For Anonymous, who wanted to see Klaus losing his temper.
I want to give some warnings for this one. I tend to write reformed versions of Klaus, Damon, Kol, etc. They still carry bits of who they once were, but they are definitely the softer versions they became as the series progressed. This…shows the side of Klaus that we saw in about the middle of this era.
There are references to previous child abuse, torture, death and blood. There is present day PTSD and what could potentially be argued as emotional abuse, though it's such a hard line to define. This takes place a year after Jeremy moved in, so in future installments, these wounds are healed, but it still took time. I feel it's important to show these parts of the characters are still in there and it takes time to truly heal these curses. Even then, they're never gone completely.
This will also answer the question of where Finn is.
As always, no fic is worth your mental health. Please take care of yourself.
"1…2…3…4…5…" Tyler whips around. "Ready or not, here I come!"
He instantly picks up on the giggling coming from the playhouse. Tyler smirks, circling it.
"Hmm…where could JerBear be? Under this rock? Nah…he may be little, but he's not that little."
Another fit of giggles. Tyler pretends to look under the picnic table.
"Not there. Huh. I wonder where he could be? If I don't find him, guess I'm gonna have to eat all the brownies by myself."
"Nuh uh!" Jeremy calls from inside the playhouse. "Mine!"
Tyler chuckles and throws open the door. Jeremy leaps out, throwing his arms around him. Tyler lifts him up and swings him around.
"Gotchya!"
"Don't eat all the brownies, TyTy," Jeremy reminds him. "Dada, Bubby and I get some too."
"I won't, I promise." Tyler kisses his temple. "Why don't you head inside and paint a little?"
"Nooo, TyTy! It's your turn to hide!"
Tyler holds back a sigh. They've been at this game for an hour. When he's in a younger space, he loves hide-and-go-seek. He can come up with so many creative hiding spots. When he's older, it's just boring. Especially considering Jeremy is too young to hide anywhere fun.
Originally, Tyler only planned to play with Jeremy for 15 minutes while Klaus attended to some calls. He knows for a fact that his father is done for now. Realistically, Tyler can go get him and be free of monster duty…
"Pweaseeee, TyTy," Jeremy drags out.
Tyler exhales though his nose. "Fine." Jeremy's pout subsides and he beams. "One more round, then I have important work to attend to. You go hide."
"Nuh uh. Your turn, TyTy!"
Jeremy turns around, covering his eyes. He begins to count, stumbling over the numbers. Tyler takes the opportunity to sneak towards the house. He glances over his shoulder and makes sure that Jeremy isn't peeking. As his brother goes from "5" to "15", Tyler feels safe slipping back into the house. He can finally call Pat to discuss the upcoming game.
"10!" Jeremy exclaims. "Gonna find you, TyTy!"
Jeremy glances around the yard, tapping his chin. He can't see Tyler anywhere. First, he checks the playhouse and comes up empty. Next, he looks under all the swings and tables. Tyler picked a really good hiding place this time!
"TyTy!" Jeremy calls out. "Where are you?"
Silence. Jeremy glances at the woods that surround the property. Tyler must have headed in there! Sometimes he turns into a puppy. He'd know all the good spots behind the trees.
Jeremy heads for the woods. He zips up his alligator sweatshirt further and flipping up the hood. Jeremy glances around the trees.
"TyTy! I'm gonna find you!"
Jeremy takes off running, poking his head around every which way. He continues to call out his big brother's name, panting a bit. The further he goes, the less of a smile he has on his face.
He looks around, not recognizing where he is. "TyTy?" Jeremy's smile completely evaporates from the silence. His lip trembles. "TyTy, where are you? I don't wanna play anymore!" Still nothing. Tears well up in Jeremy's eyes. "TyTy!"
There's a rustle in the bushes. Jeremy sniffles, wiping at his eyes. His big brother is probably in there, ready to jump out and scare him. Jeremy manages to calm down enough to jump forward. He can beat Tyler at his own game!
