I Need Another Story
Elena Gilbert hated lying, especially to those she gave her heart to like Matt, for years she lied to him their future or the future that Matt wanted for them and she went along with his every word when deep down she knew that what he wanted and what she wanted for herself where two completely different things.
After her break up with Matt, she found herself being honest with Elijah until now and she found herself lying yet again at the request of Esther Mikaelson no less.
She had been completely surprised and lucky that she was only one to notice the car parked outside the gates of the house.
She had crept out of the bedroom wrapping her dressing gown around herself tightly as she walked out of the gate and towards the car tapping on the window.
Which rolled down and she was met with the icy gaze of Esther.
'What are you doing here?'.
She asked not wanting to waste time with pleasantries.
'Good morning Elena'.
Esther offered with a smile.
'I'm going to ask you one more time, what are you doing here?'.
'I understand you disdain for me, if the circumstance where different I would do the same'.
Elena scoffed.
'No you would likely turn a blind eye regardless of the circumstances, I mean that's what you do.
Your husband raises his hand to your son and you sit back do nothing'.
Esther looked away and sighed.
'You judge me but you have no real understanding of the situation I was in'.
'Explain it to me then let me understand how you could sit back and let Mikael abuse Klaus the way that he did'.
'Aunty Elena'.
Elena turned around as Lexi stood in the doorway in her pyjamas and a book in arms.
'Lexi I'll be there in a second okay'.
She called back hoping that Lexi calling out for her hadn't altered anyone else and then looked back at Esther who was staring at Lexi who waited in the doorway.
'Lexi',
She whispered and then looked at Elena.
'I will explain everything to you but not here and not today'.
'When?'.
Elena asked glancing at Lexi who had disappeared from the front door and was now picking flowers in the front yard.
'Thursday you will join me for afternoon tea at Claridges, don't tell anyone that you're meeting me'.
'Fine'.
She turned and walked away back through the gate to Lexi who had collected daisies and smiled at Elena.
'Who was that?'.
Lexi asked always and Elena shrugged touching the girls shoulder.
'Nobody important now how about I make you some breakfast and then we can make some daisy chains, sound good'.
Lexi nodded as she skipped to the front step picking up her book and heading inside while Elena glanced over her shoulder to watch Esther drive away.
'Elena'.
Elena blinked to find Elijah staring at her curiously.
'Sorry I was daydreaming, what's going on?
She asked as she sat up.
'Nothing I was just letting you know that we're leaving'.
'Right of course for your family meeting, will your mother be joining you?'.
Elijah shook his head as he sat down on the bed beside her.
'No it will be just my siblings and my aunts, we are going to discuss Henry's health with his nurses, what will you do to occupy yourself in my absences'.
'I don't know yet but I do know I will miss you terribly'.
She smiled as he placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her.
'I will miss you all the same'.
He kissed her once more before rising from the bed, she listened as he joined his siblings downstairs before they departed and once she heard Klaus saying goodbye to Caroline who was also on her way out with Lydia for the day did she set her feet on the floor.
'Is there a reason you didn't tell me that Klaus is back'.
Marcel looked at Cami as she stormed into his apartment and turned to look at him as he shut the front door.
'Please come in'.
He replied with a smirk as he looked at her.
'Well did you know he was back'?
Marcel nodded as he walked past her.
'Is he back for good?'.
Marcel looked at her, he could see the hope in her eyes and the expectation in her voice that the person she loved was staying.
'He isn't back for good, he's moved on with his life he has a daughter and a wife now'.
His words seemed to hurt her and he wanted to take them back but she needed to know that there was no hope for a reconciliation between her and Klaus.
'A wife that would explain who that pretty blonde he was all over was and a daughter after what happened I didn't think'.
Marcel looked at her.
'You cheated on him with me no less'.
'MARCEL'.
He bellowed as he stormed into the building, heads turned to look at Marcel as Klaus pushed his way past people that stared at him and then at Marcel.
'Why did you do it?'.
Klaus yelled as he grabbed Marcel by the collar and shoved him against the closest wall.
'Why, her after everything why her?'
His voice low.
'You've been pushing her away for weeks'.
Marcel instantly regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth as Klaus drew back his fist and slammed it right into his jaw.
