning to kill her. And even though Caroline knew that Klaus' actions were beyond his control, it didn't make it hurt any less. In fact, it made the knowledge hurt even more because she knew that he was angry at himself for not being able to control his actions towards her most of all.

She had been dying to know what had transpired between Klaus and Kol after she had left the cell, but the youngest Mikaelson brother had been everything but forthcoming.

And since that night, not only Enzo, but now everyone was adamant about Caroline staying away from Klaus. Kol must have told them what Klaus had tried to do, which was why Stefan, Enzo, Elijah, and Katherine were especially persistent in keeping her away from the lab. They were assuring her that she could see him again before they left for New York, but until then there was no way she was going to see him before their departure.

As Caroline changed clothes and made her way outside to where everyone was going to eat dinner together (oatmeal in the afternoon was a special at Whitmore), she told herself that it was okay. That as soon as they made it Wes' lab and got the cure and made it back that she would have Klaus back and everything would go back to normal. Well, as normal as they could be during the apocalypse.

"Caroline!" Elena called out as the blonde approached the group.

Caroline mustered a smile and a wave, going over to her friends. Elena had been especially clingy ever since the New York trip had been announced, fearing that she would never see her sister or friends again.

"Well look who it is." Damon smirked as Caroline sat across from him at the wooden table. "Haven't seen you in a while Blondie. Figured you would be with your new bestie Lockwood."

Caroline rolled her eyes, nodding to Stefan and Lexi as they sat down as well, looking as tired as she did.

"Shutup Damon." She sighed. "Tyler is my training partner courtesy of his uncle Mason. We're learning how to not die together, that doesn't make us friends."

"I'm pretty sure that Mason is the devil." Lexi mumbled as she leaned her cheek against Stefan's shoulder, making her face squish up comically. "Literally. As in the actual devil from the very pits of hell."

"That's funny, didn't you say that about me one time?" Damon asked sarcastically, making everyone snicker.

"Sure did." Lexi said casually, not even looking up. "And lucky for you, Mason took your spot."

Stefan laughed, wrapping his arm around Lexi's waist affectionately. That had been another development lately – 'Sexi' as Enzo had dubbed it. According to Elijah, the two had never been romantic towards each other over the duration of The Outbreak, Stefan being scared to admit his feelings after Lexi had literally watched her boyfriend Lee get killed by a bomb in New York. But since getting to Whitmore they had very touchy-feely and tender towards one another. Forehead kisses, hand grazing, lingering looks, that kind of thing. And all everyone could think was 'it's about damn time.'

"Wait are we talking about Mason?" Katherine asked as she and Elijah walked up. "Because if so, then I have plenty to say about that little –"

"Katherine." Elena cut her twin off with a stern look. "Be nice. He's trying to keep you alive."

Katherine rolled her eyes as Elijah smiled and sat down next to her, taking his wife's hand.

"Your sister's right, Katerina." He said. "I personally don't mind Mason's tactics at all."

Katherine smirked, leaning into Elijah's chest. "You're just saying that because you get to watch me run in those short shorts."

"Please, Katherine, don't make anyone sick before we even eat." Kol snarked with a mischievous grin as he showed up quite suddenly with Bonnie.

Katherine rolled her eyes dramatically, pretending not to see Elijah's smile as his wife and his brother teased each other. Kol had made it his personal mission to be as annoying to Katherine as possible, which brought more joy to her husband than it probably should have.

"Kol, how nice to see you." Katherine muttered, leaning over Elijah to look at him and Bonnie. "And Bon-Bon, how actually nice to see you."

Kol scowled as Bonnie laughed, waving to Katherine and saying hello.

"Well where the hell is everyone else?" Damon suddenly asked. "Enzo, Blondie Number Two, and Quarterback?"

"Enzo is getting the food, and Matt and Bekah are on their way." Bonnie answered, making Damon's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She hardly ever spoke to him. "Rebekah was getting some herbs to help with morning sickness."