But his TyTy doesn't come out of the bushes. Instead, a fox does. Jeremy skids backwards, holding up his hands. The creature is bigger than the one in his books. Much to his surprise, the fox stands there, wagging his tail and eyeing the little one.
Jeremy stays in place, tilting his head. Daddy always says that wild animals are to be left alone, but this one is so cute! His fur is bright orange, it looks so soft. Jeremy likes to pet puppies when they walk past the pet store at the mall. A fox can't be much different than the puppies!
He takes a step forward and holds out his hand for the fox to sniff, just like he lets the chocolate labs do.
But the fox doesn't sniff.
His mouth opens wide and he lunges for Jeremy's face. The little one is frozen in place, eyes wide. The fur is brushing against him, but it doesn't feel very good. Jeremy screams out.
Suddenly, the fox is no longer in sight. Jeremy is lifted into a strong set of arms. His breathing is heavy, heart beating quickly in his chest. He looks around, trying to find the mean old fox, but it's nowhere in sight. Big, fat tears fall down his cheeks.
"Are you okay?!"
It's only then that Jeremy notices his hero. The tears double upon realizing it's his daddy. He throws his arms around his neck, sobbing.
"D…Daddy…fox…meanie!"
Klaus pries him back a bit to check his face. He lets out a sigh before pulling him back for a cuddle. Klaus clings tightly to him, caressing his hair and kissing his temple. "What in the world are you doing out here, Jeremy?! This is too far! You know you don't go in the woods without Daddy!"
Jeremy can only think about his breathing. He slowly begins to hyperventilate. Klaus rubs his back and begins demonstrating some deep breaths. Jeremy shakes his head.
"Breathe, Jeremy," Klaus instructs, his eyes wide. "Breathe for Daddy."
But Jeremy can't. His chest tightens and the tears keep falling. No matter how hard he tries, he can't do what his daddy is. Klaus keeps a tight grip on him, carrying him back through the woods.
"Jeremy…Jeremy!" Klaus slightly bounces him. Jeremy can't respond. "Please, baby. You need to breathe. I know it's hard, but you're going to get…"
The vomit goes all over Jeremy's favorite hoodie. His breathing is still choppy, but much better. Now, Jeremy has an additional reason to cry. Klaus keeps him close.
"Shhh, it's going to be okay. Dada's here. Dada's got you."
Jeremy still feels the fur brushing up against his face. He doesn't want to see a fox ever again! It was too scary. The stupid fox made him get sick all over his favorite hoodie. The tears fall faster down Jeremy's cheeks.
Soon, they're back at the house. Klaus removes the yucky hoodie and leaves it out on the back patio. He carries Jeremy into the kitchen and places him on the counter. Jeremy makes grabby hands, not wanting to be put down.
"Daddy!"
His breathing picks up again. The last time he was put down, the fox went near him. His teeth were so close!
"Daddy just has to make sure you're okay," Klaus soothes.
Jeremy shakes his head. "Want Daddy! Now!"
Klaus scoops him back up into a cradle position and gently rocks him. Jeremy lays his head on his chest. The soft, rhythmic heartbeat allows his breathing to return to normal.
"Scary, Daddy," Jeremy whimpers. "Foxie almost bit me."
"I know," Klaus mutters. "Daddy is so lucky he got there when he did. What in the world were you thinking? You know better than to go off into the woods alone!"
Jeremy plays with the necklace around his father's neck. "Hide-and-seek."
Klaus blinks. "Huh?"
"TyTy and I were playing hide-and-seek." Jeremy's eyes widen as he's hit by a realization. "TyTy in the woods, Dada! Foxie gonna hurt TyTy!"
Jeremy is about to try to get out of his dad's arms when he hears footsteps entering the kitchen. He looks up, a small smile going across his face.
"TyTy!"
But Daddy doesn't smile. In fact, he cuddles Jeremy closer.
"Where the hell were you?!" Klaus demands.
Tyler frowns, taking a step back. Klaus narrows his eyes, keeping a death grip on his youngest son. He feels his heart begins to pound heavily in his chest once again. He has never felt such disappointment, such…anger…towards one of his children.
