Chapter 8:
"Why don't we leave them alone for a while so they can talk and catch up?" Pearl suggested.
"We… We could go back to my house… If you want…" Candy suggested.
"I would love that." Klaus replied, still hugging his daughter close.
"You go and we'll stay here for a while. Call of you need us Candy." Anna said as she kissed Candy on the forehead.
.
Candy went on the passenger seat of her father's car and told him where to go. The silence was tensed and full of emotions. They were both waiting to be inside to talk.
They arrived quickly and before he joined Candy inside, he quickly grabbed the necklace he had made for her along with a bag from the back seat.
Once they crossed the door, he handed her the necklace.
"Here, I made it for you…Candy…my daughter…" He said, his voice tick with emotions.
"Thank you…" She said, not knowing if she should call him "Klaus" or "dad" or even "daddy".
She opened the box to find a superb gold chain with a Rose hanging from it. The rose's petals where made of rubies and the rest was made of emeralds and diamonds. On the back of the rose was engraved "Always and forever family, Klaus"
"It's so pretty… Thank you…You really made it yourself?" She said as he helped her put it on.
"Yes…Whenever I got tired of drawing what could have been our life together had I been there to raise you, I would work on it." He replied.
Candy was about to cry again, she knew it and so she decided to change the subject for the time being. She showed him the house quickly and they both sat down on a stone bench in the small rose garden she had installed.
"I heard you loved roses… I'm glad it was true…" Klaus said.
"Gloria mentioned, when she called earlier, that you had to work hard to find me… That it was some sort of trial…"
"It was long but I don't regret it…" he said
"I…um… I've been dreaming of this moment for so long and yet I don't know what to say…"Candy said.
"I know what you mean… I don't know if you're aware of this but… You have an aunt and three uncles. I'm afraid to say three of them are daggered…Only Elijah is walking free… But the others are on their way… I'll undagger them as soon as they get in town…" He said.
"Daggered? Why?" She asked, looking at him with those bright green eyes that made him regret ever loosing his temper with them.
"I have a very bad temper Candy… I lost it with Finn and Kol… With Rebekah I just wanted to protect her from Mickeal, our father who's hunting us. She was being difficult… I'm sure Stefan will be able to tell you everything now that I made him remember." He explained quickly.
"Mickeal… The old vampire that hunts other vampires?" Candy asked.
"You know him? Please tell me that he hasn't tried to hurt you…" Klaus asked her, looking her in the eyes.
"I've never really met him. But Anna told me of him… Pearl had some sort of affair with Kol and so she knows a lot about your family…"
"Yes, I remember them together… I think Pearl is the woman Kol stayed the longest with…" Klaus chuckled.
"Where are you staying? I mean, if you're having those coffins brought in town, you have to have a place right?" She asked him curiously.
"I was thinking of settling in one of the foreclosure in town."
"None sense, I've got this big house here and lots of room. You can stay here… I mean… If you really want to… I don't want to force you or anything…"
"I would love to stay here Candy…Thank you…" He said before he got his phone out and texted his witch the address.
"I guess we should talk about things…" Candy said.
"Yes… I would love for you to tell me about your life… I want to know everything about you Candice…" Klaus told her.
"I grew up in an orphanage called Pony's home. Miss Pony and Sister Lane were running it and I was very happy with them…until my best friend and sister Annie was adopted by the family that wanted me… I had refused to go with them because she was afraid of being left alone…"
She told him everything. How she came to work for the Reagan's, how Niel and Eliza did everything they could to hurt her and get her fired. She told him about her Prince of the heels, about Albert, Anthony, Alistair and Archibald. She told him everything up to the point she met Terry and how they fell in love. She told him of Elisa's plan to get her expelled and how Terry sacrificed himself and went to New York. She told him of all those times when they almost met again and how she ended up studying to become a nurse. She cried when she told him of Susanna and of her joy to find Albert again. She told him how she nursed him back to health only to discover, after another of Niel and Elisa's evil plan, that he was her adoptive father. Then she told him how she met Anna up to how she died.
"I met him." Klaus said.
"What? Who?"
"Albert Ardley… I met him and his right hand Georges at Gloria's one night. He immediately knew I was a vampire and he still drank with me." Klaus said.
"Albert was a great man…"
"You loved him." Klaus realised.
"He did so much for me… He saved my life, adopted me, helped me… he wasn't only my adoptive father, he was my best friend and my big brother…" Candy explained.
"I could have met you sooner… I almost went to his funeral but I got word of you being in New York so I went there…"
"I left New York early to go to his funeral… I was surprised when I learned he left me everything under my new identity…" Candy said.
