Chapter 6

3 months have passed and Rebekah has left the city after a little tiff she and Klaus had. Klaus had found out that Rebekah brought Mikael to New Orleans one time they had to run from this town and as consequence Klaus told her to leave New Orleans right away and never return. It wasn't just Rebekah's leaving but the city was at war. No one got along. The witches, the vampires, the wolves and even the humans were all fighting with each other.

Caroline was in bed laughing as Klaus was tickling her in all the sensitive places.

"Stop, please, I can't take it anymore."

"Okay, but only because you asked so nicely."

Caroline stopped laughing and they just looked at each other while they were next to each other, laying on their elbows.

"You make me so happy, love, but-"

"But? I don't like buts."

"But I want to make it official. You and me having a relationship. Would you be my queen?"

"Klaus," Caroline rolled off the bed, starting to gather her clothes, "I thought we talked about this. We don't put a name on what we have and we don't talk about it publicly, although everyone knows about it."

"That's my point. If everyone knows, then let's make it official."

"I would be your queen and Hayley would be your baby's mother. I think it would be a little weird for everyone. Let her serve as the queen for now. I'm happy to be just sharing your bed." She smiled at him.

"You don't want to commit. Why? Are you thinking about going back to Mystic falls some day?"

"You know it's going to happen sooner or later. I need to go be with my mother and my friends who won't buy that danger story for long. I'm not in any danger anymore."

"You are always in danger. As long as I care about you, are in danger."

"Well I can't stay in New Orleans until you get tired of me."

Then Klaus hopped on the floor and closed the distance to put his arms around her. "I will never ever get tired of you, Caroline."

Caroline smiled as she heard him say that but then got serious as she said, "That's even worse, I can't stay her indefinitely, Klaus."

"Why not? Why can't you just forget about your old life. I'm not against you visiting your mother, I know how much she means to you, but you are not going to go back to live there."

"Says who, you? I thought I told you I'm not your prisoner."

"Caroline, please, I can't let you go after having you for so little time."

"Okay, let's talk about this another time. I have to go. I have plans with Hayley."

Elijah came in after Caroline had left his bed and chastised him over his leisure activities.

"Niklaus, it has been three months. Now, I am very happy for you and Caroline-"

"Are you?"

"Of course. But it's distracting you. It's time to act."

"Why?"

"Because over the course of Marcel's tenure, the city grew accustomed to having a king. You wanted this throne. Now, you must accept the responsibility that accompanies that."

Klaus began to paint and only half-paid attention to Elijah. "Apologies, but I'm rather ensconced in other pursuits."

Elijah snatched the paintbrush from Klaus' hand and told him "Have you forgotten what it was like to live beneath the threat of violence? We must work together, Niklaus. Let's make this city whole again."

Klaus huffed and took back his paintbrush and returned to his painting.

"If you don't do anything, I will." Elijah told him.

And the compound Cami came to Klaus' room to look for him where he was currently with Caroline again.

"Oh, hey, Cami. Had you just walked in 5 minutes earlier…" Caroline winked at Cami.

"I would have seen something I would never get out of my head, I guess," Cami managed to smile a little. "Actually, Caroline, Can I talk to Klaus for a minute?"

"Yeah sure," Caroline said and planted a little kiss on Klaus' lips, "I'll be in my room."

"So what brings you here, Camille?" Klaus asked.

"I'm here about my uncle. He's deteriorating. The pills, the meditation, they're not working. His lucidity's shrinking by the day. A witch did this, a witch can undo it. You get along with this witch Genevieve or something since she told you about your sister's wrongdoings or whatever... maybe you could persuade her to help."

"It won't do any good. These hexes, they start with magic, but as they take root, they alter the very chemistry of the brain. I'm sorry, Cami. The damage is done."

"I refuse to accept that, and you would, too, if you had any concept of family."

Elijah had thrown a party at the compound, hoping to get fractions to work with one another.

Klaus was on the balcony when Cami came in, holding a glass.

"Looking for your bed friend."

"Cami, you are drunk."

"Please, it's nothing. And how should I behave when my uncle is dying while you the biggest baddest hybrid aren't doing anything to help him. And why do you like Caroline so much? She's baby vampire, should be quite ordinary for you."

"Then who should I like? You, the ordinary human?"

"Well, at least, I know myself and what I want."

"So what is it that you want, Camille?" Klaus asked, looking her straight in the eye.

"You. And your help."

"Oh, Camille, If I had only met you sooner, maybe things would be different."

"But right now, she's all you can think about?"

Klaus was about to say something when he noticed Jackson coming up the stairs.

"Excuse me, Cami, I have to go."

At first when Jackson saw Klaus he asked if he came to kill him.

"I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to offer you a gift." Klaus simply answered.

