Chapter Fifteen Dysfunctionality
I grew closer to my son as he grew up. Alexander was a Momma's Boy. We'd do things together like baking cookies and cupcakes, cycling around the large estate. We'd go horse riding in the afternoon. We'd camped out in the courtyard and roast marshmallows in the outdoor fireplace while telling ghost stories. I would help him in his science projects, where we'd recreate the solar system using balls of styrofoam and rubber and make a mini volcano complete with red paint lava that would bubble up and overflow. I often felt that being with my son was like having a second childhood. Alexander became my closest friend and companion, my only comfort in the otherwise large lonely house. Klaus hated how I would coddle and spoil our son but he wasn't around much.
Klaus would be too busy with his witches. He was traveling extensively to find the cure to break his curse, which often led to disappointment. He'd come back home in a fit of rage, screaming and throwing things. I would keep quiet while Klaus thrashed the room. Alexander would watch from the door way. He'd scoot over from his room and looked on as his father released his rages and sprinted right back once Klaus had finished. I watched as Klaus went to the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He gulped it down and poured some more.
"It's late Klaus," I told him. He ignored me and drank his whiskey. "I have to go sleep. Alexander has lessons tomorrow." I said.
We had decided that Alexander would be home schooled until he reached high school age. So Klaus hired a brilliant tutor. His name was Slater. He was a bright young man who was turned in the Seventies. He had several Master degrees and a PhD and I loved how cheerful and eager he was to teach Alexander. He lived in the mansion with us.
"You will sleep when I tell you to." Klaus said sharply and glared at me. I looked angrily back at him. I was annoyed that Klaus would think he could control me. "I'm tired Niklaus. I had a long day."
"Well you're not the only one." Klaus snapped. I stared at him, seeing his face had reddened from the alcohol. It's weird that alcohol still has its effects on someone as powerful and old as Klaus.
"I don't want to be here while you're angry and drunk." I told him. I was furious and I walked away and out of the bedroom.
"Come back here Elly!" Klaus called angrily. "Don't walk away from me!"
I didn't care and I walked off, as fast as I could heading straight towards my son's room at the end of the long hall way. "Elly!" Klaus screamed and stalked behind me. I rushed to Alexander seeing him seated on his bed. He looked a little scared and I didn't want him to be terrified.
"What's wrong Mommy?" Alexander asked me. I held his face and shook my head. "Your father's drunk and angry Alex. I can't be in the same room with him."
"Elly!" Klaus had burst into the room and I hugged my eight year old son close to me.
"I'm staying here!" I shouted at Klaus. He stared angrily at me and crossed the room within a few strides. He pulled me away from Alexander who only stared in horror, watching his father handling me in such a rough and violent way.
"Don't be stupid Elly. You can't use our son as a shield to hide from me." Klaus told me harshly and pushed me down on the floor. He then went to Alexander and held his face lovingly. Klaus looked straight into Alexander's eyes and smiled at him.
"Now be a good boy Alexander and go to bed. None of this ever happened. Your Mommy loves me very much and so do I and we are all one big happy family. I love you Alexander. Never forget that." Klaus spoke and kissed Alexander's forehead.
"No Father...I won't." Alexander stared blankly at Klaus' eyes and shook his head. He then went to bed and Klaus tucked him in before grabbing my hand and dragging me out of Alexander's room.
My heart sank. He had compelled his own son. Klaus brought me back to our large suite and pushed me on the sofa. I sat there and stared angrily at him.
"Why do you always run away when things get tough?" Klaus demanded. He was breathing heavily and I could tell that he was trying to control his rage.
"And you went straight to Alexander. Do you think I don't know what you're doing? You're dragging our son into this mess."
"You're drunk Niklaus!" I shouted. "You're not in the right frame of mind."
He laughed and shook his head. "You are lecturing me on not having the right frame of mind? This is really good..."
I stood up and pushed my face right in front of his,"You are an abusive bastard Niklaus!" I told him with all the venom in me. "One day Alexander will know that. He will know how you treated me and he will hate you for that, the same way you hate your father!"
