a/n (8/4/21): Hi all! This chapter is a bit choppy, but I got impatient to move the story forward and decided to post it. Hope you enjoy!
Warning: Canon typical violence.
Season 4: Dark Reunion (Part 6)
"Now, fires in 1788 and 1794 utterly razed the original french colonial buildings, or, 'first generation' Creole. This is why the French Quarter-"
"The Vieux Carré" a laughing young girl shouted from her mother's arms as the pair exited the absolutely packed Cafe Du Monde, little square donuts in both her hands and her lips stained with white powder. Her mother's eyes twinkled as she nodded over at the tour guide who winked back.
'V-yur kaa ray,' Sophia mouthed to herself.
The plump, buxom woman who was providing the free walking tour of the French Quarter turned to address the group, her voice ringing and melodic. She was beaming. "I should say, we're right outside the center of the Vieux Carré, Old Square in french-"
Beignets, donuts. Potato, PO-taut-toe, thought Sophia as she popped one of the powdered white, deep-fried fritters into her mouth. She had learned a great deal about the French Quarter during her spur-of-the-moment tour.
Sophia had been walking around Jackson Square, hopelessly lost, and trying to find Hayley who she was supposed to meet at some bar called Rousseau's in the French Quarter. She had the great luck of asking a born and raised New Orleanian for directions, who also happened to be a tour guide about to kick off her outing. Charmed and disarmed by what Sophia would learn was an uptown accent (loosely southern and reminiscent of New York) she agreed to join the woman's group of wide-eyed, partially drunk tourists.
One of her finer impulse decisions, and she was able to take in the 'Old Square' with an elevated admiration. Cheap, giant sunglasses perched on her nose, Sophia surveyed the galleries she had mistaken for balconies, the shock and awe of the Caribbean influence, the coalescence of the French, Spanish, and Greek revival architecture.
"Your friend has good taste." Laurel's (her tour guide) cheeks had dimpled as she directed Sophia to a less densely populated side road. "Rousseau's is a local's secret. Much less claustrophobic than any bar you'll find on Bourbon Street."
The never-ending party that was New Orleans engulfed her. Early May was the perfect time to visit, a waitress had shared. The celebrations were never-ending, the temperature rarely rose above 90 degrees, and it didn't get too cold at night (Very fortunate weather, as any and all kinds of hotels and motels had been booked a year in advance. Hayley and Sophia had taken to sleeping in the car and resorted to freshening up in public bathroom's).
"You're going to miss prom Sophie! Look, it's in a week, you should be able to make it back in no time, and I even already picked out the perfect dress for y-," Caroline trilled over the phone. Sophia was walking along with a crowd of drunk college students down Bourbon street and instinctually covered her free ear with her hand as she talked to her friend over the phone, the action being unnecessary as her wolf hearing had sharpened her senses. Very irritating when she was trying to fall asleep.
"I don't care about prom, or graduation, or- any of it, Care! I-"
"I thought you said you were with Hannah," the blonde asked suspiciously, likely picking up on the intoxicated rumble of the crowd and syncopated beats of Jazz from a nearby street performer.
"I'm at, uh, a party. A frat party! I have to go now- you should save your money and return the dress."
"Third time in here this week," The dark-haired bartender announced.
"I'm obsessed with the gumbo Jane-Anne," Hayley shared earnestly. Sophia nodded in agreement as she made the extra effort to finish the last dregs of it from her bowl.
"I don't know how, but Sophie outdoes herself every time," Sophia shared with Jane- Anne, who smiled warmly at her.
Sophia couldn't quite put her finger on why, but the Deveraux sisters didn't sit well with her. Both slim-built women with congruent noses and identical almond-shaped eyes, when you saw one you immediately thought of the other, giving away their relation.
The dimly lit, sleek yet vaguely rustic bar where they worked had immediately made her nostalgic for the Mystic Grill. At the end of the bar, french doors lined with smooth dark oak were often left wide open for patrons to shamelessly glance into the kitchen. At least, they had been every time Sophia and Hayley gravitated here for lunch.
Both girls had sampled every sort of gumbo to be found between Jackson Square and Bourbon Street, and it was the youngest Deveraux, Sophie, who topped them all. A blend of the halcyon ambiance at Rousseau's and the mouth-watering waft from the kitchen was almost enough to convince Sophia to brush aside how the young cook had casted her one too many furtive glances. Almost.