"I…I was on the phone," Tyler makes out.
"You were meant to be playing with your brother!"
"We were…" The young hybrid doesn't even sound sure of his own argument. "Hide-and-go seek."
"And where exactly were you hiding?" Tyler ducks his head. "Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you, boy!"
Tyler gulps, his head snapping up. Klaus notices his body begin to tremble.
"In…in…th…the house…sir," Tyler stutters.
"While your little brother was outside?! Do you realize he wandered into the woods?!" Tyler's eyes widen and he glances at Jeremy, who has his head buried in his brother's shoulder. "If I had shown up not 5 seconds later, Jeremy would be dead! All because what?! Your phone call was more important!"
Klaus is screaming at this point. White hot rage fills every inch of his body as he thinks of what could've happened. Tears are falling down Tyler's face as he stumbles backward.
"You're the older brother! You were supposed to be watching him! And because of your foolishness, he's gone!"
Tyler's body trembles. "Da…Daddy…Jeremy's right here."
"You killed him!"
"Daddy! I didn't!" Tyler sobs. He points to the baby boy clinging to his father. "Jeremy's right there!"
Klaus glances down. His shoulder is being drenched by his baby boy. Jeremy's nails dig into his shirt.
He looks back at Tyler. His middle son is shaking, tears running down his face.
"I…I'm sorry, Daddy. I…I won't…I won't do it again."
Klaus takes a step forward, reaching out his hand. Tyler's arms fly in front of his face and he cowers down.
The gravity of what happened in those 3 minutes crashes onto Klaus. Tyler peeks through the gaps in his arms. His eyes are filled with fear. He's whispering something. It takes him a minute to realize it's "Please don't beat me".
Marcel enters the room, looking between the two. He pulls Tyler into his arms, hugging him tightly. The younger brother clings to him, refusing to look at his dad any longer.
Klaus' mouth opens, but only incoherent sounds come out. He looks between his boys. Jeremy sobbing, Tyler cowering in fear and Marcel with a protective yet worried look in his eyes.
"Marcellus," he finally manages to whisper. His voice is raw, filled with regret. "Please take your brother."
Marcel doesn't argue. He pries Jeremy off of his father. Klaus vamps out of not only the room, but the house. He refuses to stop until even his strength isn't enough.
Klaus crashes against a tree, breathing heavily. He shuts his eyes. Visions of Mikael flash before his eyes.
He can feel his father's fingers dig into his chin as he forces him to meet his eyes.
"Look at me when I'm taking to you, boy!"
The attack of the wolves. Henrik took a step too far to get a better look. The snap of the branch startled one of the pack. They jumped over. Klaus tried to pull his baby brother back, but it was too late. Henrik was mauled within seconds.
Guilt rushed over him as he carried his 13 year old brother back to their shack. Esther's screams have haunted his nightmares for 1,000 years.
Mikael had screamed at him before, but nothing compared to that night. Terrible, horrid names were hurled. Klaus was whipped until he was bleeding. He could barely walk for a week, only attending the burial procession because Mikael dragged him out of bed. Klaus was the one forced to carry the body. Every step ached. He nearly tripped a few times, with Elijah being the one to catch him. Esther held Rebekah and Kol back. Finn simply looked at him with almost as much disdain as their father.
Klaus' vision shifts to Tyler. The boy is 5"9, with muscles and build from both a heavy workout regiment and the curse passed down generation to generation.
Yet, at that moment, he looked so small. Klaus has never seen him so afraid.
"Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you, boy!"
Boy.
Klaus has many nicknames for all the people in his life. Even for his worst enemies, he has never uttered the one that seemed to be all Mikael called him.
How could he refer to his own son like that?
Guilt tears at Klaus' soul. His son is afraid of him. Two of his sons, actually.
He vowed to all of his boys that he wouldn't hurt them. Tyler and Marcel lived through too many years of abuse and trauma. He never wanted to add to that.
How could his rage tip over so quickly?