I saw the anger that had threatened to erupt. I saw him flinched and his hand moved almost as if he wanted to slap me and I grew bold. "Come on hit me..." I provoked him. "Why not? You're the Great Klaus and I'm just your weak, stupid wife. Hit me like Lord Lucas did to your mother. Hit me!"
Klaus stepped back and stared at me, shocked I would bring it up, the abuse he had witnessed. He turned away, almost ashamed to face me and then I felt the guilt. I was too hard on him. It was cruel of me to bring it up and spit it right at his face. I sighed and hugged him from behind. I kissed his back and leaned against his spine.
"I'm sorry..." I whispered. "You know how crazy I get and I do hate it when you drink too much..."
I didn't how long I was holding Klaus that way but he turned around after a while and embraced me. He kissed the crown of my head and looked at me, his eyes gazing deeply into mine.
"I love you so much. I never want to hurt you Elly..." Klaus said and caressed my cheek with his knuckle.
"But you make it so difficult sometimes Sweetheart..." Klaus smiled, a sinister evil smile.
I stared at him and I watched as his face transformed into its monstrous form. His eyes grew red with a tinge of black around his irises, the black veins underneath his eyes, his fangs grew sharp and long. Klaus leaned nuzzling my neck and he bit me, my blood flowed and my eyelids grew heavy. I felt as if my life force was being drained away. Klaus was sucking the life out of me. I fell limp in his arms and my world went dark.
Klaus had drained the blood from my body. When I gained consciousness thirty hours later, Klaus was sitting by my bedside. He stared at me as I gasped and choked for breath. He tore his wrist open and fed me his blood. I suckled on it like a crack addict needing her next shot. It went on for years. Whenever he was enraged and lost his temper he'd drink me dry till I lost consciousness and then feed me his blood when I came to. That was how Klaus controlled me. How he made me depend on him, almost to a point that if I didn't have his blood, I would grow weak. It was worse than opium or heroin or even Oxycontin.
The years went by quite quickly. I watched as Alexander grew taller and bigger. Soon enough he was taller than even me. His voice had changed and grew deeper. He didn't want to do things with me anymore. He had his own friends after he was enrolled in a fancy boarding prep school in Seattle. Alexander would stay in school from Monday to Fridays and returned home during the weekend. Then after a while, he didn't return home at all, preferring to spend weekends in the city with his friends.
I grew depressed, I missed my son terribly. Klaus was never around much. I wouldn't see him for weeks on end. He'd be busy he said, meeting up with witches and figuring ways to break the curse. I had never felt so alone in all my life in that big empty house. I spent days watching all the home movies of Alexander when he was little or looked at the piles of scrap books I had made from the polaroid photographs I had taken of him. How I wished he didn't have to grow up. I wished he could be my little boy, forever.
One evening, Alexander came home for the holidays in 2009 and I ran down the stairs straight into his arms. My son was sixteen years old and he had grown so much taller. I held his face with both hands and stared at him. He looked so different and yet he looked the same. Alexander had just gotten his driver's license and he showed me the brand new car Klaus had gotten him. I stared at the Lamborghini. I didn't know what model it was except it was a convertible.
"What do you think Mom?" Alexander asked me in a cheerful voice. "Father got this for me. Isn't she beautiful?"
"She's very...er...Orange..." I stuttered. I looked at Alexander who seemed pretty ecstatic about it. "But we have lots of cars Alex. An entire fleet."
"I know..." He grinned. "But we don't have a Murcielago convertible roadster." Alexander smiled at me.
"Doesn't your father have one in black?" I asked him.
The car did look similar to one of the many sportscars Klaus has in his large multistory underground garage. Klaus had a large fleet of luxury and exotic cars, but lately he became more obsessed with motorcycles and had grown rather fond of the Ducati range. It was of no consequence to me, Klaus never taught me how to drive and I never learned. He said it was too dangerous.
"Come on Mom, let's go for a spin..." Alexander said in an excited tone. He took my hand and I went with him.
