Death and Afterlife
The last thing Klaus felt was a severe pain in his heart, which immediately ceased. He grew numb as ice spread all over his body, his veins began to dry out and his body perished into ashes.
He was relieved that he was not alone in this. His brother's eyes reflect his own, and they've been there his entire life. Keeping him in check and constantly striving for his redemption. The weight of his brother's hand on his shoulders was palpable. In their final minutes on Earth, Elijah's presence comforted him.
He lost all sense of his body as he became one with the wind. He was as light as dust before everything went dark.
A notion sprung into his head.
Maybe he'll go to hell after all; maybe there's retribution for his heinous actions; it'd be only fair if there was. Throughout his lengthy life, he was responsible for the misery of hundreds of thousands of people.
Gravity began to build up once more as a sensation going through his chord. He was aware of his own body. He seemed to have regained the ability to move his legs and limbs.
The remainder of his feelings began to return along with his body's feeling, but everything surrounding him remained dark, as though he had found himself in an eternal night. The atmosphere wasn't chilly or warm, dry or wet. Klaus couldn't taste or smell anything familiar. He felt as if he were in a sterile, lifeless world.
He then heard it. Was that jazz that was heard in the distance? And after that, he also heard other sounds, like people strolling and talking.
What was he to do? Stay there and just let himself take in the peace and quiet of the pitch-black night. Accept that he had died and that his battles were done. Stay there and observe if anything changes as this feeling of tranquility pervades his spirit, transporting him to the realm of peace. Or he might simply follow the music and the noise.
Klaus, being Klaus, chose to seek out the music.
He followed the sounds as they became louder and louder, and little patches of light began to penetrate the total blackness surrounding him.
He found himself at Jackson Square, as if in a dream. He passed through a faceless crowd and spotted the familiar artwork of the dark and light face.
For a brief moment, he focused his gaze on the painting. He then attempted to employ his hybrid senses. It appears that he was no longer able to reach or fill them.
As opposed to that, he sensed a presence close by and moving in his direction like a familiar recollection.
He suddenly heard her voice:
"The hundred-dollar guy!" stated the familiar voice.
He turned to face her, millions of emotions flashing across his face.
"The brave bartender!" greeted her, trying to formulate a smirk on his face.
Then there was silence. They didn't say anything; they just stared into one other's eyes.
There were just so many unspoken things between them—so many feelings, so many things to convey. It was never the appropriate time, and they never had enough time.
Klaus remained skeptical. Was she even real? Was she a figment of his imagination? It wasn't the first time, he reasoned.
Yet there she was. Dress in a dark blue flowery dress with brown long boots and a dark blue cardigan. Her golden hair was half-up, half-down, with natural curls flowing to her shoulders.
Her emerald gaze was locked on his blue.
Her full lips curled into a genuine grin.
Was she actually here?
Camille seemed to know what he was thinking.
She stretched out and grasped his hand, holding it tenderly and affectionately. He could feel her trembling hand and her soft, warm skin.
As she talked, her voice rang with emotion.
"I truly hoped it would take you longer to arrive, Klaus, but, you're here..."
And with that, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling him in.
Is that really you, Camille? Klaus questioned as he sensed the warmth of her body, the heating of her hands on his skin, the softness of her lips caressing his neck, and the warmth of her breath.
Without waiting for a response, he drew her head back a little and kissed her.
Believe it or not, that was their second kiss. A short kiss, like their first, full of emotions, followed by tears down their faces and smiles.
Their foreheads remained pressed together, nose to nose. Just breathing each other out and holding hands.
This was their moment. Nothing mattered more than being together. Simply touching. Never before were they so fully present in the moment and lost in one other's sight.
They had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like an eternity.
"I missed you, Camille," Klaus stated.
She took a step back to gaze at him and posture her body in a girlish way, her head turned slightly to the side. She said with a playful smile on her face, "I thought you said that you would carry me with you always".
Finally, a genuine crooked smile appeared on Klaus' face, lighting up her face with joy.
"I missed you too," Cami said softly.
Klaus took her hand in his and began to make his way through the crowd. He recognized the music, the art, and the city surrounding him, but not the faces in the throng.