Klaus digs his phone out of his pocket. With shaky hands, he opens his contacts and scrolls to the "E's". Elijah picks up after one ring.
"Niklaus?"
"B…Brother…I've done something terrible."
Klaus goes about explaining the situation. Elijah is silent. Klaus does the same once he finishes his tale. The only sign that his elder brother hasn't hung up the phone is his breathing. Eventually, Elijah speaks.
"This event was understandably triggering."
"It doesn't matter," Klaus whispers. "I screamed at Tyler. Treated him just as father did me."
"Did you whip him?"
Klaus shakes his head, then remembers Elijah can't see him. "No, I composed myself before it could get that far."
"Good."
"Words cut just as much. I don't remember every time Father or Finn whipped me. I can recall all the horrible words they screamed. In both English and Norse."
"There's no taking this back," Elijah agrees. "But it doesn't mean you can't move forward."
"Should I? Elijah, I've made mistakes as a parent in the past. I was too possessive of Marcel. I spoiled them all a bit too much. I've perhaps created rules that were for my own peace of mind and not theirs. And still…I have never gone this far. I don't deserve my boys. I should've known better than to become a father." A tear falls down Klaus' cheek. "Again, I was selfish. I wanted people to love, someone to love me in return so badly…"
"Niklaus, that's enough."
Klaus pauses under his brother's authoritarian voice. He finds himself backing up against the tree.
"We all make mistakes as a parent. I certainly have."
"This was more than your average mistake."
"I've done that too. I've lost my temper…and I didn't reign it in as you were able to."
Klaus' brows furrow. "What are you trying to say?"
Elijah draws a deep breath. "Early on, before I had officially adopted Kol…I switched him."
Klaus' eyes widen, but he remains silent. The bylaws of the Little Rights Act, which was redeveloped in 2001, state that spanking is permitted, so long as it's not with anything more than a hairbrush of a certain width and weight or a ping pong paddle. Even before this, they had all agreed that switching was off the table. That was often Finn's go-to.
Elijah continues. "It was back when I was still trying to get him under control. He snuck out one night and tried to feed on his own. He ended up killing the person in the process. I was so angry and frustrated. I almost didn't realize what I was doing until we sat there in the parlor, him over my lap and the switch splintering his bottom."
Klaus cringes, imagining how much pain Kol must have been in. "Oh my…"
"I came to. He was sobbing. Refused to let me touch him for a week. I begged Hayley to whip me, but she refused. She told me no amount of hurt was going to atone what I did. Only time and words would. She convinced me to start anger management."
"And Kol forgave you?"
"In time. I know he doesn't forget it. Neither of us ever will. Yet, I prefer it that way. While I know it may cause him pain to remember, it shows us both that I've vowed to do better. To not be the man I once was. You can do the same."
"What if he doesn't want me to?"
"He will."
"But…"
"Niklaus, Tyler and Jeremy love you. It will take time for you to earn back their trust, but it's not impossible. What will make it worse is if you give up on them. They need their dad. Look at Richard Lockwood. Rather than trying to change, he shoved Tyler into a group home. You want to do better, yes?"
"More than anything!"
"Then that's what you shall do. And I'll hold you accountable the entire way."
Klaus draws a deep breath. "Thank you, Brother."
"Always and Forever, my dear baby brother."
Klaus doesn't return home for a few hours. When he does, the mansion is quiet. Klaus heads upstairs to Jeremy's room. When he finds both that and the nursery empty, he knocks on Marcel's door. A soft "come in", grants him entry. Only his eldest and youngest sons are curled up on the bed.
Jeremy looks up at him and cowers back a little. Klaus bites his lip. He slowly walks over and sits at the edge of the bed.
"Jeremy, I am so sorry you saw me like that," he whispers. Jeremy bites his lip. "I never should've screamed at Tyler that way."
"It was an accident," Jeremy whispers. "TyTy would never hurt me."
"I know. He loves you very much. We all do. It's why I got so upset. I was so afraid I was going to lose you. Instead of blaming myself for not keeping a better eye on you, I took it out on Tyler."