A lingering stare or two- Fine. Sophia chalked it up to her name twin maybe mistaking her for someone else. But as she and Hailey were clearly tourists, the on-edge feeling of being watched every time she stepped inside and always from the direction of the kitchen… it was a smidge difficult to shrug off.
Where Sophie was discernibly surreptitious, her older sister, Jane-Anne, was more guilefully hospitable. At least it seemed that way to Sophia, whose suspicion of Sophie had carried over to her older sister.
The old soul didn't appreciate how quickly Hayley had taken to Jane- Anne after she had stumbled into Rousseau's their first day in New Orleans. For her part, the bartender was easy to vent to and even provided suggestions on where Hayley should start her search for her birth parents.
"Because, Hayley, people like you and your friend were run out here years ago."
"What do you mean people like me?" Hayley asked suspiciously.
Sophia straightened up, regarding Jane- Anne warily. What did she mean people like them, and where was this disclosure in any of their previous conversations? Jane-Anne walked around the bar so that she was on the same side as Sophia and Hayley, and brandished a map before them.
"In the bay-ou, they called the werewolves roux-ga-roux…" Jane- Anne shared as she circled the map for Hayley, detailing instructions on how to get there. "Be careful," the bartender had gently grabbed onto Sophia's shoulder. "It's the last place you'd ever want to go," she warned somberly. Sophia nodded goodbye with a polite smile.
A murky fog had literally rolled into the dark, swampy-sticky bayou, surrounding them and causing them to lose all sense of direction. This was before Hayley's map had spontaneously caught on fire and the car had broken down, stranding them there.
Witches, it occurred to Sophia too late as too many of them came out of the woodwork, creating a blockade around her and the fellow wolf. Sophia felt one of them catching her as her legs gave away, rapidly losing consciousness.
AND
The first thing Sophia smelled when she came to was the rancid scent of vomit. Possibly her own.
"What the hell?" She rasped as she met Sophie Deveraux's apprehensive eyes. Sophia appeared to have been laid upon a simple blue couch and noticed her hands and feet were bound as she attempted to sit up. Hayley was still unconscious in a similar dilemma on an overstuffed dark green loveseat next to her. Outside the nearby window, marshy river water rippled about.
The witch pursed her lips as her gaze focused on Sophia's stomach.
"That's- that's not possible," choked out Sophia, staring at Sophie with flummoxed eyes. A mistake was made, wires were crossed, and Sophie Deveraux's sixth sense was screwing with her.
She couldn't be pregnant. Klaus had been the only guy Sophia had ever slept with, and okay, sure, she hadn't insisted on a condom… Because he was a goddamn vampire-werewolf hybrid. He was technically dead.
"I'm never wrong," the thin witch alleged with unforgiving conviction. "I didn't know what to make of you when I first saw you- Klaus's born again wife wondering the Quarter, and everything that happened after was taken out of my hands when I saw you were pregnant-"
"She was fated to born his child," a tall witch declared from where she leaned against the wall.
Sophia thought back to a dark night long ago, the memory giving her vertigo.
"There's only one possibility," her friend had moaned in pain under the full moon. "You are with child."
Sophia bit back a snarl. Fate, destiny, kismet- whatever you wanted to call it, could go fork itself.
(Witch) Sophie rolled her eyes at her friend's statement.
Hayley was massaging her head, still out of it as she gathered her bearings. She had woken up a while ago, but the witches had drugged with some type of herb after she nearly hulked out of the rope that bound her in a rage. "Woah, tough break," she said, looking hazily at Sophia.
Sophia shut her eyes tightly. "For argument's sake, let's say you're right and I'm pregnant. What do you want with Klaus?"
Frustration. Despair. Needing them to understand they needed to help her baby.
"Sleep now, sweetling. It'll be over soon."
"Please! Let me hold her-" She had begged desperately. Snarling as the blonde witch insisted she knew what was best.
Sophia woke up in a cold sweat, trembling. She placed a shaky hand to her abdomen. What the witches claimed… It shouldn't have been possible.
A baby, a child-
Sophia shook her head. She couldn't do this again.
It had to be a sham. A ridiculous lie to lure in Klaus.
She eyed the silver anklet above her foot with disgust. It was charmed to weaken werewolves- It slowed her movements, took away her strength so she couldn't fight back.
