A.N. - I can't believe this story almost has 120 follows! Thanks so much :D I'm working hard on this so I'm glad it's paying off. I wanted to show more of the relationship between Belle and her siblings, so I included a lot of that in this chapter. There's also some Klaus and Hope cuteness! Please review and enjoy.
Song: Halestorm - Here's To Us
After changing into beach appropriate attire, they piled into Belle's black SUV and headed down to Grand Isle. For two hours they sat in an odd silence with occasional comments about the traffic or something one of them saw on the side of the road. It was better than what she had expected; at least no one was arguing. She wondered if they were always like that, or just when she was around.
"Are we there yet?" Colton deadpanned, riding shotgun. He had his right elbow against the window, the palm of his hand resting against his cheek.
"Shut up," Audrey groaned from the back seat.
Belle rolled her eyes. "We'll be there in a minute. Don't get your panties in a bunch."
Sabrina chuckled from the third row, sitting behind Max.
As promised, minutes later they arrived. Belle parked the car in a nearby parking lot and they walked along a long, gray pier that went out just past the water's edge. A few people walked along the sand or splashed around in the water, but other than that the beach looked lonely.
Belle leaned on the wooden ledge, looking out aimlessly at the water. The ocean looked as if it could go on forever, an endless blue horizon. For a moment she closed her eyes and listened to the crashing of the waves and felt the sun's warmth on her exposed skin. "So, what's the plan?" She glanced at her siblings from the corner of her eyes.
"I'm guessing you'd still love to see her head on a spike?" Max came to stand by her, leaning his back against the ledge.
"And you don't?" She eyed him warily.
He let out a long sigh. "I honestly don't know anymore."
She raised an eyebrow. "And the rest of you? Anything to add? Any varying opinions?"
Audrey, Sabrina and Colton exchanged a look, like they were speaking telepathically. Sabrina spoke up. "Is violence really the answer? I mean, yes Claudia's a terrible person and mother, but does she need to die?" She bit her bottom lip nervously, waiting for an answer.
"Of course you don't want to do anything to hurt poor mommy." Colton rolled his eyes. "When will you stop defending her? She tried to kill you. What makes you think she won't hesitate to try again? Or maybe next time it won't be you. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I sure as hell don't want to find out."
Sabrina looked offended, but kept her cool. "I'm not defending her. I'm just saying that maybe she'll just, I don't know, leave us alone. She has no reason to hurt us anyway," she shot back nervously. Something was off; Belle couldn't put her finger on it.
"She doesn't need one. She's a vindictive bitch who hurts others because she thinks she can," Belle said. "Do you remember nothing from our childhood? How she would lash out for no apparent reason? Not a day went by that she didn't raise a hand to me, and if she hadn't taken everything out on me one of you would have been her target. She isn't a mother - she's a monster. There's a difference."
Belle turned away from them to look out at the water. Birds flew high above her head, heading toward the horizon. After a calming intake of breath she continued. "I won't risk your lives for the sake of peace. She has to die so we can live. It may not be ideal or civil, but that's what has to happen. That's survival."
Silence hung thick in the air between them as they took in everything, digesting her words and letting them sink in.
"You're absolutely right," Audrey said. "I won't lose any of you - not again."
Belle smiled widely at her words. She couldn't be prouder. Since they were little, Belle could tell that Audrey had a great potential for leading; she was strong willed and unafraid of voicing her opinion when it was necessary.
Max put his hand on his twin's shoulder. "I agree. We should stick together."
"Always and forever," Belle muttered, grinning to herself. They turned and gave her a mutual look of confusion. She shook her head. "You all don't get it."
Colton cleared his throat. "Okay. Now that this heavy, family bonding shit is out of the way let's do something fun. You know, like a normal family?" He turned and raced down the peir toward the sand. "Come on you lazy fuckers!" he called.
Max rolled his eyes. "Child." Despite his sharp tone, a smirk inched across his face.
They all chased after him, each one trying to outrun the other like when they were children. When they reached the water they stood at its edge, splashing water at each other as it lapped at their ankles, soaking their shoes. For the first time in a long time, Belle felt truly close to them. The idea of them becoming a family again didn't seem so far off anymore. The thought filled her entire body with complete and utter bliss.
Covered with water and sand and smelling of the salty ocean, they climbed into the car and headed back to New Orleans as the sun began to head for the horizon; it would be setting by the time they got back to the compound.
Davina and Josh were sitting in the courtyard, talking and laughing quietly. Max and Josh exchanged a look and an unspoken hello. Belle wondered if they were back together or not; Max's love life had always perplexed her. She wasn't nosey, she just wanted him to be happy.
Belle went to the living room while the rest headed upstairs toward their rooms. Hayley and Rebekah sat on the couch, Hope nestled in Rebekah's arms while Hayley ran a gentle hand over her daughter's thin hair. Klaus sat in a chair on the other side of the room, looking like an outsider. Belle couldn't recall ever seeing Klaus hold Hope; he just looked at her in awe like she was a mythical creature.
"You know she won't break if you hold her," she whispered in his ear, resting her arms on the back of his chair. "She's itty bitty, but not that fragile."
"I'm well aware," he said, glancing behind him for a moment at her.
"Then hold her. You're her father, after all," she quietly urged. Klaus didn't like being told what to do, so she tried to make it seem more like a suggestion than a command.
Hayley must have heard their conversation, because she approached them with Hope cradled in her slender arms. "Think fast," she said quickly, slipping the baby into his arms.
Thankfully, he did. He supported Hope's tiny, swaddled body, cradling her head in the crook of his arm. "Thanks for the notice," he muttered. He smiled as Hope wrapped her teeny, dimpled hand around Klaus's index finger. She yawned quietly before drifting off to sleep. Klaus's eyes widened at the contact, memorized by the beautiful bundle he held in his arms. Belle smiled before turning around and walking out of the room, motioning for Hayley and Rebekah to do the same. Klaus needed some quality time with his little girl.
Belle headed upstairs to their room, trying to find something to occupy herself. Boredom, thought she was used to it, wasn't something she enjoyed. She preferred to be busy, otherwise she felt useless. It was a habit from her childhood that she had never broken.
She was replacing the flowers that were in a vase on her bedside table when she accidentally knocked it off onto the floor. It hit the wood below with a loud crash as the glass shattered. She swore under her breath and let out an exasperated sigh before bending down to pick up the shards of glass, mentally noting that she'd now have to order a new one.
As she collected the pieces in her palm, she accidentally squeezed her hand too tightly, causing one of the larger shards to cut her. She cringed and dumped the now bloodied glass onto the table. Blood oozed from the gash and dripped onto the floor, forming a small pool that was about the size of a quarter. She rushed to the bathroom to wash her wound, using her other hand to catch any falling droplets of blood.
The faucet squeaked quietly as she turned it on. She put her hands under the cool water, sending a trail of crimson water down the drain. After a few seconds, she pulled her hands away to look for any remaining blood. To her shock, the gash was still open. It showed no signs of healing as blood continued to pour from it, mingling with the water. "Come on, heal dammit." She took the towel from the rack by the sink and held pressure on it, checking after a few seconds. The white towel was now stained red as the cut continued to bleed. "What the hell is this?" She swallowed sharply, trying not to panic. Her eyes fixated on the blood that dripped onto the granite counter as her thoughts swum with confusion and fear.
What was happening to her? Why wasn't she healing? Questions that she couldn't answer filled her head and started to overwhelm her. "Klaus!"