"You…you were scary," Jeremy makes out.
Klaus flinches. "I know, baby. I know. I always promised you boys would never see that side of me. And yet, here we are. There are no excuses for what I did. I promise, it will never happen again."
A flicker of doubt crosses Jeremy's eye. Klaus bites his lip, reaching over to caress his hair. Jeremy looks up at him with wide eyes.
"Are you going to hurt TyTy?"
"No. I would never, ever hurt you boys. I know I did today, but that won't happen again."
"It can't," Marcel says, speaking up for the first time since Klaus entered. "You can't be like that, Papa."
"And I won't. I'm going to get some help, Marcel. You boys mean too much to me."
Marcel slowly nods. Klaus rubs his arm, knowing he hurt him too. Even if his eldest didn't witness any of this, today was sign of what exactly Klaus was capable of, if pushed too far.
"I'm going to speak to Tyler. Where is he?"
"His room," Marcel says. "I tried to comfort him but he really wanted to be alone."
"Can't say I blame him." Klaus exhales through his nose. He looks between the boys. Jeremy's relaxed some, but not completely. "I love you, both of you."
He wraps them into a big hug, kissing both of their heads several times. Much to his surprise, they both cling to him for a few moments. Eventually, Klaus pulls away and heads down the hall. Tyler doesn't answer his knocks, so Klaus pushes his way in.
His middle son stands by his closet, throwing clothes into a duffel bag. Klaus clears his throat. Tyler looks up. Klaus frowns as he instantly recoils.
"I'm almost done," he says. "And don't worry, I'll only leave with what I came with."
"Tyler, you don't have to go."
"Yes, I do. I almost got Jeremy killed. I don't get to live here anymore."
Klaus' body trembles. He takes a deep breath.
"You know I had 2 other brothers that you never met, yes?" Tyler slowly looks up, the fear still in his eyes. He nods. "Finn chose to find a way to break our sire bond and end his own life. He loathed being a vampire and all the evils that came with it."
"You've told me that."
"Aye, but I hardly speak of my youngest brother, Henrik."
Tyler is silent. Klaus has only mentioned his baby brother a handful of times. Jeremy only knows of him because he found a sketch Klaus drew from memory.
"He was 13 when he died. Same age as Jeremy is now."
"Was he sick?"
Klaus shakes his head. "Healthier than all of us, actually. Kol was quite sickly as a child. Rebekah seemed to contract something every winter." He rubs his arms. "At the time, I wasn't aware of my heritage. I still believed Mikael was my father. Still, we knew of the wolves and heard stories of how they'd shift once every full moon. My mother told us we mustn't go near them, ever, but especially during this time. I always snuck off anyway."
Klaus isn't sure, but he thinks he sees a hint of a smile on his son's face from the revelation that he was a naughty, rebellious child.
"I never told my siblings. Finn would tattle, Elijah would likely handle me himself. I didn't want the little ones to be in any danger. Yet, once, Rebekah and Henrik caught me sneaking off. She told me off, calling me a fool. Henrik begged to go. I struggled denying him or Bekah anything they asked for. We had it rough enough as it was. So, I took him."
Tyler's heartbeat picks up. "He was killed?"
"Aye. I…I tried to stop it but I was too late. Honestly, I am lucky to have escaped with my own life. I often wished I hadn't. Henrik was just a little boy. He had so much life left to live."
Klaus forces himself to steel over. While he finds it important to show his sons emotion, he doesn't want Tyler to feel for him at this moment. Still, Tyler's eyes fill with pity.
"It's not your fault, Dad."
"I never should have brought him."
"It was an accident."
"Still, it caused a chain reaction. You see, Finn wasn't actually the eldest. Before he was born, my parents had a daughter, Freya. Finn followed not long after. Before the rest of us could be born, Freya succumbed to illness. As it was, my parents were distraught. I feel it's why they couldn't connect to us in the same way. But losing Henrik, it set them over the edge. This is what inspired my mother to find the curse of immortality. So she wouldn't have to bury another child. I'm the reason why my siblings are cursed. Why every single vampire exists."
