Enjoy!
Chapter Six
K couldn't sleep that night, though she doubted she was alone. Despite Klaus lying with his back to her, facing the wall and as still as the dead, she somehow knew he wasn't asleep. And if he was, she knew it wasn't deep.
Everything felt wrong. Without Hayley, things felt chaotic, but not at the same time. They felt off kilter. Without Hayley, it was as though K, Klaus and every one of their brood was… well, the only thing she could think to compare it to a pack of dogs. K felt like she and Klaus were the dogs and they could sense a distant, violent storm coming. The air was electric and disjointed, it was alive with something bad. Hayley –as she knew everyone would agree- was a very levelheaded young woman. She made them all a bit calmer because she wasn't tainted like the rest of them.
So, here she was, standing on the edge of a storm while Hayley was gone. K didn't blame her, obviously, but without a face to put to the shadowy figure who took her, K could do little more than grow even more frustrated.
She continued to crack her knuckles periodically. The subdued pop was barely noticeable, but it kept her busy.
"Enough, darling." Klaus sighed.
She glanced to him as he rolled onto his back. Klaus adjusted himself, pushing his pillow up beneath his back so he could sit a little straighter than before.
"Should I bother asking?"
"You already know." She replied, letting her eyes drift back toward the fireplace across the wall.
He adjusted a bit more. A moment later, she felt him reach for her hand and let him take it. Neither of them spoke again. What was coming was going to be trying. It wouldn't be difficult, necessarily, but trying nonetheless. They were going to be the worst versions of themselves and the trouble came only because it was so easy.
"Sleep, sweetheart." He told her. "We'll take care of this in the morning."
She only nodded and together, they did their best to sleep.
~!~
The following morning, Klaus and K readied themselves for their visitor. After ensuring the boys were well supervised, they proceeded to the basement hollows.
"Do you truly think a human sitter is wise?" He asked with his typical derision. She knew it wasn't aimed towards her. Instead, he was annoyed at the "human" aspect. "There are any number of people more suited to protect the boys."
"Right," she said sarcastically, "Perhaps the witches? I'm certain they would love to watch Niklaus Mikaelson's tribrid sons. Or maybe the wolves, or the vampires? Perhaps they'll overlook what you've done in the last couple days and –out of the goodness of their hearts- babysit?" she gave him a look, a stern, sarcastic glance he glared at. "Humans are the only controllable faction you haven't yet alienated. With Freya and Hayley out of town, my options are limited."
He tightened his jaw and chewed on the inside of his cheek, but said nothing. K knew he understood, albeit reluctantly.
Without another word, they made their way into the depths of the tunnels. Not long after, they came across the vampire who was apparently behind Hayley's abduction.
Producing a blade from his pocket, Klaus twirled it gracefully within his fingers before offering it to K.
"You take a wrist, and I'll take the other." He said as she took the blade. "She's likely taken vervain, so we'll have to drain every iota of it from her veins."
"Gladly." K replied with a tight jaw.
With her blade, she didn't hesitate to stab it into the woman's wrist, but instead of a small cut, she sliced deeply up the length of her forearm. A dark chuckle emanated from behind as blood poured from the temporary wound. Taking the knife back, Klaus repeated the angry injury on their captive's unmarred arm.
And so it went.
Eventually, Greta woke from the sleep her broken neck had forced upon her. While she and Klaus spoke, K lingered in the background. She sat on one of the ledges watching Klaus pace back and forth, lording his superiority over Greta, while the latter spouted her hatred. K wanted nothing more than to act.
She rolled a stone around in her fingers, squeezing the tips periodically and cracking the old piece of rock. She was forming it, turning it into something to use.
"You're daughter," Greta said, "Is dangerous. A menace. A threat."
"My daughter is a child." Klaus growled.
"A child born of werewolf blood, who can create hybrids at will." Greta said. "Her defect must be corrected."
"Her defect!-" Klaus didn't get a chance to finish his statement before something whizzed past him. It sailed through the air and through the center of Greta's chest perhaps an inch from her heart. She lurched and gasped at the sudden shot, but no gun rang out.
Attention slowly shifted to K while a spot of blood began to grow on Greta's shirt. K's eyes were focused intently on the woman across from her.
"That was a warning." She said before pinching another chunk of stone off the ledge she sat atop.
A small, almost unnoticeable smile twitched at the corner of his lips before his attention shifted back to Greta.
"As I was saying," he began in a much calmed voice. "Her defect, is my defect. Say it again, and I'll pluck out your eyeballs and eat them like olive's from my fingertips."
"I'll call it what it is." She continued defiantly. "A dirtying of the blood, tainting the purity of my superior vampire blood."
Without warning, something else shot across the room, but it wasn't another piece of stone. This time, it was a body. It was K.
She stood over Greta, grasping the woman's head firmly in a single hand. Greta stared up at K through her eyelashes. She tried to remain calm and in control, but it wouldn't work with K, and to let her know, K tightened her grip.
Greta bit down a groan as the pressure increased at a gradual pace. The five points of her fingertips began to compress Greta's skull, began to gently crack it beneath the flesh. But still, the vampire tried to remain stoic.
