A.N. - This story is finally on the 1st page of The Originals' fanfiction (sorting by follows) :D Thank you guys so much. Please review and enjoy :)
Belle clenched her jaw tightly as she tried to hold in her screams. If she opened her lips, even the slightest, the screaming would start again.
Max was on the phone with Klaus, who was at that very moment having Davina unlink Belle and Claudia. Klaus was afraid of unlinking them, unsure where Claudia's alliances lied. But if it was something that was inflicted upon Claudia - a hex, Klaus suspected, at least Belle and the baby would be out if the woods. For the time being anyway.
For the past half hour Belle had overheard bits and pieces of their conversation once she had managed to stop screaming. She could barely focus on anything but the fiery pain that ripped through her body, resonating from her core.
"It's done. Did it work?" Klaus' muffled voice rang out from Max's phone.
Max clutched his phone to his ear with one hand and rested the other on the side of the bed as he knelt down in front of her. "You and Claudia are unlinked now. Is it, is it gone? Is the pain gone?"
His words took a few seconds to register in her mind. Was it gone? She tried to sit up, putting her hands on the mattress and pushing up.
Hell no, it wasn't! A short but deafening scream tore free from her parted lips. "No," she screamed. She clenched her jaw once again.
Max's brows knit together. "There must be something wrong with her," he was talking to Klaus now. "Or something wrong with the baby. I don't know."
"There's a witch," Belle said, her voice a strangled whisper. "He lives...a few miles from here. Maybe...half an hour. He can help."
"What's his name?" Klaus asked from the other line. She could barely hear his voice because of the ringing in her ears.
"David, David Luther...my phone...his number. Please." She halfway gasping for breath and halfway whimpering. Tears fell from down her cheeks onto the bed. "Hurts," she sobbed.
"Call him," Klaus said. "If he can't help, I'm coming there myself."
She wished he would. She really did.
Just under an hour later David showed up. He walked into Belle's room, all tanned skin, a thick southern accent, and a big toothy grin. He looked older than the last time she had seen him, a little rougher around the edges. But, aged or not, he was still one of the most skilled witches - warlocks as he and most "man-witches" preferred - she had ever come across. Furthermore, he was one of the few she fully trusted. Hence why she was willing to entrust her wellbeing and that of her unborn baby to him.
"Hey Belle." He grinned, sitting down in the chair by her bed.
The pain had subsided a little, now just bearable. At least she'd managed to talk without screaming.
"Max told me about your little miracle baby with the hybrid. Congrats on finally tying him down, by the way. I remember how hung up on him you always were." He chuckled under his breath.
She grinned, though it was mostly forced. "Yeah, thanks."
Max stood in the doorway with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. He rarely trusted a witch. Then again, much like Klaus, he rarely trusted anyone.
"So, correct me if I'm wrong. You've been cursed by the Original witch to be in a state where you're virtually human, you got pregnant, and now things are going downhill."
She nodded.
"Any idea why?"
"I don't know what she meant by this, but she said something about how it was all 'temporary'. My best guess is that sooner or later - hopefully later - I'll be a fully fledged vampire again. If that happens," she paused, taking her thumbnail between her teeth as she chewed it anxiously. "If that happens, I'll lose the baby. Is there anything you can do to help prolong the hex? At least some sort of protection spell for the baby?"
He held her gaze as he seemed to be weighing his options. "Well, I don't know anything about the hex that was placed on you. That kinda magic is far out of my expertise."
A crease formed between her brows and her lips turned downward into a slight frown. 'Here comes the but.'
"But," he said after a short pause. "I have some herbs that I think might help. At least with the pain. I'm so sorry, Belle. The only person to my knowledge that can help you now is the Original witch."
"Ester, right?" Max added.
Belle rolled her eyes. "Yes," she groaned. She held her tongue so as not to continue and call him a "dumb-ass" like she wanted.
Leaning down, David fished around his bag for a few seconds before pulling out a jar full of herbs. "Brew a few of these leaves into some tea and it'll help with the pain. Stronger than any pain pill on the market."
She nodded and smiled weakly. "Thanks." She propped herself up on one elbow, wincing a little and took the jar.
"Hey, I'll bet you haven't seen an OBGYN or whatever kinda doctor you pregnant gals are supposed to see."
She laughed a little, even though it sent a pain up and down her torso. "No, I actually haven't. I've been rather preoccupied with trying not to get killed by my boyfriend's psychotic mother."
"Well, my niece is one. Maybe I can come back with her and she can bring some stuff by to give you a checkup, just to make sure nothing's wrong with the kid. Besides, I'm sure you're dying to know what it is."
She raised an eyebrow. "What it is?"
"A boy or a girl, I mean."
She nodded. "Sure, I guess. Can you make it here soon? Maybe in a few days?"
"Sure, whatever you want."
After about an hour of catching up and two cups of David's witchy tea later, Max suggested it was about time for him to go.
Reluctantly, David bid them all a good evening, got in his old pickup truck and left.
Max of course had practically kicked him out of the house like a stray dog.
Belle was on his heels, following him to the kitchen where she suspected he was on the hunt for a good bottle of Scotch. "What the hell was that?"