Alexander drove down the mountain road. He switched on his stereo and Muse was playing. It was one of his favorite bands. My son was telling me something funny and I laughed. He was driving at top speeds, almost 60 miles an hour. We were having so much fun we didn't see the curve right in front us and the large truck transporting logs coming at us.
"Alex!" I screamed as I saw the truck right in front of us.
The driver blared his horns. It was deafening. Alexander swerved the car to avoid crashing into the truck that it hit the fended bender and I watched in horror as we were right at the side of the mountain, hanging by a sliver of a chance. The truck brakes were heard screeching but it hit the side of the Lamborghini and that was all it took to send the car crashing down the ravine.
My head hit the windscreen of the car and my vision grew groggy. I turned to look at my son. Thank God the safety airbag had cushioned him, but Alexander was unconscious.
"Alex!" I screamed. "Alexander!"
I moved my hand to touch his neck and felt his pulse. Alexander was still breathing, I was relieved for a while. I managed to dig his pocket and got his Iphone out. I dialed 911. I was panicking and screaming and the dispatch told me to calm down. They would get help immediately and soon enough the fireman and the paramedic came. Both my son and I were flown to Seattle in a helicopter. Alexander was still unconscious and I grew worried. They had to bring him in for emergency surgery. I stood there at the waiting room staring at the Iphone. I knew I had to call Klaus but I was afraid. Afraid of his reaction. I dialed and waited.
"What is it Alexander?" Came Klaus' irritated tone. He was probably in the middle of something.
"Niklaus..."
"Elly." Klaus spoke shocked that I was the one who had called him. "What's the matter Darling?"
"There's been an accident Klaus..." I told him. "Our son is in the hospital...He's hurt pretty bad. The car crashed into the ravine. I don't know what to do..." I cried.
"Where are you Elly?" Klaus asked me.
"Seattle General." I replied
"Stay there. I'm coming down immediately."
I waited at the lounge for hours. The doctor came by and told me that Alexander had stabilize but he was still in critical condition. There were internal injuries that the surgeons have operated on. I went to see him in the ICU. He was lying there unconscious with the IV drip and a machine to help him breathe. I just wanted to hold him in my arms and not let go. It was the worst night in my life. I sat there on the chair and watched him. I felt so tired that I fell asleep.
I heard the door opened and I woke up. Klaus had came into the room. He was dressed in black wearing a Burberry trench coat and a knitted long sleeve black V neck shirt. He looked worried and upset. I immediately rushed to hug him but I could sense that he didn't seem quite pleased to see me. He pulled away from me and looked at Alexander.
"What happened?" Klaus asked me, his eyes glaring right into mine.
"He wanted to take me for a short ride in that new car you bought him...we were down the road and laughing we didn't see the big truck and we crashed into the ravine."
"You were in the car with him?" Klaus asked. His eyes flashed with concern. I nodded. "I'm alright. The doctors say that I didn't even have a scratch on me. It was a miracle..."
"Yes..." Klaus spoke. "Because you had my blood in your system Elly..."
Klaus sighed and looked at his son, lying there. "That's what Alexander needs." He then bit his wrist and took off the oxygen mask from Alexander's face and let his blood dripped into Alexander's mouth. I watched as Klaus fed Alexander's his blood. After a while my son's heartbeat rose and then Alexander let out a gasp. He blinked his eyes open and looked up.
"Alex..." I called his name in relief and rushed to be by his side. I was just relieved that he was alright. Grateful that Klaus had came and saved him.
"Mom..." He uttered and looked a little lost. "What happen?"
"You got a little banged up Darling..." I sighed and gently stroked his hair. I kissed his cheek.
"You'll be fine now..." Klaus said and smiled at his son.
"Father..." Alexander winced and looked at him. "I'm sorry about the car..."
"Nothing the insurance won't cover." Klaus said with a shrug. "I'm just glad you're alright." Klaus then looked tenderly at me and I gave a small smile back. My son was fine. Klaus had saved him. I guessed I owe him now.