"Urgh." Kol said with a shudder. "I still can't get over that my sister is pregnant."

"Neither can I." Elijah said honestly. "But I believe that Rebekah will make a great mother. When she loves, she loves with her whole heart and a child will only increase that sentiment."

Caroline didn't miss the way that Katherine eyed Elijah as he spoke about Rebekah's unborn child. She couldn't help but wonder if, after this was all over and if they actually survive the journey to New York and back, would Elijah and Katherine want to start a family of their own?

Kol started to say something else about Rebekah and Matt having sex in the woods on Elijah's watch, when Enzo walked up with a box holding several bowls of oatmeal.

"Dinner has arrived, ladies and gentlemen." He said with his typical smirk. But just as he started passing out the food, Caroline stood up. "Wait what is this?" Enzo asked her, stopping her in her tracks. "I arrive and you dart off? We have to at least keep up appearances, Caroline."

Everyone laughed as Caroline rolled her eyes. It was becoming more and more apparent that Enzo was constantly trying to take her mind off of Klaus by teasing her and flirting and whatnot. It was all completely harmless and truth be told, she appreciated it. It made her feel almost normal.

"Oh please Enzo, I'll be right back. Think you can handle a few minutes without me?" She quipped back at him, narrowing her eyes.

"I'll be counting down the seconds love." He said in a playfully sarcastic tone as she gave him the finger and walked away.

She passed some families and workers who all smiled at her on her way to where Bonnie worked in the herbal garden during the day with some of the older ladies who had made it to Whitmore. And no matter how hard she tried, Caroline couldn't find it in her to give those people genuine smiles back.

She approached the garden quietly, not wanting to disturb any of the people working. She saw Rebekah and Matt a few feet away, their backs to her as one of the women that tended the garden gave her some green leaves.

"And you can just grind these up and mix them in with your food throughout the day and that should help with that morning sickness right away." The lady was telling them, Matt's shoulders obviously tensed from what Caroline could see.

"Thank you so very much." Rebekah gushed, taking the herbs.

The couple turned then and started walking away, Matt whispering something to Rebekah just as they caught sight of Caroline.

"Caroline." Matt said with a smile, his face lighting up at the sight of his friend.

"Hey Matt." She smiled back, coming to a stop in front of them. "Hey Rebekah, do you think we could um, talk? Just for a little bit?"

"Oh um, sure." Rebekah stammered out, glancing up at Matt briefly. "I'll come meet you at dinner in a few?"

"Yeah that's fine." Matt smiled weakly at her, kissing her forehead for a fleeting second before smiling at Caroline once more and walking to where the others were.

"So what is it?" Rebekah asked as she and Caroline began to walk aimlessly. "Any more news about Klaus? Did Wes give you any tips about –"

"Rebekah." Caroline cut her off. "I'm not here to talk about Klaus or the cure or the Infection or any of that." She said seriously. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry."

"Whatever for?"

"For being a jerk." Caroline said honestly, looking down at the ground shamefully. "You tried to tell me that you were pregnant and I just blew you off for my own problems. And I haven't even tried to talk to you the past three days when you're going through the same things I am with the prospect of a baby on top of it all." Rebekah was silent, crossing her arms as tears started to well up in her eyes. "So how are you doing? And be honest."

Rebekah laughed sadly, shaking her head.

"I'm…" She trailed off, having to take a few deep breaths to keep her composure. "I'm absolutely awful, Caroline. I'm bloody terrified. Nik is in that basement alone and scared and angry while everyone else up here is acting like all is right with the world. You and everyone else are leaving to go find a cure while I sit here helpless. And not to mention Matt can hardly even look at me ever since I told him the news!"

Rebekah was borderline hysterical as the tears started to flow freely for the first time since she had announced her pregnancy, and Caroline immediately came to a stop and turned to her friend, wrapping her arms around her and hugging her urgently. Rebekah returned the embrace without hesitation, crying into Caroline's shoulder in abandon.