Followed by another, he lost count of the blows he received until he felt Klaus's grip loosen and he fell back against the wall, he would have crumpled to his feet but he knew better and stood on very shaky legs.
'I loved her and she slept with you my best friend, the two people I trusted betrayed me'.
He heard Klaus whisper harshly in his ear.
'I'm sorry'.
Marcel pleaded he could taste the blood on his lips, his vision blurred as he tried to focus on Klaus's face but all he could make out was the look in Klaus's eyes, he had seen it once before and he himself had to pull Klaus away before he ended up killing someone.
Klaus looked at Marcel his face bloody and then down at his own hands.
'I knew exactly who Tatia was but Cami I thought she was good clearly she's just another manipulative women but you're welcome to her'.
He walked away the crowd that had gathered parted as he moved through them and out of the door.
That would be the last time Marcel would see Klaus until a couple of weeks later when he spotted Klaus at Heathrow airport.
'Coffee'.
Stefan looked up from his laptop to find Bonnie standing in front of him with an outstretched arm holding a cup of coffee which he took.
'Thanks'.
'No problem, Rebekah told me to keep you heavily caffeinated, how's the writing?'
He shrugged as he turned the laptop towards her so she could see exactly how much writing he had managed to accomplish in the last three hours.
She looked at the blank screen and then back at him.
'Usually I can have at least 5,000 words on the screen but today I am drawing a complete blank and my editor has sent me 5 kindly worded emails'.
'She sounds delightful, why don't you try getting out of the house find inspiration on the street of London after all some of the best writers are from this city so something here must be inspiring'.
He looked at her and nodded.
'You make a good point, do you want to join me after all we both without our partners and children for the rest of the afternoon and honestly I could do with the company'.
'Sure why not I haven't really got the chance to explore myself it's not exactly with baby who demands feeding every 3 hours but Bethany being the angel has relieved me of my motherly duties for the afternoon so yes I will join and help you find inspiration'.
Stefan smiled at her and then turned his head as he heard the door close.
'She is the cutest thing I have ever seen?'.
A women commented looking at Lydia who was eating a strawberry in her pram while Caroline paid for her latest editions to Lydia's ever growing closet.
Caroline looked at her daughter and smiled.
'Thank you, is this your first?',
Caroline commented it was hard not to notice the women's expanding stomach and she nodded.
'Yes and I am terrified is she your only child?'
Caroline nodded.
'For now she is me and my husband are trying for number two'.
The women chuckled looking at Lydia and then at Caroline.
'You're a braver women than me I think after this little one that will be it for me'.
Caroline smiled as the cashier handed her bags.
'I've always wanted a big family with maybe 3 or 4 children running around the house I think it was to make up for me being an only child.
I don't want my own child to feel alone'.
The women nodded.
'I'm Sophie'.
'Caroline'.
'I know we've just met but I'm about to embark on baby shopping with my friend but she hasn't had children herself and I was wondering from one mother to one expectant mother if maybe you wouldn't mind helping'.
Caroline looked at Sophie and nodded.
'Sure besides it will be best I put shopping expertise to use for someone else other than my daughter I don't want my husband to have heart attack when he sees how much I've spent, so lead the way'.
Sophie laughed as Caroline offered Lydia a fresh strawberry before following her out of the store.
Elena self-consciously played with the hem of her dress as she walked into Claridges.
'Can I help you Madam?'.
She turned to look at the man who stood behind the reception.
'Yes I'm here to have afternoon tea with Esther Mikaelson'.
The man looked down at the list in front of him and then back at Elena.
'Follow me'.
Elena followed him, as she walked behind him she was aware of the looks she was receiving even though she had worn a dress and heels it was clear that she wasn't as refined as most of the people in the room.
She noticed Esther sitting by a window and she rose from her chair as Elena came forward.
'Mrs Mikaelson your guest has arrived'.
'Thank you Frank'.
Frank turned and walked away while Elena sat down and Esther did the same.
'I wasn't sure you would come'.
Esther told her as she poured out tea for them both.
'I almost didn't I almost told Elijah that I was meeting you but I didn't because I want to hear what it is that you have to say'.
Esther smiled at her.