I wouldn't leave Alexander in the hospital by himself and so I spent the nights with him. The Doctors were amazed by his miraculous recovery. He was as good as new, stronger than ever but they kept him there for observation. We played poker and heart attack and other card games. Most of the time, Alexander would be busy on his Macbook, chatting with friends and updating his status on Facebook. He had received plenty of flowers and fruit baskets, well wishes from everyone. I was surprised that even Bishop had sent a large fruit basket.
Alexander was craving for some frappuccinos and I decided to head down to the Starbucks in the hospital and get some for him. I saw Klaus in the hospital foyer and I smiled, wanting to hug him. Then I saw another woman walking towards him. She was young, beautiful with curly hair, skin the color of cafe au lait and big brown eyes. I gasped watching the loving way she looked at Klaus. Klaus smiled at her and pulled her in for an embrace and I watched as he kissed her lips so passionately in broad daylight in front of everyone in the hospital. They were holding hands like any ordinary couple and headed to the elevator. Except of course, I was his wife and I saw everything.
I bought the frappucinnos and went up to Alexander's room. Klaus was there and so was that woman. I just stared at them in disbelief. What was she even doing in the room?
"Mom..." Alexander smiled at me.
"I got your drinks Alex..." I said with a terse smile and handed the Starbucks paperbag to him. I was furious inside. Angry that Klaus would bring his woman to meet my son. I looked away. I did not want to give Klaus any indication that I was angry or jealous. I just didn't want to care anymore.
"This is Miss Martin, the new guidance councilor in my school," Alexander spoke wanted to introduce the woman to me. She smiled at me and I only gave a scowl. Alexander was surprised by my reaction but thought nothing of it.
"I'm Greta. It's nice to meet you," The woman introduced herself. "Just here to make sure that Alex is well."
"It's a coincidence really that she ran into Father on the way here," Alexander spoke and slurped his Espresso frappuccinno.
"I'm sure it is Alex..." I said in a sweet tone and gave Greta my most acidic smile. I looked at Klaus and glared at him. He ignored me of course. Oh...It was definitely not going to be a smooth ride.
Greta was my husband's new mistress. Except she wasn't any ordinary mistress. She came from a long powerful line of witches. Her late mother was a Strega with a long history of witchcraft from Turin, Italy and her father was a brilliant necromancer. Dr Jonas Martin did not approve of his daughter's alliance with Klaus. He actually thought that Greta had been kidnapped but it was the other way round really. Greta had fallen so deeply in love with Klaus that she begged him to take her with him and of course Klaus couldn't say no to a pretty face and obliged.
Klaus bought Greta a large apartment in the city and she got a job in Alexander's school. They had been seeing each other since 2005. I never knew a single thing about it. Klaus had succeeded in keeping me in the dark. It was Aidan who filled me in. I was furious and angry. I felt so humiliated. For four years, Klaus had been living with that woman, leading a second life, while I was left alone in the large mansion in the mountains. He even brought Greta with him on vacation trips. They went to Paris, London and all of Europe. A three month cruise from Florida up to Rhode Island, crossing the Atlantic and around the Med. Weekend trips to the Caribbean. Was Klaus in love with Greta? I wouldn't know. He sure acted like he was.
"So what are you going to do?" Aidan asked me. We were sitting in a bistro with a beautiful view of Puget Sound and the boats in the marina.
"I don't know..." I sighed and stared at the photographs taken of Klaus and Greta.
Aidan had hired a private investigator to follow Klaus and the photographs taken were incriminating enough. There was a recent one where they were suntanning in Jamaica. I balked seeing the intimate hugs Klaus gave her. They were holding hands and walking by the beach, making out even. He even had a tattoo of her name on his arm. Oh My God... That was just too much...
"Maybe I could file for divorce or something." I said and looked at Aidan. He only chuckled and shook his head.
"You don't think I can do it?" I asked Aidan and stared at him. I was a little annoyed.
"You've been together for so long Elly..." Aidan sighed. He looked good wearing his aviator Raybans and a striped T shirt. He wore a smart black jacket over it. "Klaus has his women Elly. You know it...You've known it for a long while."
"He never tattooed their names on his arm before..." I said harshly.