"I just don't…know what to do Caroline." She stammered out, her whole body shaking. "Matt doesn't want this baby and –"

"Hey, hey, woah hold up." Caroline interrupted, pulling back and holding Rebekah at arm's length. "Who said Matt doesn't want this baby? Did he say that? Because I don't care if we live in Peaceful Town, I'll kick his ass if you ask me to."

Rebekah laughed through her tears, shaking her head.

"No, no, he didn't say that." She choked out. "But I can tell. He doesn't look at me the way he used to, he's so…upset about having a baby right now."

"What do you mean right now?"

"I mean in the bloody apocalypse Caroline!" Rebekah shouted. "There are zombies right outside these walls and we could die at any given moment and we're bringing a child into this!"

"Yes, you are." Caroline said quickly and firmly. "And you want to know what? You're going to be an amazing parent. Like, freaking awesome." Rebekah laughed disbelievingly. "No, no, I'm serious. If anyone could be a mom and dad right now it's you two."

"Thank you Caroline." Rebekah breathed out, raising a hand to try and tame her hair and wipe her eyes. "I guess we don't really have a choice, do we?"

"No, not really." Caroline laughed. "And just give it time, Matt will come around. He's probably just as nervous as you are."

"Oh believe me, he is." Rebekah said. "I don't think I've ever seen him so terrified than when we talked about it the other night. But you're completely right, I just need to give it time."

"Of course I'm right." Caroline said with a smile. "And by the way, when the hell did you two get engaged?" She asked incredulously.

That made Rebekah laugh again, a hard laugh too. The girls started to walk again arm-in-arm as Rebekah regaled Caroline with the story of how Matt proposed to her two months after The Outbreak with a bent paperclip while they were hiding from Infected in an abandoned factory. It almost felt like old times.

Almost.

"So Klaus is still…" Rebekah trailed off as the two girls approached Wes' lab building.

"Yeah." Caroline said shortly. "He's still in there and angry at all of us."

Rebekah took in a deep, shaky breath.

"He doesn't know. He doesn't know that I'm pregnant. My own brother that I was the closest to has no idea that I'm carrying a child."

Caroline was silent as the weight of Rebekah's words came over them both. Klaus had told Caroline a hundred times that no matter how much he didn't want Rebekah to ever get married and have children, he would love to be an uncle one day. Whether it be Rebekah, Elijah, Kol, or Finn's kids one day. Granted, Finn did have a child with Sage, but Klaus had only seen pictures since they had officially moved back to England. And Klaus had shown absolutely everyone the pictures of his new niece that he was thrilled to meet come Christmastime. Unfortunately, he never had that opportunity.

"He should know." Rebekah continued. "He deserves to know, no matter if he's Infected or not."

Caroline was silent, eyeing the building with a plan formulating in her mind.

"Come on." She finally said, grabbing Rebekah by the wrist and pulling her towards the lab.

"Wait what are you doing?" Rebekah asked incredulously. "The boys said –"

"I don't care what the boys said." Caroline cut her off. "Us girls have got to stick together, and you deserve to talk to your brother. So come on."

######

"Why are you and Rebekah so close?" Caroline suddenly asked, making Klaus look down at the top of her head where she was sitting in between his legs on the grass in Central Park watching Elijah try (and fail) to teach Katherine how to properly throw a Frisbee.

"What?" Klaus asked in surprise. "What on earth made you think to ask that question?"

Caroline shrugged, chuckling as Katherine almost hit a young boy on a bike with the flying disk.

"I don't know. I was just thinking about how you and Elijah are really tight, but Rebekah looks at you like you're Superman or something."

Klaus smiled meekly even though Caroline couldn't see him, twirling a piece of her hair in his fingers.

"When Rebekah and I were children," he began, "Our father was a very…unpleasant person."