'How long have you been seeing Elijah?'.
'Almost 8 months but I'm not here to discuss my relationship with Elijah'.
Esther looked at Elena and then toward the window.
'I got married at a very young age Elena and by time I was 25 I already had two children under the age of 7.
A couple of years after Elijah was born, I met someone else who wasn't my husband and he lavished me with all the attention in the world, the way Mikael once did.
I still loved my husband you must understand that it was never my intention to be unfaithful to him but he wasn't around and when he was all he was interested was talking business never about us or he paid more attention to Finn and Elijah than he did me.
I guess you could say I was jealous of my own children but with Joshua it was different I was his only priority and after months of resisting him.
I gave in and lived a secret life away from my family in apartment in Clapham, I lived the life I wanted to have with Mikael and it was perfect until then I found I was expecting another child.
Elijah had just turned 3 when I found out and I wanted to get rid of the child but by that time it was too late.
Mikael found out there was no way for me to hide my changing body from him.
I thought he would be angry another child wasn't exactly part of the plan but he wasn't in fact he seemed pleased and so I continued to lie to him.
I went back to playing the loving wife of two children with another on the way.
I didn't want him to know what I had done that I had gone against my vows and laid in bed with another man.'
Elena looked at her for the longest time.
'Mikael isn't Klaus's father'.
Esther nodded and Elena sighed.
'Did Joshua even know that you were expecting?'.
'No I broke things off with him once I found out but he kept trying to contact me until I wrote him telling him that it was over and that myself and Mikael had worked out our issues.
It broke my heart to lie to him that way but it had to be done and after that I never heard from him again well not until a couple of years later when I saw his picture in the paper announcing his engagement and by this point I had Nikklaus and Kol'.
Elena looked at the women who sat opposite her.
'Did Mikael ever find out?'.
Esther nodded.
'I found him watching Nikklaus as he got older and one day he asked me just after Nikklaus turned 4 and I didn't deny it and that was the moment everything changed.'
'Why didn't you stop him?'.
Elena demanded her voice louder than she expected but she didn't care.
'I couldn't if I tried he could have turned on me, thrown me out of my own home'.
Elena couldn't believe what she was hearing.
'So to spare yourself the humiliation you let Klaus suffer because you found comfort in the arms of another man, you had a family who loved you who would have done anything to help you but you hid behind a lie and let your son suffer'.
Esther reached across the table to touch Elena's trembling hand but she pulled it away.
'Don't touch me, I came here hoping to understand you better but I don't in fact I find myself disgusted by you.'.
She rose from her chair and stormed out of the room, she could hear footsteps following after as she stormed into the busy London streets when she felt some grab her hand and spun round to glare at Esther.
'I understand your anger but please don't tell my children'.
'Are you serious, I'm not going to lie to them especially Klaus he deserves the truth, he needs to know that his real father is out there somewhere he deserves that'.
'I understand that you love Elijah and see Nikklaus as family but the truth won't do them any good not now, the past is in the past Elena I'm protecting them'.
'Yeah your protecting them more like your protecting yourself as you always have done and your right I won't be the one to tell them you will and if you don't come clean.
I will tell Elijah everything whether you want me to or not'.
She turned away from Esther signalling for a passing black cab which came to a stop in front of her as she climbed into the car she looked back at Esther.
'We leave in 3 weeks, I'm giving you 14 days to confess before I do'.
'Sophie, sorry I'm late I had to go see someone'.
Sophie smiled as her friend walked into Bambino and embraced her friend before placing her hands on her ever growing stomach and then smiled down at Lydia who stared back up at her.
'Who is this cutie?'.
She asked there was something familiar about Lydia's face but she couldn't place it.
'This is Lydia, she's Caroline's daughter'.
'Who is Caroline?'.
She asked confused.
'That would be me'.
Cami turned to find herself face to face with Caroline aka Klaus's wife.
'Caroline Mikaelson baby shopper'.
She said with a warm smile extending her hand to Cami who looked at her hand before shaking it.
'Camille O'Connell, so how did you two meet?'.
She asked as she looked at Sophie.
'We met at Lucy's, Caroline buying up everything in sight'.
Caroline laughed.