"He's in love with her..." I told Aidan. He gave me a sympathetic smile and squeezed my hand. I was saddened by it and angry but then strangely, there was a part of me that felt relieved. This could be my chance. My chance to break free from Klaus. I then looked at Aidan.
"I want to file for divorce..." I breathed. "Klaus and I are legally married..."
"In Las Vegas..." Aidan blurted and tried to stifle his laughter. I frowned at him."Awfully tacky and cheap." He added.
"He lost in a poker game and your Maker..." I stressed. "Wanted Klaus and I to be wed by Elvis in the Chapel of Love..."
Aidan shook his head. "Bishop and his warped sense of humor."
"So will you help me?" I asked him and held his hand that was on the table and squeezed. Aidan gave a reluctant sigh.
"Alright Elly. Only because you're one of my bestfriends..." He said. I smiled brightly at Aidan, grateful he would help.
Klaus came to my room later the next week fuming and furious. He slammed the stack of divorce papers down on the coffee table. It startled me for a while. I had to put the book I was reading away.
"What is the meaning of this?" Klaus asked me. His face reddened in fury, his pale blue eyes turned glacial.
"I want a divorce..." I looked up and told him in a matter of fact tone.
"Why the fuck would you want to do that!" He demanded angrily.
"So then you can be free to do as you wish and fuck who you want and I'll be free too..." I told him nonchalantly
"You know that will never happen Elly! We're married and therefore bound forever!" He hollered. I watched as he ripped the divorce papers in half with his bare hands. I was shocked to see that. Did he really think I wasn't serious?
"I won't be humiliated Klaus!" I cried. "If you want to have your little apartment with that whory witch/school counsellor whatever the hell she is! And bring her around the world with you. You can do it after you divorce me!"
Klaus stared at me. He didn't know what to say or how to respond. He probably didn't expect me to find out. I was so pissed that I took his hand and pushed the sleeves up. I saw it the tattoo, Greta in cursive letters and a small rose. I showed it to Klaus. He breathed in sharply.
"Since you're obviously in love with the witch, go be with her...Just let me go," I told him.
"Just like that..." Klaus spoke in a low tone and stared at me. "You would just let me go Elly..."
I gave a shrug and breathed. "If that is what you want Klaus..."
"You won't even fight for me..." Klaus stared at me and I saw the hurt in his eyes. I kept quiet and looked away.
"I'm not even worth fighting for. Is that it?" Klaus asked me. "Is that it Elly?" He questioned angrily again.
I ignored him again. Klaus then went to the cupboard and I was surprised when he took out the bottle of vervain. I watched in horror as he poured vervain on his arm. He winced in a pain but he continued pouring. The vervain was corrosive on his skin and I smelled the acrid scent of what seemed like acid on skin. His skin burned and shriveled and then it was only the red meat.
"Stop it!" I screamed. I took the bottle from his hand and threw it away. I held Klaus' arm and soon it healed. His skin was back to normal without the tattoo on it.
"It's just a tattoo Elly...That's it. It doesn't mean anything." Klaus said in a harsh tone before leaving the room.
A week later Greta moved into the mansion and Klaus had another witch, a male witch named Maddox to move in as well. He stopped coming to my bedroom and we stopped being intimate and loving. Klaus would compel Alexander into accepting the dysfunctional family that we had. As if it was normal for a man to let his mistress live under the same roof as his wife. I hated it of course. We would have morning breakfast in the parlor and I would see the look of contempt on Greta Martin's face. I knew she hated me too. She'd probably try to find a spell to make Klaus leave me.
I sighed silently. Oh Honey...Trust me, I wanted to leave him for a very long time. You're just the catalyst.
One evening about two months later, I was surprised that Aidan came to visit. He looked very sombre and I wondered what was up. Aidan had bad news to break. Lexie had been staked. Her body was in Mystic Falls and Klaus was going to have it brought to the mansion, where we'd have a proper funeral. We were her family after all. I hadn't seen Lexie in decades. After the war, she went to live in Vancouver for a while and then moved back to New York. She had a huge falling out with Klaus and Klaus was furious when he had commanded Lexie to come back but she had disobeyed him.