He could feel Caroline's body tense against his chest and he knew she was probably guessing to what he meant. They had only been dating two months at this point and she had once asked where all of his scars had come from only for him to vaguely answer that he had gotten them as a younger man and not to worry over them. He knew that Caroline was a smart girl and that she had most likely put together that his father had been abusive even though he had never outright said it.

"Mikael tended to have more of a vendetta against me than any of my other siblings." Klaus continued after a moment. "He favored Rebekah the most, so she made a point to try and defend me whenever I was at the brunt of his metaphorical sword."

"Why?"

"Why what, love?" He asked, smoothing out her hair when she tilted her head up to look at him.

"Why did your father have such a vendetta against you?" She asked, the picture of innocence. "I don't understand how a father can have a least favorite child, it doesn't make any sense."

Klaus sighed, looking back up at his brother and Katherine interact, joy on their faces. It made him smile to see his brother so happy.

"Mikael wasn't my real father." Klaus finally admitted, making Caroline's eyes widen and her mouth part in shock. "When I was seven years old I had a bad fall while climbing a tree outside of our home, and had to have a blood transfusion. When he wasn't a match, his suspicions of my true parentage were confirmed."

"Your mom had an affair?" Caroline asked in astonishment.

Klaus nodded. "Indeed she did. From what little I know, my biological father was an artist she met briefly while on a business trip. I was the result and became Mikael's greatest shame."

They were silent then, Caroline lacing her fingers through his and holding his hand tightly as they looked about at everyone enjoying the nice spring day in Central Park. Elijah and Katherine had given up playing Frisbee and were now standing quite close to one another and it looked as though Katherine was, well, being Katherine.

"But back to your original question," Klaus finally spoke after clearing his throat, "Bekah was always the most sensitive of all us Mikaelsons, and it destroyed her poor fragile emotions when Mikael took his rage out on me. And when Rebekah sees an injustice, she does everything in her power to stop it."

"She's a good sister."

"The best." Klaus smiled. "What the rest of us Mikaelsons lack in the ability to love others, Bekah makes up for tenfold. Her kindheartedness is oftentimes her downfall, which is why I have to look out for her so. She thinks I'm overbearing, but it's only because I have to protect her."

"The way she protected you." Caroline finished his unspoken thought in a soft voice.

"The way she protected me." Klaus confirmed with a small smile, squeezing Caroline's hand yet again.

######

"I can't do this Caroline." Rebekah said in a rushed voice, trying to turn around only for Caroline to grab her by the shoulders.

"Yes, you can Rebekah." She said sternly. "Klaus' personality is split in two right now, and I'm hoping you can get through to his good side the way I can. Just make sure you stand away from the bars okay?"

Rebekah chuckled though she was full of fear.

"Oh trust me I won't be getting near him. Not just for my sake but for…" She trailed off, looking down at her stomach.

Caroline smiled, grabbing Rebekah's hand.

"You're going to be just fine." She assured her friend. "Just talk to him the way you would always talk to your brother. And if he flips out, I'll be right out here and you can just knock on the door, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright, now take a deep breath, put on your bravest face, and go talk to your brother."

With that being said, Caroline spun Rebekah around and literally shoved her towards the door leading to Klaus' cell. Granted, she wanted to be the one seeing him at that moment, but Caroline had had a sort of an epiphany while talking to Rebekah: Klaus was Rebekah's protector, the person who looked out for her above all else. Elijah too of course, but Klaus more so. And with Klaus Infected, the job had to fall to someone. And Klaus would want her to be the one doing it, so she was. Was it stressful? Of course. But it was for Klaus – her Klaus, so it was worth it.

Rebekah took a deep breath and entered the cell slowly, the large door creaking in the process. Just before she stepped in she looked behind her and gave Caroline a scared glance, only to get a smile and a thumbs up in return.

"Well come on in then, don't be shy."