She noticed him looking at them confusedly. "It's like this here," she explained. You can't interact with them if you weren't related to them in your prior existence. I mean, not really interact. They're here, of course, just like us, and they chat and walk and trip over you, but they're unknown to you; they don't signify anything and don't remind you of anything."
"And what exactly is here?" he inquired.
"Well, I'm not sure; it's not heaven or hell. I believe it's a place created by your desire once your spirit finds its way here.
For me, it was like this: one moment we were sitting on a fountain, and I was dying in your arms, and the next moment I opened my eyes, and I was again here in the city.
Sean is here, as is Kieran, and everything from my past life that I loved, needed, or simply missed is all present.
Maybe it's different for everyone. I'm not sure, Klaus. It felt peaceful, and I was happy, but I always had the feeling that I was missing something—missing you.
Klaus squeezed Cami's hand and kissed her gently as she spoke.
They found themselves wandering around the compound.
We're back at my house, he questioned.
"Well, I kind of unintentionally led us here; you see, whenever I felt lonely and missed you, I would come here just to wander through your house. I was reading a book or looking at your paintings." Camille gave a hesitant smile. "I don't know if it's stupid, but it made me feel closer to you."
"It is not stupid, Camille!"
I was here for the first five years following your death. I was incarcerated by Marcel; he held me in the dungeon shackled like an animal.
Klaus noted the look of surprise on her face.
" Yeah! It's a long story to tell you, and I'll get to it in the future.
What is important is to tell you that during that period, it felt as though you were standing by my side, conversing with me, and guiding me through the darkness.
You were always there for me, Camille. You were there for me each time I needed perspective or was on the verge of relapsing into despair to stop me and keep me sane. "You were my anchor."
As they walked into the study room, Klaus sat down in a large leather armchair. Camille went to the bar and filled two crystal glasses with bourbon.
"Neat," she pointed out as she offered him a drink.
"You must be tired", she said as her fingers gently caressed the small locks of his hair.
"All this must be too much for you; you are overwhelmed with what has happened so far. Maybe it would be better if I let you lie down for a while and regroup".
Cami spoke the words without getting up from the arm of the armchair or moving her fingers away from his hair.
For a moment, there, she felt guilt. She was so glad to finally have him here with her that she really didn't consider how he might feel. Under what circumstances did he end up here? The immortal hybrid died after all. How long has she been dead herself? How old will Hope be now?
My God, he must be terribly angry—at least the Klaus she remembered would be angry—and he would surely feel worry for his daughter and for his family.
She looked him in the face searchingly. He wasn't angry. Confused yes, happy to see her, yes, and there was something else Cami hadn't seen in his face many times: calmness! As if he had accepted what led to his death.
Not knowing what to say or how to ask all those questions, she leaned down and kissed his forehead, whispering:
"Klaus, all I wanted was for you to live, find happiness, and be a father to your daughter. And now you are here, and I'm so happy to finally have you, but it is too soon for you to be dead. Hope must be still young, and you must be thinking of her and of your family."
Klaus sipped the rest of his bourbon and got up. He went up to the bookshelf and stood in front of a row of family photographs. He lifted a photo frame and saw infant Hope, Hayley, Elijah, Rebecca, and him at the safehouse. Their first family portrait was taken on a Polaroid, which was then burned as a precaution to safeguard baby Hope. Freya afterwards used Rebecca's recollections to magically recreate the shot.
Camille had it right. Klaus was exhausted. He didn't have the energy to tell her what caused his death, so he opted to speak only what was vital.
My death, as much as Elijah's, secured my daughter's protection. I absorbed the Hollow, a witch spirit as powerful as death; that power had the potential to cause a huge amount of death and destruction, and Hope was his target.
I'm not sorry I died, Camille, but I do wish I could have spent more time with her. She is now 15 years old, far too young to be an orphan. However, that is what she is now, and in the end, it was the only way to keep her safe and give her a chance at leading a normal life.
Camille, I did what needed to be done for my child and family, and I'm fine with it. You see, all of your counselling has finally paid off. Klaus remarked, softly smiling.
Camille tried to fit all the information Klaus gave into the little he said. Elijah died; Hope was an orphan, so it means that Hayley too must be... oh my god!
Everything that transpired was meant to offer Hope a future.