'Well my little one is growing every day I need to make sure she has clothes that fit even if my husband doesn't think she needs so many clothes but then he isn't the one changing her every few hours'.
Cami looked at Lydia as she stared at the infant who was smiling at Caroline as she put her shoes back on her feet after she had kicked them off.
Jealously filled her heart as she listened to Lydia laugh as Caroline kissed her cheeks, the feeling that could have been her if she made the right choices all those years ago.
'How long have you been married?'.
Cami asked as she walked beside Caroline with Sophie in front of them who was looking at different sized baby grows.
'Two years in 6 months'.
'Wow, sorry but you seem so young'.
'Don't worry I get that a lot people are always surprised when I tell them that I'm married and I have a daughter but I love my life more now than I did before I got married and had her'.
'She loves it so much, she and her husband are already trying for baby number two I think she's crazy but she's clearly madly in love with her husband'.
Sophie commented smiling at Caroline while Cami stared at her.
'Caroline which size should I go for?'.
Sophie asked holding up various sized baby grows a look of confusion on her face,
Cami was thankful for the distraction from hearing about Caroline's perfect life with the man they both loved as Caroline went to join Sophie.
Cami leaned down next to pram and Lydia stared at her again as Cami touched her face which made Lydia smile.
'You could have been mine'.
She whispered into the child's ear.
'Did you say something?'.
Caroline asked as she looked at Cami who shook her head.
'No I was just telling this one who beautiful she is'.
Caroline smiled.
'Her daddy tells her that all the time'.
'I bet he does'.
She replied as she looked at Lydia for one final moment.
Stefan and Bonnie walked along the Southbank stopping to watch the various street performers along the way.
They found themselves fascinated by the many performers they saw.
As they walked Stefan found himself watching as a man sat in the middle of walkway with his easel painting passing couples.
Bonnie stopped to watch as her friend sat down on the wall and stared at the man and smiled to herself as she sat beside him.
'Looks to me like you've found your inspiration'.
Stefan didn't say anything but just stared at the man in his mind he was already seeing the words form on paper of the story he would tell about the lone artist.
'London really is a magical place, thank you Bonnie for telling me to get out of the house'.
She nodded as she watched the artist turn to fresh page and start to draw another couple.
Two teenagers clearly besotted with each other, the girl smiling at the boy who was most probably telling the worst joke in the world but it didn't matter as she was laughing at his every word.
Her cheeks flushed red as he slipped his hand into hers and then whispered something in her ear that made her look away from him but he kept his eyes on her the whole time.
'Look at them, do you remember being young and in love?'.
She asked and he nodded.
'I do but I wouldn't trade places with them for the world, look at our lives now would you really want to go back to being a teenager, figuring out your life and what you want to do when you grow up'.
She looked at him considering her words.
'Well if I followed my teenage path, I wouldn't have given Kol a chance and I would have had Noah, so I see your point but sometimes I miss it the uncertainty of it all, you know figuring it all out but I'm happy with the choices, what about you?'.
'I became a parent at 19 and when Rebekah told me she was pregnant I was terrified I had no idea how to be father or how to raise a child but being a father it's nothing I can describe I mean every day I get to watch Alexa and Lexi grow up and I wouldn't change anything about my life'.
Elena was supposed to be heading home after her meeting with Esther but she wasn't ready to go home just yet so found herself in a wine bar with a bottle of red wine for company.
She couldn't believe what Esther had said to her the excuses she made for why she let Klaus suffer at the hands of Mikael.
She didn't know why but she hoped that Esther would come clean to her children and not let Elena be the one to reveal the secret she had been keeping for 27 years.
She heard her phone ringing and looked at it.
'Elijah'.
Flashed up on the screen and she was tempted to ignore it but it was bad enough she was lying to him.
'Hey you'.
She answered with a smile as she heard him sigh down the phone.
'Hello, I see you're not at home and I wanted to see you'.
She instantly felt guilty at his words.
'I want to see you too, I'm coming home right now okay'.
'Okay, Elena is everything okay you sound upset'.
'No I'm fine Elijah don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine'.
She went silent for a moment just listening to him breath.
'Elijah'.
'Yes'.
'I love you'.
He chuckled down the line and she could imagine him smirking at that moment.