Klaus pauses, allowing the information to absorb in Tyler's mind.
"I don't tell you this to have you pity me or make excuses. There are none. I just want to give context on why I reacted the way I did. Tyler, I wasn't yelling at you."
"Sure seemed like it," he mumbles.
"Well, I was, but not in that way. All of this brought me back to that time. All the anger and guilt I feel for what happened. My father's words rattled in my brain and flew out of my mouth."
Tyler hesitates. "Is this why you kept screaming that Jeremy was dead?"
Klaus nods. "I was upset with you, but more so in myself. Once again, I failed."
"I'm the one who left Jeremy alone."
"Yes, but it shouldn't have been your responsibility to look after him. I should've been watching. You're just a child yourself. Far too young to carry that weight. I don't even allow Marcel to."
"Dad…"
"You made a mistake, but it wasn't your fault. You didn't deserve that reaction. You don't deserve to receive my guilt and self-hatred."
Klaus takes a step forward. Tyler sinks back a little.
"Words can never express how truly, deeply sorry I am," Klaus whispers. "You are my little boy, my sweet, sweet baby. You matter too much to me for me to treat you this way. I know this won't make up for it. I'm going to get some help. If you allow me, I shall prove I can be the father you deserve. One who won't lose his temper or take all this out on you."
Tyler bites his lip. "You want me to stay?"
"I'd never ask you to leave. This is your home, always and forever. If you like, I can leave, temporarily. Elijah has offered to come down and tend to you if you do not feel safe with me here."
Tyler hesitates. Klaus soldiers on, not allowing to be hurt that he must think about it. This is more than deserved.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
Tyler nods. "I love you, Dad. I know today was a trauma response." Klaus opens his mouth to speak, but Tyler doesn't allow it. "That doesn't make it okay. Still, I…I know you're not Richard. You love me. You care about me, Jer and Marcel too."
"With all my heart," Klaus whispers.
"I…I don't want to leave. You're trying. No one's ever cared enough to do that for me."
Klaus' heart sinks.
"You deserve someone to fight for you, my sweet baby pup," Klaus whispers. "To hold you and love you. You deserve so much more than today. You deserve the world. And I am prepared to give that to you. To all of you. Prove that I am the father you can count on. I don't want to be like my own."
"Did your father ever apologize to you?"
Klaus doesn't even have to think about it. "No."
"Then you're starting off somewhere."
Klaus finally allows the tears to fill his eyes. There's still a good distance between the two. Guilt weighs heavily on Klaus. Still, he manages a small smile.
"Dad?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Have you ever told Marcel what you just did me?"
"He knows the truth about Henrik, but only because Kol told him when he was a child. As a way to poison him against me." Tyler raises a brow. Klaus rubs the back of his neck. "Your uncle was a much different person back then."
"I see."
"He knows Mikael was not a kind man. Even then, he isn't aware of the extent of the abuse I endured. I never wanted to burden you boys. I only told you so you could understand why I reacted the way I did. So you could know it wasn't you."
"We're not stupid, Dad. All of us know your past was dark." Klaus frowns. "But you being honest…vulnerable…it helps."
"It does?"
"As you said, it doesn't excuse anything. But it explains a lot."
"You're still allowed to feel however you do."
"And I will," Tyler assures him. "I also won't tell Jeremy or Marcel. But…it helps to know you can be vulnerable. Makes it easier for me to be."
Klaus exhales through his nose.
"You can always be vulnerable with me, Tyler. There's nothing you can't tell me." His son nods. " I know I do not deserve it, but will you allow me to hold you?"
Tyler hesitates. "Not yet. I…I'm sorry, Dad. I just..I need some space."
Klaus forces his face to remain neutral, even if he's dying inside. "I understand, my sweet boy. Take all the time you need."
I do plan to go into Tyler's feelings and guilt on the situation, but will likely need to take a break from this much angst.
Next time, we'll get into something lighter with Klaus and the boys.
As always, let me know what you think and feel free to leave prompts.