In less than a minute, however, her brows furrowed and her expression began to change. As K increased the pressure, Greta began to break along with her head.
"Speak like that about my daughter again," K said with an air of undeniable rage. "And I will gladly shatter your skull, sink my fingers deep into your grey-matter, and rip out your memories. Do you understand me?"
Greta remained silent, but when K clenched her hand a bit tighter than before, the vampire let out a cry of pain.
"Do. You. Understand. Me?" K repeated pointedly.
"Yes!" Greta yelled.
K released her instantly and Greta whimpered in response, breathing heavily as she healed.
"Now, what is your point, woman?" Klaus asked angrily, though beaming with a hint of pride toward his wife.
"Your daughter," Greta breathed, "Will purify herself. She will endure the same spell that rendered your wolf side useless." She looked up at them with a trail of blood trickle down the center of her forehead from where K's thumb had pushed into her skull. "It will ensure she can't produce anymore abominations, like yourselves."
"Never," Klaus spat hatefully.
And while he fought adamantly for his daughter to remain as she is, to keep from negotiating with this particular terrorist, K thought. She wasn't as hardened as Klaus was, and whether he sensed it or not, he avoided speaking with her again. His conversation was solely on Greta.
~!~
Klaus paced while K and Marcel sat back. They were used to dealing with Klaus whenever his emotions took over.
"No child of mine is going to put themselves through this." He said. "Not to satisfy someone's detestable vision of the future."
"Nik," K said calmly. "You have to give her a chance to-"
"To what?" he demanded. "To deny part of her heritage?" he started to walk towards her with intent. "What if someone demanded our sons go through the same ridiculous ceremony, hm? What then? Would you ask that they do this as well?"
"Yes," she told him as though it should have been obvious. Klaus jolted, as though she'd physically struck him with her remark. "Because it would be their choice. It is their body, they can chose for themselves if they want to go through such a thing."
"No," he pointed sternly at her. "You're wrong. This is wrong, and Hope will have no part in it."
"Look," Marcel said, "I'm on your side. You know this, but if Hayley dies and Hope isn't given a chance to help, she'll never forgive herself."
"I will not impose the same torture-"
"You're not imposing anything, Nik." K snapped. "You ask. You ask Hope what she wants to do."
"What do you think she'd say, hm?" he asked angrily. "Of course she'd go through with it."
"It is her choice, then."
He stood in front of her, rigid and tight as he glared at K. "No," His eyes danced between the two. "Perhaps I should have another talk with our little friend."
And with that, he walked away. When he was gone, K turned her attention to Marcel. She was sure Klaus was out of earshot before she spoke.
"Call Hope."
Marcel's brows narrowed. He eyed her skeptically, pushing himself off the table he was leaning against to stand better in front of her.
"What?"
"Call Hope," she repeated. "Tell her Greta's demands."
"And if I do?" he asked. "Look, I can handle myself against Klaus' temper pretty well on my own, but you know he's going to blow up if he finds out."
"I'm aware, but you and I seem to notice something he doesn't."
"Which is?"
"Greta's demands have nothing to do with him." K said. "I agree with you, she needs to at least be told."
"And you're fine with what he'll do when he finds out?"
She nodded.
"Okay," Marcel sighed. "I'll call Hope."
~!~
Klaus emerged in glorious fashion as he usually did –this time hauling the two bodies of the Crescent wolf pack. K arched a brow while Marcel sighed to himself.
"Niklaus Mikaelson has been quite the busy boy today." Marcel said sarcastically. "First, you're up to Mystic Falls and now, you're kidnapping wolves from the bayou."
"Nik, knock it off." K sighed a bit annoyed.
"Greta wants a pack of impure mongrels roaming about, I'll give her one." He growled. "with a pint of Hope's blood, I intend to give that witch exactly her greatest horror. But first," he turned his attention to the pair behind him and let his eyes dance over the two. "Which of you went behind my back?"
K didn't even give Marcel the chance to speak, "I did."
Klaus' eye found laser focus on her within an instant. But as he looked her over, he knew something didn't seem right. After a moment of his silent contemplation, his gaze drifted to Marcel.
"No," he cooed coldly. "It was you, wasn't it?"
"Yes," he said calmly.
"How dare you betray me." Klaus' voice slowly turned stern again. "And you, my own wife, plotting with him."
"Plotting?" K said. "You're joking."
"What else would you call going behind my back and-"
"And what?" she countered. "And telling Hope about what's happening around her? About letting her have a choice?"
"Enough!" he yelled. "I'll not have my daughter go through the same torment I did. So now, if you'll excuse me."
K bit her cheek and tried to keep her exterior calm, while inside she was fuming. Stiffly, she approached Klaus and made sure she had his eye before speaking.
"Each time you think you're helping, what you're actually doing is destroying any chance of making the situation better. You think this," she pointed at the wolves on the ground, "is going to help anything?" her voice dipped. "You've never been able to seen a foot in front of your nose and then have the audacity to blame the circumstances on others when they've always been your fault, and yours alone."
And with that, she ascended the stairs, intent on checking on her sons before going to bed.