She gazed at Klaus' abstracted face as his fingertips touched the baby's form in the photo and decided not to question anything for the time being. It wasn't the proper time. So, she held him from behind and said calmly, "She will be fine, Klaus. She'll be fine, I promise. Hope is strong, much like her parents. Just trust in it and know that we never really leave the people we love. You will be there for her. You will guide her when she needs it. Klaus, you, Hayley, and Elijah will always be in her heart."
And Klaus found himself genuinely understanding what Cami was saying.
Yes, Hope was going to be okay. She would be cherished and protected, and she would have family always and forever.
Finally, he felt at ease. His daughter would be just fine. His family would be quite fine. They had one another.
It was now his turn to enjoy life. He didn't deserve it—at least, he knew that—but he was nevertheless granted this gift. He didn't have tens of thousands of enemies waiting for the chance to harm him and his family.
He didn't have any wars to fight. He had no desire to be king of this world, reality, realm, or whatever this place was.
His only desire was to live peacefully with the woman he loved, to appreciate music and art, and finally to make love to her.
He set the photo down and returned his gaze to the blonde woman, this time grasping both of her hands in his and sharing all of his realizations with her.
"Camille, my life as I knew it is over, and I can only feel comfort at the thought. I'll be able to read a book or sip a drink in peace at last. I'll be able to close my eyes without worrying about how to vanquish my adversaries.
I may kiss you love, without fear of damning you to a life of hell, in which you will be a continual target and leverage, for those who seek to ruin me. So, if this is the afterlife and it's truly you with me, not some kind of illusion or a demon, then I'm a happy man."
Camille reasoned that Klaus, somewhere in his wicked mind, would disbelieve that they were together right now.
"My life, Klaus, is a story of death: I waited in my afterlife to be reunited with my family, and it happened; Sean and Kieran are here," she said to him.
"For as long as I could remember, my dreams when I was alive were about my academics. To complete my internship, obtain my license, start my own practice. Understand the human mind. Be someone who helps people in overcoming the traumas they have experienced.
That's what I tried to do as a member of New Orleans' human faction.
I tried to help everyone but myself."
Klaus poured another drink into their glasses and offered one to her.
They sat on the sofa, drinks in their hands. Cami took a large sip.
"When Sean died, I felt like a piece of myself died with him, a piece I thought I'd lost forever."
We shared a profound bond with my brother as twins; neither of us was ever truly alone.
I was broken when I arrived in New Orleans. Sean was dead; my parents disowned me and never spoke to me again, because I wanted to find out what had happened to my sibling. And then Kieran died too.
I put on a happy face every day and tried to live as normally as possible, disregarding the part of me that was drowning in loneliness.
Then you walked into my life. The hundred-dollar guy with the cute accent
When I first looked into your eyes, that connection, that bond that had been lost with Sean's death, emerged. No matter how much you initially used me or pushed me away, no matter how angry I got with you, I was connected with you, and I never felt alone again.
Even after the Guerrera attack, when you defriended me, the connection was there. I could feel you lurk in the dark outside my apartment. I was never alone; I knew I had you looking after me. It was as if I had known you forever. I was in your mind as much as you were in mine.
Even with the whole paranoia of my transition, you never stopped being that person for me. The one with whom I share a true connection
When I was with you, I felt whole again. We had our talks, as you used to say, or I was engulfed in some bizarre supernatural war with you. But I was okay; with you, it felt like I was home. Over time, you and your family became my family.
I'm not some demon assigned to torment you, Klaus; it's me!
And the afterlife placed me here with you because all I want is to be with you. And, yes, it is easy—or safer, if you will—to say, "I love you," to someone when you are about to die. It is different to love someone from the perspective of life.
I've had enough drama in my life, and I'm done. I'm here, Klaus, and I want to be with you because I love you."
Klaus took her glass and placed it alongside his on the wooden table. There was nothing further to say. He loved her more than ever, and he had been mourning her every day for the last 15 years. He lusted after her nearly from the start, when he saw her walking through the abattoir, past dozens of vampires. An angel in white dispatched to heal the devil.
He cupped her face in his hands and gazed deeply into her eyes.
"I love you," he said. "I love you more than you can ever imagine!" He kissed her fiercely, and Cami kissed him back.
Always and forever are now theirs to do with as they wish, and for the first time, Klaus thinks: it feels more like a promise than a curse.