She was left to the mercy of fanatic, French quarter witches. Their helpless captive until they were able to lure in Klaus. To what end, they had yet to tell her.
Sophia raised her hand to her mouth, muffling her sob. He wouldn't take any of this well. Shame filled her as she remembered the betrayal in his eyes as he saw how Silas had gotten to her. It had seemed the right thing to do-
Uneasiness overcame her as she contemplated Klaus's reaction to her supposed pregnancy.
Sophia was fairly certain the witches hadn't done themselves any favors by using her as bait to lure him to New Orleans. Klaus didn't negotiate with terrorists.
"I'm sorry all this has sidetracked you from looking for your parents." Sophia pulled back her hair with her hands, sweat-soaked strands still clinging to her neck as she tried to make the most of the barely-there breeze wafting through the cabin window. "They'll probably let you go if-"
"I'm not going to abandon you in an alligator bayou with a group of nut job witches," Hayley said bluntly. "I promised you a fun time in New Orleans', away from the crazy vampire drama that is your life, only to walk you into whatever the hell is going on here." Sophia's lips twitched with the makings of a genuine smile.
"So? How are you and the little one holding up?"
Sophia stared at the brunette with dead eyes. "I'm not pregnant Hayley," Sophia said reflexively.
AND
"Soph, I know this shouldn't be impossible, but I have to say that- This all looks pretty damning. Maybe the witches are right?" Hayley suggested carefully.
Sophia's face was pale as she eyed the various plastic sticks of pregnancy tests before her.
All week she had been telling herself that the witches were gaslighting her by insisting that she was knocked up. Somehow, rumors of her relationship to Klaus and the fact that she was an old soul had trickled over to them, and when she, unfortunately, wandered into New Orleans, someone with a sick sense of humor and a twisted imagination decided that- that...
Claiming pregnancy was a ludicrous lie to tell to lure in Klaus, she dimly acknowledged. It would have been enough to simply hold her hostage- But claiming she was with child was a whole 'nother extra step they wouldn't have bothered with if it… If it wasn't true.
With a loud cry, Sophia swiped all the pregnancy tests off the tiled bathroom counter, causing them to crash onto the floor. Still unsatisfied, her vision blurring, Sophia wailed as she struck the mirror with her fist.
"Sophie, that's enough!" Hayley snapped as she hugged her from behind with all her strength, locking Sophia's arms at her sides.
Taken aback and alarmed at the shards of jagged mirror that fell into the sink, and the dark cherry- esque blood dripping from her hands and onto the off-white bathroom carpet, Sophia sagged against Hayley.
Two nights later, Sophia was covertly hauled over to Lafayette cemetery. Wane, defeated, and bored from being held in the bayou sans cell phone (so she couldn't call for help) and having read all 10 whodunnit books left on the coffee table, she found she didn't mind the change of scenery. It was beautiful, in an eerie, winding maze sort of way. There were plenty of large, masonry tombs and crypts to read about as she was allowed by the witches to explore as the sun fell.
One of her more chatty captors, a man by the name of Thomas, explained that hard rain had a tendency to unbury the dead on this terrain, so they were instead kept in above-ground mausoleums. Hayley stood at her side as Sophia studied the hollow and empty Koenig Tomb. According to Thomas, it was believed the Koenig family moved away before the tomb could be made of use.
Sophia hugged herself, jolted by why the witches had smuggled her to the cemetery. Klaus was here, in the city. Soon he would know-
No matter how out of their depth they were, the witches couldn't be completely stupid. Sophia finally acknowledged to herself that they weren't lying when they told her she was pregnant. She couldn't deny it anymore.
Esther's severe eyes and Sophia's own screams haunted her.
Please, let me hold her. Stop! Where are you taking her!
"Bring her out!" (Witch) Sophie shouted. Sophia rolled her eyes. What was she, a show dog?
Witches flanked all around her as she stepped out of the mausoleum where they had told her to stay put. Sophia stared with startled eyes at Elijah.
Niklaus's words repeated themselves in Elijah's mind he observed the witch titled Sophie Devereaux.
'I gave you that opportunity, and you sided against me. So if I run, it'll be to chase her- And as your only living brother, I will make it my cause that you never know a moment of happiness.'
