Song: Lauren Aquilina — Sinners
Epilogue: Blade's 1st birthday
"Today's the day, little man." Belle smile widely at her son as she lifted him out of his crib, planting a tender kiss on his forehead.
It was his first birthday, and she was determined to make it perfect, which wasn't easy. It's extremely difficult, some may even deem it impossible, to plan a party for someone who has no way of having their say. He hadn't even managed a "daddy" or a "mommy" in his 365 days of life. It wasn't uncommon for children - she knew this, but still it worried her. He had managed walking well enough, able to cross a room without too much help, but words seemed to be lost with him.
She turned to Klaus, who stood in the doorway, watching them with a grin stretched across his lips, showing his teeth - a rare sight, aside from when he bared his fangs. "He's getting bigger by the day."
She nodded. "Before we know it he'll be six feet tall and old enough to drink." She laughed at the thought. One of the hardest things, she believed, about being a parent was accepting that your child wouldn't always be a baby - small enough to hold in your arms with ease, always under your nose where you can keep them safe. She didn't think she'd ever be able to let him go.
"Is everything downstairs set up?"
He nodded. "You should go and get ready; I'll dress him." Klaus had embraced every aspect of fatherhood - with both Blade and Hope - that he had once been weary of. He changed diapers, did feedings, gave them baths, even read them bedtimes stories; Blade seemed particularly fond on Hemingway. She loved seeing that side of him. It was a glimpse into the past, a peek at the innocent boy he had been before vampirism had changed him and stolen his innocence.
With one last glance, she headed back to their room and got dressed. She chose a simple burgundy dress with three-quarter sleeves, black lace tights and short black boots.
As she ran a hand through her hair, too lazy to use a brush instead, she couldn't help but sigh at the sight of her bare hand — her left hand, her ring-less fourth finger. She hadn't thought much about the prospect of marriage since Baron, but ever since things got serious with Klaus she couldn't help but entertain the idea. It had been over a year since his insinuation of them one day marrying, but he hadn't acted on it. She'd even rummaged through his things a time or two, but had yet to find the little black box she sought.
She shook her head and lowered her hand, brushing off the idea. Today was not about her; it was about Blade and the celebration of his first year of life. She headed back to the nursery.
Klaus was fixing the little bowtie on Blade's little back tux; Klaus wore an identical one. She couldn't help but laugh at the utterly adorable sight, bringing her hand to try to cover her obnoxious grin. "Well, don't you two look handsome? A little too formal for an infant's birthday party, but handsome none the less." She stepped farther into the room, running a hand through the sandy mop of curls on Blade's head. He squealed loudly and reached out to grab her hand as if to say "no, mommy, stop; you're embarrassing me!"
She and Klaus laughed in unison, only making Blade laugh more. It was like a scene from a Hallmark movie, and she loved every millisecond of it.
Downstairs everything was set up. There were white and blue balloons assembled around a long table with a high chair at the head. Klaus compelled the city's finest pastry chef to bake two cakes: a little one for Blade and a bigger one for everyone else. Everyone was waiting at the table, dressed far nicer than they ought to be for a baby's birthday. She chuckled, assuming it was no longer "black tie optional". The only thing that was missing was the birthday boy and his parents.
A series of "awww"s and "adorable"s were whispered as they entered the dining room, Blade squirming fiercely in Belle's arms. He always enjoyed being around people, especially when he was the center of attention, and he usually was.
She sat him up in his high chair before taking her seat to his left, Klaus to his right. A little circular cake with white frosting and a "1" candle on top set just out of his grasp.
She looked out at everyone around the table: Elijah, Hayley, baby Hope, Audrey, Marcel, Rebekah, Kol — in his Original body, Colton, Ansel, Cal, Claudia. Two families joined together by nothing more than her and Klaus. It was beautiful.
