Chapter 23
(LAST CHAPTER! BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO READ, COMMENT AND GIVE CRITICISM! YOU'RE AWESOME! Enjoy this last chapter!)
Laughter fills the backyard as Hope and Marcel play. Ezra stands in the background failing to understand the concept of hide-and-go seek.
"Ezra what are you doing you're supposed to be hiding?!" Hope says.
"What is the point of this training?"
Hope chuckles, "It's not training, it's fun! Tag you're it!" Hope nudges him.
She runs around him in circles and he remains standing in the middle, awkwardly.
Marcel comes out of his hiding spot.
"Excuse me I've been waiting to be found for over an hour now!" He rest his hands on his hips.
Hope puts her hands on her hips,imitating him. "We haven't even been out here for that long!"
"Could somebody just please explain the meaning of this activity?" Ezra asked, interrupting them. He was frustrated.
"Okay so, one person is 'it'. The other two go hide. The 'it' person is responsible for finding them both. That's how you win." Marcel explains it.
"Okay so Ezra you're 'it'.Find me and Marcel."
Confusion slowly spreads across his face,"You're both are still standing here. I don't understand."
Hope deeply sighs and slaps a hand across her forehead."Close your eyes and count to thirty, then open them and try to find us."
"Ohhh okay! I think I have the hang of this!"
He begins to count and the other two go hide.
Klaus comes out on the porch for a moment watching as the game takes place.
He watches as Ezra jumps behind some bushes, after counting.
He shakes his head and spots Hope over behind a nearby tree.
"Hope." He whispers.
"Yeah?"
He gestures for her to come over.
She sighs again, and slowly strolls over to her father.
"Yes dad."
"Seems like you newly found brother isn't particularly good at this game."
"I know. It's getting boring, I've explained it three times already," she shrugs her shoulders, "Why don't we just give up, if he doesn't get it by now, he never will." She frowns.
Klaus touches her arm, halting her.
"You know when me and my siblings were younger we played this game all the time."
"Really?"
"All the time, You know what's better than having one seeker?"
"What?"
"Having two. How about you and Ezra join up together. Go find Marcel."
"Great idea dad!"
Hope skips off the stairs and runs over to Ezra's hiding spot.
"You know that's cheating right?"Hayley says, coming out with glasses of lemonade.
"You can hardly call it cheating, with Marcel hiding on the upstairs deck."
"You do know that's only place he'll actually fit?"
"Tell him to lay off the weights a little, he starting to make everyone else look scrawny." He gives a crooked grin.
Hope and Ezra come up to Klaus.
"We've looked everywhere dad, still haven't spotted him."
"Yea! I even dug up a few holes to see if he was hiding underground." Ezra says.
Klaus looks at the holes in the ground and then back to them.
"Ohhhkaay. I'll gives you a hint. He's closer than you think." Klaus raises his index finger, pointing above them.
"You mean he on the dec-!"
"Shhhhhhh!" Klaus cuts her off.
He lowers his index finger to his lips.
He nods and whispers, "Go get him."
They both quickly run inside the house.
"This is great. A beautiful day, sunshine. Fun with the kids. Cheating." Hayley narrows her eyes at him.
They both look up to the sound of commotion coming from the upstairs deck.
"Its great." He agrees.
"One things missing though."
He turns his head upwards towards her.
"Where's you know who?"
"Who?" He asked.
"You know, about this tall," she uses her hand for measurement, " Blonde, beautiful. It's been two days. Why haven't you called her yet?" She nudges him.
"I've been busy."
"Doing what exactly?"
He genuinely smiles."Listening, learning, understanding. Trying to be a better father figure for all of them."
"That's good, but where does Cami fit into all this?"
"To be honest Hayley I don't think she does." He shrugs and raises his eyebrows.
"Klaus, you can be in a relationship and still be available for your children, it's possible. Don't let that hold you back."
She sips her lemonade.
"It's very possible and maybe someday the time will come," he looks her in the eyes, "I'm afraid just not right now."
"I understand."
"Oh I'm sure you do."
"Oh no, we're not doing that."
"Doing what?" He asked innocently.
"You're not gonna' flip this around to me and Elijah. No Klaus."
He chuckles.
"So you can ask and probe about my love life but I can't ask about yours?" He says.
"Precisely."
"Whatever."
"Okay , okay….can I sort of give the same answer?"
"Go on."
"I just want to be a mother right now. That's all I want to be responsible for. Even it it means helping Ezra."
He nods.
"Just being a parent, and just…. Trying to understand everything a child wants out of this life."
"Understandable."
Marcel jumps down from the balcony with both kids in his arms.
"Which one of your parents told you where I was hiding?"
"I'll never tell." Hope swears.
"Well I guess I have to get the answer out of you somehow!"
He starts to tickle her.
"Okay I call a new game!" Kol comes marching out of the house, "and I'm it this time so you better watch out!"
Marcel stops and yells, "Run!"
Elijah comes out too. "I call the balcony!" He says.
"Hey that's my spot!" Marcel yells back.
Klaus looks at Haley, Gesturing for her to join in the game.
"Want to be my partner?" She asked
him.
He nods.
They both quickly glance at Hope.
"I'd have it no other way Hayley, because of her you'll always be ," he smiles, "always and forever."
THE END (Did you enjoy it? Let me know!)#Happyreading and god bless!