He recalled the self-satisfied smile on his younger brother's face as he threatened to kill Katerina- displeased with how Elijah hadn't gifted Klaus that vexing immortal cure, so afraid of upsetting Silas. He thought his brother had softened somewhat in regards to matters of the heart after being reunited with Sophia, but he had returned to Mystic Falls to find Niklaus as volatile as ever, and Sophia nowhere to be seen in the wake of her family's tragedy.
'It is such a hollow little life you lead, Niklaus,' Elijah had observed before walking away from his only living brother.
Now here Elijah was, lurking in the shadows of a dark, brick and mortar alleyway- returning to New Orleans after rumors of designs on Klaus's life had made their way to him.
"I'm Elijah," the original had introduced himself to the Deveraux witch after fending off the younger vampires threatening her with ease. "You've heard of me?"
She nodded, in shock and in fear. "Yes," she gasped.
"So why don't you tell me what business your family has with my brother?"
"So- Have they been holding you here against your will?" The aristocratic vampire asked as paced before Sophia, hands in his pockets. Sophia wrung her hands and nodded, briefly glancing over at the werewolf girl standing protectively at her side. Halley, Elijah believed her name was. Her arms were crossed and her hip was jutted out as she eyed him warily.
The vampire raised an eyebrow as she addressed him."They lured us out to the bayou and did all these weird, witch tests on her."
Sophia nodded affirmatively. "I still don't know if I believe them, Elijah, this- this shouldn't be possible."
Elijah had tempered his pleasure at learning that not only was the unimaginable pregnancy not a hoax, but that his brother's lost wife was the mother. Elijah hadn't known it at the time, but it was now plain to see that her death had caused previously irreparable cracks and fractures in Klaus's humanity, laying the groundwork for them to eventually crumble and fall away with time.
Sophia was a smart girl- in every life as far as Elijah could tell. He hadn't thought much of her when they had first met, his little sister's only friend and his younger brother's admirer turned wife. When he had unknowingly met her again as Katerina's disfigured handmaiden- her delicate features melted or otherwise mutilated- he had been unnerved by the ancient abyss of her dark eyes, the mark of a girl clearly older than her years. Then came the cold shock of properly meeting her again as the doppelganger's sister, absently wondering what Klaus would make of her.
Sophia Gilbert (Sofija Mikaeslon as far as Elijah was concerned) was family. He hadn't always understood that, had been loathe to admit when he was mortal, but that was a long time ago. Now, she was very well the most important member of their family.
"You know Nikaus's history more intimately than most Sophia. You know precisely how this is possible." Her jaw ticked, and she blinked away the moisture gathering in her eyes. Anger and sadness shone on her face, and Elijah was reminded of the last time he had seen his brother.
"If your dad hadn't been such a dick, none of us would be in this mess in the first place," the wolf girl said offhandedly, startling Elijah as Sophia's lips curved up. Elijah's eyes flicked over to Hallie. A lovely girl, she couldn't be much older than Sophia.
"I'm Hayley by the way," the she-wolf said as she held out her hand for Elijah to shake. "Sophia told me your whole life story- I feel like I should introduce myself." Elijah firmly shook her hand, keeping his face politely impassive as her eyes unsubtly trailed his person from top to bottom.
Sophia looked briefly amused as her friend returned to her side, her face turning serious once again as she addressed Elijah. "Look Elijah, me and Klaus didn't exactly part on great terms-" she floundered, unsure of her next words. Ah. Whatever had occurred between the old soul and his brother would explain Niklaus's foul temper.
"I've gathered- he's in one of his moods- demanding to be left alone. I won't make excuses for him Sophia, but you knew Mikael. Your temper rivaled my own over his treatment of Niklaus. What you didn't witness was how our father hunted him down for centuries-" The old soul bit her lip as the ancient vampire described how Mikeal always managed to track down Klaus, even here to New Orleans which had been one of the brighter spots in their lives. His brother was endlessly angry. Elijah recalled the disappointment he felt when not even killing Mikeal had brought Klaus some measure of peace.
"I wonder," Elijah began, "If the opportunity- a second chance with you- if this baby might be a way for my brother to find happiness." Sophia frowned at Elijah, not liking where he was steering this train of thought. "A way to save him from himself."
"I'm glad you feel that way," interrupted the witch from behind him.
"Evening Elijah," remarked Klaus as he continued to observe Marcellus toying with the mortal bartender on the empty street below him. "What an entirely unwelcome surprise."