Rebekah jumped when she heard Klaus' voice, turning back to the cell and stepping all the way inside, letting the door close behind her.

It took every ounce of Rebekah's strength not to gasp upon seeing Klaus' condition. She hadn't seen him since he first woke up after being administered the antidote, so she wasn't prepared at all for what she saw.

Her brother looked awful. His face was gaunt, there were scratch marks all up and down his arms, blood and dirt smeared on his face, his clothes torn from his own doing, his knuckles bloodied from punching the wall. But the worst part was his eyes. The blue eyes that had stared into her own with an assurance that everything would be okay a hundred plus times were now so dark she couldn't recognize them. Not only were there dark rings around them, the pupils themselves were dilated and the irises were the darkest shade of blue she had ever seen – almost black themselves.

"Rebekah." Klaus said with an evil grin, standing up from the cot and walking towards the cell bars. Rebekah didn't move from her place right by the door. "How lovely to see you, sister. I've missed you terribly."

Rebekah gulped visibly, which made Klaus smirk.

"Hello Niklaus." She said, mustering a smile for a very brief second. "I'm…I'm sorry I haven't been to see you."

"Oh sister." Klaus cocked his head to the side mockingly. "There's no need to apologize. I mean after all, I'm just locked up in this tiny cell with no entertainment all day. Nothing to do except fester in my rage." His voice got darker and darker as he spoke, his eyes narrowing at his sister in fury.

Rebekah chuckled despite the precarious situation she was in.

"You sound like Kol." She said nostalgically, looking down at her feet and crossing her arms. "Remember? He used to always say it was our job to entertain him."

Klaus blinked a few times, standing up to his full height instead of leaning against the bars and glaring at Rebekah. The rings around his eyes started to fade away and his more rational self was brought to the surface.

"Rebekah." He breathed out, smiling at his sister. "I'm sorry, that wasn't…me." He shook his head and continued to try and blink away the fog.

"It's alright." Rebekah said honestly, surprising herself. "They told me about how you can control it sometimes. I'm proud of you."

Klaus chuckled and shook his head, wrapping his hands around the bars.

"It's rare." He replied, trying to even out his breathing. "I can't do it often. He's very…persistent." He grumbled.

Rebekah laughed, sitting down in the chair across from the cell and looking up at her big brother with the same proud expression she had been giving him ever since they were children.

"Well it makes sense." She grinned. "You're the most persistent person on the planet, Nik. I mean look at Caroline, that's how you two got together."

Klaus chuckled too, ignoring Other Klaus who was saying vile things in the corner that he would never repeat while in his right mind.

"So are you here to tell me you're going to find the cure?" Klaus finally asked, confronting the elephant in the room while he was still able to.

It didn't escape Klaus nor Other Klaus that Rebekah visibly tensed at the mention of the upcoming trip his loved ones were taking. But the tension didn't come from fear of him, but something else. Something else that he couldn't place.

"Um, no." Rebekah said as she shifted in her seat, avoiding eye contact with him. "No, I'm not going on the trip."

"Oh." Klaus said, willing Other Klaus to retreat back to the corner as he started to come closer to his sister. "That's good, none of you should be going anyways."

"It's not that I don't want to." Rebekah said quickly, afraid she would chicken out if she didn't just get it over with. "It's that I…I can't."

Klaus smirked, the fog creeping back in slowly.

"Let me guess, Elijah won't let you?" He asked. "Ah 'Lijah, always so noble and loyal to a fault. I presume your stubbornness led to an argument of epic proportions? I hate I missed it, I'm sure you –"

"I'm pregnant." Rebekah spat out suddenly, making Klaus freeze and his eyes go wide.

It was dead silent in the cell room, Rebekah afraid to even breathe. Well, it was quiet to her. In Klaus' mind though, his Other self was slowly heating to a boiling point, the rage literally feeling as if it were crawling up his throat.