She would never admit it aloud, but the thought nearly brought her to tears, almost as much as the thought of how empty the table looked without her favorite brother. He never got the meet Blade, his first and only nephew. She shook the thought from her head and focused on the positive: Blade.
Klaus pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the candle. Everyone sang "Happy Birthday", struggling not to laugh at Blade's wide eyes as he stared at the flame that danced just out of his grasp. Belle leaned forward and blew out the candle and removed it, pushing the cake onto his tray where he immediately dug in, face and hands first. Everyone laughed and cheered as he covered at least fifty percent of his body with white and cerulean blue frosting and vanilla cake. His little tux was surely ruined; she was certain not even Elijah's best tailor could save it now.
She looked across the table at Klaus; he looked happier than he had in a long time as his eyes met hers. There was something in them that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Once the cake was nothing more than crumbs everyone stood and went to the living room where they would open presents, a path of balloons leading the way as they hung from the lighting fixtures on the walls.
Belle and Klaus sat on the floor with Blade as they tore the wrapping paper off of each box, though he was far more interested in the ribbons and scraps of paper than he was in any of the toys.
Cal came to sit by her side in the wake of Blade's birthday destruction, holding a long, narrow box that was wrapped in plain brown paper and tied off with twine. "This is for you," he said.
She raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Open it and find out."
Carefully, she untied the bow of twine and pulled off the layers of paper, revealing something she hadn't seen for centuries. It was her sword, the little one he had given her when she was a child. It was just as she remembered: short, narrow, the crest of their viking clan on the grip. "Blade," she whispered, smiling to herself. "I can't believe you kept it for all these years."
She glanced over at Klaus who was crouched on the floor by Blade, looking at her with his brows knit together. "Wait, did you name our son after a sword?"
"I think the more important question is why did you name the sword Blade?" Marcel butted in. Audrey laughed, running her thumb over his knuckles as they held hands on the sofa. Needless to say, things between he and Rebekah hadn't worked out.
She scoffed, ignoring him."No, you agreed to name our son after a sword. You just didn't know." She turned around and put it carefully down on the table behind her, out if the other Blade's reach.
Klaus rolled his eyes playfully and returned his attention to Blade.
"I was going to give it to you as a wedding gift, Cal continued. "But,"
"But I never got married," she added. Suddenly a tiny, dimpled hand was in her face, holding something small any shiny. Blade stood on his shaky little legs, smiling brightly at her. Her eyebrows knit together. He must've gotten ahold of one of her earrings again. "What do you have, baby? Here, let me see it." She pried open his hand, revealing the very thing she had wanted for months, years: a beautiful diamond ring. She took it from his hand, staring at it in awe as it set idly in her palm.
She looked up only to see Klaus down on one knee, just like she had always imagined. He looked unusually nervous, terrified in fact.
"Never say never," she heard Colton mutter, but her eyes stayed locked with Klaus'.
"I've wanted to do this for the longest time, perhaps even since the night I met you. I know we've put this off for centuries, and there are probably a thousand excuses between us as to why that it, but I'm done with excuses, I'm done with waiting. Belinda Campbell, I love you. I've always loved you. Will you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?" Despite his anxious expression, his words were confident, certain.
"Yes," she whispered, glancing down at the ring and back up to his eyes. Her lips turned up into a wide smile. "Yes," she said again, louder this time. She laughed aloud, like she couldn't believe it was finally happening.
Klaus smiled just as widely and took the ring from her palm, slipping onto the fourth finger on her left hand, where it would remain for all of eternity.
Everyone cheered and clapped, congratulating them. The noise that followed was so loud that she could barely hear it. "Yes," a small voice said. Her eyes widened. "What was that?" Klaus must've heard it too because he shushed everyone as she bent down and scooped Blade up into her arms. "What did you say?"
"Yes," he said, giggling and grinning from ear to ear. "Yes, yes, yes."
At last, after centuries of waiting, of suffering, she had finally gotten everything she had always wanted.