"And what an entirely unsurprising welcome," the older brother said tiredly. "Come with me."
Sophia wanted to tease that the New Orleans witches could give Klaus a run for his money what with their need to hold suspense, but even with all the hoops they made her jump through, they still didn't come close.
"Sophie Deveraux," She heard Nik announce as he entered the mausoleum. "What is this?"
"He's all yours," offered Elijah.
Sophia, hidden away from them behind a corner, grabbed a hold of Hayley's hand, holding her breath as Sophie shared her piece.
"You know you're famous in this town? Witches tell bedtime stories about the powerful vampire Klaus. We know Marcel was nothing but an orphaned street rat until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants, he kills who he wants. I'm gonna stop him- And you're going to help me," Sophie said with a certainty she hadn't had before her sister's death.
"This is why you brought me here-"
"Here her out," Elijah interrupted.
"I don't need to hear her out-" Klaus spat, " I assure you, love, there is not a thing on this earth that will matter enough for me to waste even 30 more seconds of my time. Elijah, what madness is this?"
Thomas nodded at her, and Sophia let out a breath as he helped her stand up. She still held onto Hayley's hand, urging her friend to go with her.
"Ni- Klaus?" Sophia questioned, heedful of all the eyes on her. She dropped Hayley's hand as he turned towards her.
A moment of what she thought might have been genuine incredulity filled his eyes before he caustically laughed. "You're all out of your minds!" he shouted. "-If you think some liquor-fueled one-night stand- no offense sweetheart- means a thing to me." Sophia bit the inside of her cheek, feeling her face heat up. "The ancestors knew the instant she walked into the quarter who she was," Sophie broke in. "A palia psychi who once went by the name Sofija Dahlguarrd nee. Mikaelson- And that's not it. Marcel may be able to keep us from practicing real magic in this town, but as keepers of the balance, we still know when nature has cooked up something new. For example, I have a special gift of sensing when a girl is pregnant."
Sophia's breathing shortened. She wasn't able to take in Klaus's reaction as his back was facing her.
Scared as she summoned the courage to tell him. 'I am with child, Nik.'
"What?" she heard Klaus mutter.
"I didn't believe her either. I'm still not sure that I do." Sophia didn't realize it was her mouth the words had escaped until Klaus turned towards her. It took all of her willpower to not look away.
"What are you saying?" he said to her severely. In another life, he had been overjoyed at the news.
He had touched his forehead to hers as he marveled at her. 'Forgive me for making you feel that you had to keep it a secret.'
"Niklaus," Elijah broke in, "Sophia is carrying your child."
Disbelief. Denial. Anger. That was about right. "No, it's impossible," declared Klaus as he stared into her eyes, then turned them to Elijah. "Vampires cannot procreate."
"But werewolves can," announced Sophie, who resumed Klaus's focus. "Magic made you a vampire, but you were born a werewolf. You're the original hybrid, the first of your kind. And this pregnancy is… one of nature's loopholes."
"You've been with someone else." Sophia jumped as Klaus abruptly turned, managing to hold her ground as he seemingly lunged towards her. "Admit it!" he yelled, blue eyes wounded.
"Hey!" Hayley snapped, leveling him with a glare. "Sophia's been trapped for days in a freakin alligator bayou because they think she's carrying some magical miracle baby. Don't you think she would've fessed up if it wasn't yours?" she pressed viciously.
Klaus paid the little wolf no mind as he stared unnerving at Sophia, his eyes shining with what she would hazard to guess were tears.
"My sister gave her life to perform this spell-" Sophie began. Klaus blinked them away as turned back towards her. "- she needed to confirm this pregnancy. Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us." Sophia stiffened as Sophie edged closer to Klaus, the witch's words ringing in her ears. "If you don't help us take down Marcel- So help me," Sophie's eyes met her's over the hybrid's shoulder. "Sophia won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress."
"What- How-" Sophia began, forehead wrinkled.
"Enough of this," demanded Elijah. "If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll do it myself."
Sophie shot him down, walking past Klaus as she ordered an Original vampire to follow their plan, their rules. Sophia stared past her, noticing how Klaus's jaw had tightened.
He turned to address Sophie. "How dare you command me," he bit out. "Threaten me!" he snarled,"-With what you wrongfully perceive to be my weaknesses." Klaus began to walk out of the crypt, looking to Elijah. "I won't hear any more of your lies."