"What the hell was what?"
She sat her empty teacup down in the sink and leaned against the counter. "You know what. Why were you being do rude to him?"
In a top cabinet, Max seemed to find what he was looking for: a bottle of 1955 Scotch and a short crystal glass.
"I wasn't being rude. I'm just not sure if I trust him."
She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, when was the last time you ever trusted a witch?"
"Never," he shot back. "And there's a good reason for that. Witches are all out for themselves."
Her laugh echoed throughout the room. "Oh really? And what about us vampires? Guess what Max, everyone favors their own species, but that doesn't mean we can't help out another or at least be civil with them."
He scoffed before downing his first glass with ease. "Says the girl who's screwed more werewolves than vampires. A little too civil, I'd say."
She rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm, causing him to spill a bit of his drink down his t-shirt. "NOT the point. David's an old friend and a talented warlock. I trust him, whether you do or not."
Back at the Compound things were heating up. Klaus was one smart-ass, nonchalant response away from torturing Claudia. He was trying, mostly failing, to exercise restraint.
"There's something you're not telling me. I suggest you do so before I resort to other, more painful, means of getting it out of you."
She rolled her eyes. "Because sweet-talking me isn't 'painful' enough?"
His eyes narrowed and, without warning, took the blade he had set aside and held it to her throat, pressing it against her close enough to make a small cut. He wasn't afraid to push it farther now that she was unlinked to Belle.
Hell, if Belle were there she'd want a front row seat and popcorn to watch it.
"Fine. She may kill me for saying this, but then again she'll probably just kill me anyway."
"Who will?"
"Sabrina."
"Why?"
"Because she doesn't want anyone to know that she," she hesitated, and for a moment Klaus could've sworn he saw fear flash across her eyes. "She killed Belle's daughter. When we were turned, so was the girl."
Claudia proceeded to tell the heart-wrenching tale of how Lilith had dug herself out of the shallow grave her mother had buried her in.
How she found the family she'd only heard stories about.
How she'd spent days and nights crying for her mother.
And finally, how Sabrina had torn her heart from her chest.
"Revenge, she'd called it," Claudia's voice broke, like she was trying not to cry.
Klaus had never seen her express any sort of emotion like this. This made him especially skeptical.
Instead of taking the blade away from her neck and pressing her further on the subject - which he believed to be nothing more than a fairytale - he pressed the knife down harder, deepening the cut. Blood spilled down her neck, staining his hands crimson.
"Do you really expect me to believe you? Let me tell you something sweetheart, it takes far more than a sad story to redeem a liar's reliably."
He pulled the blade away and headed out of the room, turning his back to her. "Let me know when you're willing to tell the truth."
He turned off the lights as he left, leaving her cloaked in darkness with only the street lights to illuminate the room. But the only things they illuminated were the tears that stained her cheeks.
"Everything looks good," Amber, David's niece, praised as she moved the transducer probe [thanks Google] over Belle's belly.
Everyone's eyes were locked on the monitor, watching the first images of miracle baby number two appear on the screen.
Rebekah held Hope in her arms as she giggled, excited by the new people around her.
"Can you tell what it is yet?" Belle asked. Her eyes stayed locked on the blurry black and white images.
"Well Ms. Campbell, it looks like you have a beautiful, healthy baby boy."
Tears welled up in her eyes. It was a little Klaus. Her little Klaus, growing inside of her at that very moment. "A boy?" Tears of joy slipped down her cheeks. "And he's okay?"
Amber nodded. "Not a thing wrong that I can see. Congratulations."
"What'd I tell you? I told you everything would be fine," David chided.
Belle rolled her eyes, still smiling and crying all at the same time. "Yeah, you did. Thank you guys so much. Really, if there's anything you ever need just let me know."
Disrupting the happy scene, Hope started whining which very quickly turned into crying.
"I think someone needs a diaper change." Rebekah turned to Max. "You're up, Maxy." She smirked.
Max groaned and rolled his eyes. "Great. Come on, baby girl." He lifted Hope from Rebekah's arms and headed upstairs to clean her up. Max had never shown much of an interest in children, but over the past few months he'd really stepped up in taking care of Hope. What's more, Hope adored him. Maybe his short, curly hair reminded her of Klaus.
Amber pressed a few buttons and printed out a picture of Little Klaus. "Here you go." She handed the picture to Belle. "So his daddy can see how beautiful he is."
Belle smiled, thanked her, and put the picture in her back pocket. She sat up and pulled her shirt back down over her belly. "So, is that all?"
Amber and David exchanged a look. She couldn't figure out what it was, but something was off about it. It was like they were waiting for something.
"Not quite," David said.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut, closing them in the room. Rebekah moved to open it, but David held up his hand, sending a wave of pain over both of them. Amber motioned at Rebekah, snapping her neck without even touching her.
Belle was paralyzed, literally. She couldn't feel anything besides her heart hammering in her chest. She looked down, only able to move her eyes. Amber had stuck her in the arm with a long needle. It was filled with a clear fluid.
David came to stand in front of her. "I'm so sorry Belle, but he told us to. I'm sorry."
A darkness washed over her later and she fell back on the table, unconscious and terrified.