"You're…what?" Klaus choked out. "But…but that's impossible, you can't be…"

"I am, Nik." Rebekah said, her hands shaking slightly as she watched Klaus' demeanor change. "Matt and I, we're…we're having a baby."

Klaus' eyes were wider than saucers, and his hands were gripping the cell bars so tightly his knuckles were turning white. He wasn't saying anything though.

"I…I found out for sure a few days ago." Rebekah continued, not knowing what else to do. She wished Caroline were in the room with her right then. "But I guessed while we were still travelling here. I wanted to tell you Nik, I swear I did, but I was just so…so afraid, and I didn't want to tell anyone until I was positive and I knew it would make you and Matt and everyone else more worried for me and I didn't –"

"How could you?"

Rebekah froze. Klaus had whispered so softly that she almost hadn't heard him as he cut off her rambling self.

"How could I…what?" She asked warily, scared of his calm tone despite his dark eyes.

Klaus looked at Rebekah's face and chuckled sadly, shaking his head in complete and total disbelief.

"How could you let this happen?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Rebekah do you have any idea what you've done?" The corner of his mouth turned up in an evil smirk. "You daft girl. You're bringing a child into this world. This world Bekah, with monsters at every turn. Hell, you're even standing in front of one right now. And you're going to bring the picture of innocence, a child, into all of this? Do you really think any motherly nature you may or may not possess will somehow protect a baby?"

Klaus' voice was rising by the second and Rebekah's eyes widened in fear.

"You bloody idiot!" Klaus screamed. "I swear Bekah, you wouldn't know common sense if it hit you in the face! All the work that Elijah and I put into teaching you how to live your life right went right down the damn drain! You're useless, Rebekah, you're a lost cause! And now you're going to ruin another life! Couldn't you have just kept your legs closed to that idiot quarterback for five seconds?!"

"Shutup!" Rebekah yelled, tears falling from her eyes and she stood from the chair quickly. "You shutup Nik, don't you dare talk to me that way!"

"I'll talk to you any way I want!" Klaus roared as his eyes started turning a reddish color. "You will ruin that baby's life you dumb, stupid whore!"

Other Klaus was in complete control now since Klaus' rational side was just as angry as he was. His little sister was pregnant? His innocent, little sister that was too loving and naïve for her own good? It pissed him off to no end and he couldn't quite figure out why.

"I am in love with Matt and he is in love with me and we are having a child and you can do nothing about it!" Rebekah screamed, her cheeks flushed. "You're just angry because your family is going to change! You're afraid that I'll have someone whose needs come before yours and you know what, Nik? It's going to happen, so Infected or not you can just get the bloody hell over it!"

Rebekah let out a heavy breath as she finished her rant, a silence descending upon brother and sister. Her expression said that she herself hadn't even expected those words to come out of her mouth. Rebekah loved Klaus more than life itself sometimes, and even though they fought like cats and dogs, she always made it a point to never hit him where it hurt most. He was always the one doing that.

Suddenly Klaus started to smirk. And that smirk turned into a grin, which then turned into a full on laugh. Rebekah started inching closer to the door as his laugh turned absolutely manic, the sound shooting a pang of pure terror to her heart.

"Oh Bekah!" Klaus shouted loudly in between his laughs. "I cannot wait to see you fail. You will ruin this child like you ruin everything else. You think I'm the monster? Oh no, sister. You're the monster and now everyone else is going to see it as well!"

The manic laughter continued no matter how much Rebekah screamed at her brother to stop it, to leave her alone. He kept on laughing even when Caroline opened the door and grabbed Rebekah's arm and pulled her out of the cell forcefully despite her shouts of protest.

Nobody saw that the laughter turned into cries of pure pain and torment as the girls left the building, leaving Klaus alone to wallow in his misery of the lies he had just told the sister he loved with all his heart. No matter how Infected that heart may be.

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A/N: Reviewwwww my loves xoxo