"I'm glad you found someone to love you like you deserve Candy…and I'm sorry about your Terry…"
"I'm only just now starting to move on…"
"Only now? It must mean someone is helping you moving on. Do I know him?" He asked with a small smile.
"When Stefan introduced me to Damon I thought I was seeing a ghost… It's not that he looks so much like Terry but he was so similar…They acted the same and he just reminded me so much of Terry it hurt… But I also wanted so badly to help him move on from Katherine and to spend more time with him that I endured the pain until it completely disappeared from my heart…"
"I don't personally know Damon but I've heard of him…"
"I think I'll always love Terry in a way but…I don't know… I wish I could be what Damon wants… We'll see I guess…"
"He'll be an idiot not to love you Candy… You're perfect. And I'm not saying that because I helped making you or anything." Klaus replied with a chuckle to make her smile.
"I was wandering… How should I call you? I mean… I… I would… How do you want me to call you?" She asked nervously. It wasn't like her to be so nervous but then again, she never faced with her father before either.
"You can call me Nik if you want, or Klaus…or even Dad or daddy if it's something you might want…"
"Is it something you might like?" She asked, hope shining in his eyes.
"Yes… I would love that."
"Okay then… Daddy it is." Candy replied with a chuckle as she hugged her father, who hugged her back immediately.
They spend the entire day talking about a lot of things. At some point, Klaus got his bag out and showed his daughter the numerous drawings he had made over the years. Their reunion was filled with tears and love and the fact that a doppelganger was in town didn't even come to Klaus' mind. He didn't care about his curse at the moment. He had his daughter with him and he loved her so much already that he would do anything to keep her happy. Hell, he'd even try to drink from animal if that was something she might want from him.
As she watched the drawings, Candy cried, explaining to her father that it reflected the kind of life she would have wanted. They were both on the same page when it came to their relationship and she loved it.
.
Around Midnight, Klaus and Candy were still talking when Pearl and Anna came back home.
"Is it okay to come in or do you want us to come back later?" Anna asked Candy from the doorway.
"Of course it's okay to come in Anna. We're sisters, remember?" Candy replied with a bright smile as her best friend and her mother joined them in the kitchen where they were drinking blood laced with spices.
"Ah, I see you made your special mix for your father." Anna teased.
"What can I say, I wanted to show off!" Candy chuckled.
"You're very lucky Klaus, Candy is very famous for her special mix and nobody, not even me, knows what she puts inside." Anna told the powerful vampire with a kind smile.
"It is indeed very good…" Klaus complimented once more.
"She puts so many spices and herbs inside… I never manage to name more than 5." Anna said with a playful pout.
"I can taste the pepper…maybe some curry, a bit of ginger, maybe some parsley…" Klaus tried to guess.
"Among many other things." Candy giggled.
"Well, I'm honoured to be among those who tasted it." Klaus said.
Anna and Pearl sat down with them and Candy served them her special mix. After the first taste Pearl said:
"Maybe some wine too…" Candy nodded.
"On other words, Candy, you have to be careful… As soon as the word gets out that you're my daughter, you'll become Mickeal's favourite target." Klaus warned her.
"Yes, and it doesn't help that you can't fight to save your life either… Luckily…" Anna started but was interrupted by Candy.
"I already told you Anna, I'm a nurse at heart, not a fighter… I only hurt people who deserve it and after that I heal them and make them act better." Candy reminded her friend.
"Yes, and as I was saying, luckily we don't have to worry about Mickeal anymore." Anna finished.
"Why is that?" Klaus and pearl asked in a same voice.
"Bonnie Bennett's mother, Abby… It happened a few years ago… Elena Gilbert was about 4. Candy, you were spending the week with Stefan and Lexi and I came here to get those books you wanted to donate to the blind institute for their charity auctions. I arrived just as Mickeal tried to kidnap Elena. Of course she doesn't remember now but Abby was here and she gave Mickeal an aneurism."
"I've heard it hurts a lot…" Candy replied.
"You've never been given one?" Klaus asked, shocked.
"Who will give her one? Everyone loves her!" Pearl replied softly, already loving her daughter's friend.
"Anyway, he ran away long enough to heal and Abby started to make a plan to take care of him. Since I was in town I offered her my help and she did a very dark spell to desiccate him in a matter of seconds. She transported him to Charlotte. He's locked in the old cemetery there… I can give you the exact location if you wish." Anna said.
"Is it because of the dark spell that she never came back or did something happen to her?" Candy asked.
"Yes and no. In order to do this she had to take a human life and it shook her… She lost faith in her powers and in herself. It made her loose her powers temporarily and she was too ashamed to come home. After that I think she got them back but she's still not back… I'm guessing she figured she was gone for too long… I know she's moved on with someone else…" Anna explained.