"Out of the kindness of your vampire heart?" Jackson asked.

"Our hearts are more similar than you might realize. You see, long before I evolved, mine beat as a werewolf. I know your power. I know your burden. I'm here to take the latter away."

"How are you going to do it. Make me a hybrid?"

"No."

Klaus pushed past Jackson to grab a wooden box from his desk. Jackson became curious.

"My mother was a very powerful witch. I watched her craft all manner of magical items, but her most prized possession was this ring. I hadn't seen it for 1000 years, and then it turned up hanging around the neck of a werewolf- a direct descendant of my biological father. I believe she gave him this ring as a way of freeing him."

"How so?"

"Daylight rings shield vampires from the sun. So, why not a moonlight ring to protect werewolves from the curse? Think about it! No more breaking bones, no more losing control to the beast within."

"What do I have to do?"

Elsewhere at the party, Caroline was standing on the side lines, watching everyone dance, when Elijah appeared beside her.

"Would you care to dance?" Elijah asked her.

Caroline took his hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor.

"You outdid yourself! You even got Klaus to come out and play."

"Yes, it seems that only a sizable soirée is enough to tear my brother away from his efforts at the easel"

"I don't know if it's a good sign. Klaus once told me that his painting was a metaphor for control. For achieving his vision through sheer force of will."

"Well, truthfully, I'd be shocked if he didn't have at least a dozen or so of those visions swarming around in that insidious skull of his. I do hope his and Hayley's daughter inherits her mother's… everything.

"So you have a thing for Hayley?"

"No. I just said what everyone in this building are thinking. That is all. Hayley is a lovely woman and a friend but it's only that. I still haven't gotten over…"

"Katherine?"

"Yes."

"Well, let's just hope it happens sooner rather than later."

"Why?" Elijah asked her but she didn't have time to answer as Klaus appeared.

"Can I cut in?" Klaus asked Elijah.

"You can wait a little, can't you." Elijah said, trying to ignore his brother.

Caroline was frustrated, seeing them bickering and said to Elijah, "It's OK. I do need to talk to him anyway."

When Elijah was gone, Klaus asked if everything was alright.

"Yeah, fine. We were just discussing the future of the city."

"How can you be thinking about the city right now? I should have told you how beautiful you look tonight."

Caroline just smiled as Klaus pulled her closer and they continued to dance the night away.

Klaus came home to find Elijah waiting for him.

"If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results, then surely my quest for your salvation ranks me as one of the maddest of men."

"Come on, then. What horrible deed has the bastard done this time?" Klaus asked his brother

"Do you know, in the past, I actually appreciated the methods to your manipulations? However, now, here we are, poised on the brink of a new era which will benefit not only your home but your child, and you go behind my back to conspire with wolves."

"Conspire is hardly the word I would use for a family council. I would've thought you'd support my desire to help them, when in doing so, I help Hayley, and the child."

"Do not question my allegiance towards that child! And besides the child, I have hoped that Caroline Forbes was the way to get you to have some kind of redemption, some way for you to see the error of your ways. But I'm beginning to think that not your child, not even Caroline is going to make that happen."

"It's funny that you see Caroline as my redemption when you can't wait yourself to have her in your bed. Yes, you see, I saw how you cared for her tonight. Danced with her like she was yours to have. Which she isn't by the way."

"I have denied every single impulse I have ever had for that woman. Out of some misbegotten respect for intentions that you don't even have."

"I'm warning you..."

"No, I'm warning you. I've forgiven you. I have stood by you. I've forsaken every single one of my desires in the name of your ridiculous redemption. No more. If I want something I'll take it. And nothing will stand in my way."

Later, Klaus went to see Camille. He was drinking at the bar when she arrived to meet him.

"Camille, I talked to Genevieve tonight. She promised to help your uncle in exchange for a "small" favour."

"What was that favour?"

"She wants my mother's spellbook."

Cami froze in place as Klaus continued.

"Now, I appreciate your friendship and your allegiance to me, but I can't give that away. When I said no, she tried to steal it from under my nose. I offered a few pages from it, of her choosing. She told me no."

"Why did you come here to tell me all of this?"

"To tell you that I tried everything I could and to tell you how sorry I am about your uncle."

"Right. Klaus, please leave, If you can't help me, then please leave. I want to be alone."

Klaus didn't say anything, he just put the glass on the counter and walked away.

In Lafayette Cemetery the coven has gathered to decide Genevieve's fate.

"The ancestors told me to let you live. But in exchange, they want another offering. One of their choosing." Monique, one of the harvest girls, told Genevieve.

"Tell me. Whatever it is they want, I will make sure they get it. I swear it."

"The ancestors want us to kill Klaus' child." Monique announced to everyone.