'I love you too, now hurry home I'll be waiting for you'.
He hang up and she stared at the unopened bottle of wine beside her before dropping her phone into her bag
'Thank you for your helping me this afternoon, I would still be in Bambinos with no clue of baby clothes sizes and what pram to get'.
Sophie said as she and Cami stood with Caroline who was waiting for Klaus to come pick her up.
'Your very welcome, I know what it's like to when you're expecting your first I would have been a complete mess if wasn't for my sister in law Rebekah helping me out'.
'Well as a thank you, you should come to my restaurant Russo's one night before you leave, it will be on me of course'.
'Thank you that's very sweet of you'.
She smiled and then looked at Lydia.
'Dada'.
Cami looked in the direction that Lydia was clapping excitedly in and saw him walking towards them.
He was still as breath-taking as she remember, stubble now lined his jaw, and his hair was shorter but still had its curl.
He didn't even seem to notice her standing next to Sophie as he smiled at Lydia plucking the child from her pram and kissing her cheek before looking at Caroline and kissing her ignoring that fact that she wasn't alone until she pushed him back her hand remaining on his chest.
He looked at Caroline in away she didn't recognise maybe because he never looked at her that way before and it made her heart ache for him.
'Klaus this is Sophie and Cami'.
Klaus looked at Sophie and smiled at her and then his eyes shifted to Cami and his smiled faltered but he recovered it before Caroline noticed.
'Camille, it's nice to see you again'.
He offered her his hand which she shook once and smiled back at him but refused to look him in the eyes she knew the look that would greet her if she look there.
'You know each other?'.
Caroline commented and Klaus nodded.
'Yes, she used date Marcel'.
His eyes shifting back to Caroline as he passed Lydia back to her.
'Small world'.
Caroline replied as held Lydia.
'I'm going to put her in the car'.
Klaus nodded as Caroline turned towards the car with Sophie following after her leaving Klaus alone with Cami.
'Klaus'.
He didn't say anything to her as he folded down Lydia's pram.
'You're not going to say anything to me not even now after all this time'.
She snapped and he looked at her his eyes cold.
'What exactly would you like me to say, Camille it's good to see you after so long after you lied to me and slept with my best friend, what would you like me to do forgive your betrayal'.
He asked her harshly and she felt the tears in her eyes.
'I never meant to hurt you'.
'Well you did but it wasn't the moment you got into bed with Marcel it was the moment you lied to my face and told me you had a miscarriage when in fact you took Mikael's money and had an abortion'.
'I'm sorry'.
She pleaded with him reaching out for him but pulling her hand back when her hand touched his own.
'It doesn't matter I stopped caring about you the moment I left this city and seeing you now isn't going to change that'.
His words hit hard and she could help the tears that filled her eyes but Klaus wasn't done as he pointed towards Caroline who was laughing with Sophie.
'She saw past the broken man that you made me be.
Her light touched the darkness that you had created around my heart and I will love her for an eternity.
She is strong where you are weak and she never betray me the way you did as it's not in her nature to hurt those she loves.
She loves me at my worst and at my best where you couldn't you believe the words that Mikael told you let his poison fill your head and at what cost'.
He could see how his words tore her apart as the tears rolled down her cheek and then he sighed as saw Sophie and Caroline saying their goodbyes and then he looked at her.
'When Sophie comes over I want you to smile and say goodbye to me as an old friend not an old lover'.
She nodded and wiped her eyes as Sophie approached them.
'What are you two gossiping about?'.
She asked and Klaus laughed.
'Just taking a trip down memory lane, it was really nice to see you again Cami and Sophie it was a pleasure to meet you'.
Sophie nodded and smiled.
'Likewise, Caroline is something special and I hope you will both take my invitation for dinner at my restaurant'.
Klaus nodded.
'I look very forward to that'.
He smiled at them both once more before joining Caroline at the car as he put the pram into the back he glanced back to see Cami watching him as Sophie put her own purchases into her car and he walked over to Caroline.
His hands coming to either side of her of her body, pressing his body against her pushing her back against the car.
Cami couldn't tear her eyes away as Caroline brought a hand to his face stroking his cheek softly with her hands and then Klaus brushed his noses against hers making her smile as he captured her lips in a kiss that was hardly appropriate.