"We have to tell Bonnie and Sheila… Maybe they can find her and help her… Bonnie would be happier with her mother." Candy said.
"You can't always help and save everyone Candy." Anna reminded her.
"I know…"
.
The next morning, Candy woke up and for a few seconds it felt like every single morning…until she remembered that her father was living in her house so she showered, got dressed and rushed downstairs to prepare some breakfast for everyone.
"'Morning Candy." Anna wished her as she entered the room already showered and dressed.
"Good morning." Candy replied, her smile bright enough to light up the whole house.
"Someone is in a really good mood." Anna commented as Pearl joined them.
"And why wouldn't I be? I finally met my father and I'm getting over Terry. Life is great right now." Candy replied.
"Something smells really good in here." Klaus commented as he joined them.
"Candy's making breakfast. She's the best!" Anna said as she helped herself.
Klaus sat down next to his daughter and was slowly getting to feel like he was home with his daughter and her friend.
"Candy… I don't know if it's the right moment to tell you this but since John Gilbert vetoed the sell of the old office mom and I were starting to think about maybe leaving…You know, travelling the world so she can really catch up on what she's missed." Anna said.
"Oh…that's a great idea." Candy replied as Klaus looked down.
"We were wondering if you'd like to come with us." Anna added.
"I…I don't know… Of course I'd love to, you know that but…" Candy said, glancing at her new found father.
"I want to spend more time with you too Candy, so if you want to join Anna and Pearl in their travels, I'd go with you. If you decide to stay here or go somewhere else, I'll stay with you… You're free to do as you wish sweetheart." Klaus told her.
"I don't think you're the only one holding her back Klaus…" Anna realised.
"Who else?" Klaus asked as Candy blushed and busied herself with cleaning around.
"I think it has a lot to do with a certain blue eyed Salvatore…" Anna explained.
.
Later that day, right after lunch, they all headed to the Salvatore Boarding house. While Anna was going to speak with Sheila and Bonnie Bennett about what she knew of Abby and her whereabouts, Klaus was going to talk some more with Stefan and Candy was going to speak with Damon.
"So, you finally found your father… You must be happy…" Damon said softly.
"I am…"
"You don't look as happy as you should be…" He noticed.
"Anna and Pearl invited me to leave town and go travel with them… Dad said he stay with me, wherever I wanted to go and whatever I wanted to do…" She said.
"Oh…" Damon didn't know what else to say.
"I don't know if I should go with them or not…" Candy added, wanting to hear his opinion.
"Well, you should do whatever you want…" he said, grabbing a glass and pouring bourbon in it, something he hadn't done since he became close to Candy.
At that moment, Bonnie and Sheila left, and Candy went to speak with Anna. Damon could hear Anna explaining that the two witches went to get ready to leave so they could find Abby and that Pearl and her would go with them that very night and start their travelling from there. Candy needed to make her choice before then.
"Well…apparently I'm going with you." Candy said sadly.
Damon poured himself a second glass as he watched Candy leave the house to pack her bag.
.
Damon was drinking his tenth bourbon when Stefan entered the living room and told him:
"You're an idiot."
"Thanks brother, I love you too." Damon replied, rolling his eyes.
"Candy didn't want to go, she was waiting for you to give her a reason to stay." Stefan insisted.
"I doubt it. Why would she need me to give her a reason to do anything?"
"Because she loves you as much as you love her you idiot." Stefan replied.
"She deserves more than me… She deserves someone better." Damon mumbled.
"I think my daughter deserves to be with whoever she decides to love Damon. She's home, packing her bag. She's going to come back her to say goodbye to you and Stefan in about half an hour… I suggest you use that time to sober up and find something to tell her. As long as you make her happy I won't stand in the way of your love but the minute you break her heart, know that I will rip your heart out of your chest." Klaus told him, looking him in the eyes.
"What makes you two so sure she loves me?" Damon asked.
"I've known her a long time Damon, I know her well." Stefan replied.
"It's my daughter… Yesterday we talked about a lot of things and we connected. I know she loves you." Klaus replied before he rushed to his daughter's house to pack his own bag, just in case Damon decided to take the coward way and ignored everything.
You love her and she loves you Damon, there is nothing else to think about. Go to her and tell her how you feel, make her stay here. You deserve Love, just as much as anybody else and so does she." Stefan said quietly.
"Candy deserves Love more than anyone." Damon replied.
"And you're the one she chose to Love. Do something." Stefan said before he left the room as Damon went in the kitchen to drink a big cup of coffee before he ran to Candy's house.
So, what did you think of this chapter?
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Lorelei Candice Black