I went to my room and cried quietly to myself. The door creaked open and I turned to look. Klaus was standing at the door way. He went in the room and looked at me as I sat on the bay window and hugged my knees to my chest.
"I'm going to kill whoever's responsible," Klaus told me. "I promise you."
"Doesn't matter Klaus...What good will it bring? Lexie is dead. Nothing will bring her back." I said and wiped my tears. I looked at him closely. "Did you really love her? Our Lexie..."
"She was like a daughter to me..." Klaus spoke. "She was my child. I made her, I sired her. Of course I loved her."
I looked away and stared out the window seeing the mountains and distant pine forests. "She should have died years ago, an old woman, warm in her bed. Lexie should have children and grandchildren of her own and a family who loves her. You took that away from her Klaus..." I spoke. I turned and stared at him.
"Lexie died alone, a stake through her heart in some dark alley in some stupid town...I hate you for this." I looked at him with all the hate in my heart. Klaus sighed and gave a small nod.
"You're in mourning Darling. Your anger is natural..." Klaus spoke calmly. He moved and kissed my forehead before pulling me in his arms and I just broke down and cried. Klaus cradled me in his embrace all night.
I slept that night dreaming of young Lexie in her lovely gown and her French accented English. "Maman...Don't worry Maman...I'm alright now..."
The little girl was running down the pasture and I smiled as I saw a beautiful blonde woman emerging with her sweet bright smile. "Elly. Take care of Klaus for me. I will always love the both of you. You're the only parents I've ever known."
Alexia was dressed in white and Klaus laid her body on the wooden platform. We would cremate her like it had been done in the old days. We had white roses in her hair and her hands. She was covered with white roses. Her face grey and ashen when the stake was removed. I had cried again when I saw the body. Beautiful Lexie dead. Who had done it? Aidan had compelled one of the police officers who said that the Sheriff herself had staked Lexie. There was a vampire problem in the town of Mystic Falls and the law enforcement officers were secretly killing off the vampires. Lexie was in the wrong place in the wrong time. What was she even doing there?
Klaus lighted the torch and I just watched as her body burned in the night. Alexander held my hand and gave a small sympathetic smile. One day I would tell him about Lexie, the girl I had raised as my daughter and I grew to love as a sister even. He would understand. I wanted to tell Alexander everything. I had my son. I was alright. I didn't even care that Greta was standing next to Klaus. She later hugged him, hoping he would be comforted. I saw her eyes just staring at me as she held Klaus close. She had that smug smile on her face. One I so badly want to wipe off if I could.
I was surprised when Klaus came to my room that night. I was already in bed asleep when I felt someone creeping in. He moved under the covers and pulled me in his arms. I turned and stared at him. I was irritated and furious. I wanted to push him away but he had held me so tightly. His grip was too strong. In the end I relented and lied there.
"I just want to hold you. That's all..." Klaus said and I didn't say anything. He started humming that tune again and cuddled close.
"Remember when Lexie was little and she loved to play hide and seek in that big house?" Klaus asked me. I only kept quiet. I remembered of course. She would run and hide and giggled happily to herself while Klaus would try to find her.
"I always knew where she was hiding you know...I could hear her heartbeat...but I would just pretend that I didn't know where to find her..."
"What are you trying to say?" I turned and asked him.
"Elly...Lexie went to Mystic Falls because I asked her to..." Klaus told me.
"You sent her there but why?" I was even more upset to hear it. Did Klaus know that Lexie would be in danger?
"There were rumors that Katerina never really died in the church fire...some vampires who drove through town thought they saw her...I wanted Lexie to investigate..." Klaus said. He then paused for a while.
"It wasn't Katerina. Lexie called me. Just someone who looked like her. The girl's human..." I saw that smile on Klaus' face. I stared at him in disbelief. No...It's just not possible. Is it even true? There was another who looked like Katerina, who looked like my sister even.
"It's the doppelganger Elly. She's finally here..."