She stared until Klaus pulled away placing a peck to Caroline's lips before stepping back and allowing her to get into the car while he did the same throwing one last glance back at Cami who turned away quickly.
'Should I be jealous that you've spent the afternoon with my brother in law?'.
Kol teased as Bonnie walked into their bedroom smiling at the sight of him holding Noah while he watched the television.
'No, Stefan's not you'.
She replied as she climbed on the bed beside him, he put his arm around her while Noah rested against his chest.
'What are we watching?'.
She asked as she touched Noah's hand the baby gurgling as he looked at his mum.
'Whatever you want?
He replied kissing the side of her head and she smiled.
As soon as he walked through the door with Bonnie, Stefan had retreated upstairs and had been typing nonstop ever since he didn't even notice that Rebekah had walked into the room until he felt her hands on his shoulders and he turned his head to smile at her.
'Hey'.
She whispered into his ear as she sat behind him her hand on his shoulders and he sighed as she massaged them.
'That feels nice'.
He told her and she smiled as she kissed his neck smiling against his skin.
'What's the story?'.
She asked him glancing at his screen.
'It's the story of an artist's experience of love in London'.
He replied.
'I can't wait to read it'.
'You'll be the very first'.
He replied as he looked back at the screen and started to type while Rebekah's hands remained on his shoulders.
Watching the words appear on the page as they flowed from his mind onto the screen.
Caroline watched as Klaus put Lydia to sleep from the doorway, she would never get over watching him with her and he turned around to smile at her.
He had been on edge seeing Cami but the moment he was away from her, the anger he felt lifted.
He took Caroline's hand as he closed the door slightly leaving it open as they crossed the hall and entered their own room.
'So Cami and Marcel I didn't expect that?'.
Caroline commented as she unbuttoned her blouse and Klaus nodded.
'Yes, she broke his heart'.
'Really she looks so innocent'.
'Enough about Cami, I other more important things to think about like you, my love'.
He brought his hand to her bare stomach once she had discarded her blouse.
She shivered in delight at the feeling of his hand on her stomach and then he looked at her.
'Promise me you'll never leave me'.
'Klaus you know I won't'.
'Tell me?'.
He pleaded his voice shaking and she looked at him bringing both her hands to her face.
'If I was ever to leave you what would my purpose be I'm nothing without you, I love you too much to ever put myself through the pain of walking away from you, I'm insanely in love with you Nikklaus'.
He couldn't help but smile at her saying his full name and kissed her his hand remaining on her stomach.
'I'm in insanely in love with you, my light and my strength and I can't wait to hear you tell me your pregnant'
She smiled moving closer to him so that he moved his hand to rest on her lower back.
'Well maybe be we should try again'.
She winked as she put her hand around his neck lowering his lips to hers and he smiled against her lips.
Elena found Elijah sitting on the balcony of their room, slipping her shoes from her feet as she walked out to join him.
He turned to look at her moving his hands from his lap as she sat on his lap he put his arms around her and she sighed softly as she rested against his chest.
'How was your day?'.
He asked her kissing her shoulder.
'Better now'.
She replied smiling.
'Elijah why do you think people keep secrets?'.
'Some people keep secrets to protect themselves and others from the truth'.
'What if you knew a secret that somebody had kept for years and you knew it would change someone's life would you tell the person'.
Elijah thought before answering her.
'It depends on the secret, whether it change the life of the person for better or worse, why are you asking?'.
'No reason just something I've been thinking about'.
She sighed as she felt his hands around her.
'Elijah promise me you'll always be honest with me'.
'Of course I will as long as you promise to do the same'.
'I will'.
She replied even if the guilt from Esther's secret was eating her up inside, she hoped that Esther would come clean to her children.
She needed her too.
So how do you all feel after that latest instalment.
I know there was a lack of the Mikaelsons but I wanted to keep their involvement in the chapter to a minimal but don't worry they will be getting more time in the next chapters.
So Cami how do you feel about her and Esther what a piece of work she is.
With Klaus and Cami, I want it to be clear there are no feelings whatsoever on Klaus's part so there will be no romantic interactions at all.