"Niklaus," Elijah called out. "Listen."
Sophia instinctively placed her hand on her abdomen- she had been doing that a lot lately. Having done the math in her head, she knew she was little more than three weeks pregnant. But that was long enough for vampires to detect a heartbeat. With the toll her body had taken in such little time, and how common miscarriages were in the first semester, she felt that the witches must be desperate to lord her fragile pregnancy over Klaus.
Sophia stared at him with desperate eyes as his gaze traveled from her stomach to her face. A whisper of vulnerability seeped into his eyes, and she saw the exact moment he stamped it out.
"Kill her and the baby," he rasped. Ignoring her, he stormed out. "What do I care?"
Kill her and the baby.
Sophia hugged herself, shrugging off Hayley's attempts to comfort her.
Abomination. Beast. The man who's made your life a living hell. Sophia hadn't tiptoed around her worst thoughts about Klaus, had used them as a reason to drive him away.
"I need- I need to get out of here," Sophia begged Hayley's, her eyes watering. The brunette narrowed her eyes at the witches who blocked Sophia's path.
"No one touches the girl, I will fix this," Elijah vowed before he left.
Agnes, who Sophia gathered was an elder of sorts, had not agreed to the Deveraux sister's plan to pit the Mikaelson's against Marcel. Sophia was startled when Elijah returned, interrupting their debate at hand, agreeing with Agnes.
"Not entirely certain that I can either," Elijah speculated in regards to reigning in Klaus. "But now that your coven has drawn his ire, I have a question. What prevents my brother from murdering you instead of cooperating?"
Sophie grabbed a nearby dagger and pricked her palm with the blade.
"Ow," Sophia moaned in surprise. Not a prick, a stab, she thought as she meant Sophie's eyes. "You linked us," Sophia stated thoughtfully.
"The spell my sister performed," Sophie addressed Elijah, "The one that got her killed- It didn't just confirm the pregnancy. It linked me to Sophia. So anything that happens to me, happens to her. Her life is in my hands."
Sophia's life rested in the hands of the radical, extremist witch who lacked forethought. Screw the maternity dress, Sophia would be lucky if she made it to her 19th birthday.
"Klaus may not care about his own child, but it's very clear what it already means to you," Sophie said to Elijah. "If I have to hurt Sophia, or worse, to ensure that I have your attention, then I will."
"You would dare threaten an original?" Elijah wondered.
"I have nothing to lose," Sophie retaliated.
Well, she had certainly made that clear, Sophia thought bitterly as Sophie gave Elijah the standard fairytale deadline. He had until midnight to change Klaus's mind.
Elijah hadn't managed to change his younger brother's mind, but he was able to return Jane-Anne's body. By doing so, he bought more time for Sophia, with the promise he would help Klaus kill all the witches if any harm came to her or the baby.
"It's a trick, Elijah," Niklaus insisted as he walked away from his brother.
"No brother, it's a gift." Elijah had been to all but completely ready to give up on his younger brother, but alas, it was not meant to be. Not when he knew the root of his brother's anger was being spurned by the woman he loved, and here she was. Still obviously in love with him, and pregnant with his child. "It's your chance- It's our chance."
"To what?" Niklaus demanded.
"To take back everything we lost. Everything that was taken from us. Niklaus, our own parents came to despise us. Our family was ruined- we were ruined. And since then, all that you have ever wanted- all that we have ever wanted… was a family."
Elijah knew he had struck a chord as he watched Klaus fighting off the tears gathering in his eyes and spat, "I will not be manipulated."
"So they're manipulating you- So what? With them Sophia and her child- your child- live."
Niklaus' eyes flashed gold. "I'm going to kill every last one of them," he vowed as he shoved Elijah away. Somehow, Elijah didn't imagine Sophia was among those Klaus vowed to ruin.
Elijah blocked his exit once again. "Sophia and your child are here Niklaus- and you would return to Mystic Falls to resume your life as the evil hybrid? Is it so important to you that people fear you? Is it so important to you that people quake with fear at the sound of your name?"
"People quake with fear because I have the power to make them afraid. What will this child offer me? Will it guarantee me power?"
"Family is power Niklaus. Love, loyalty- that's power. This is what we swore to one another a thousand years ago before life tore away whatever humanity you had left. That is what you and Sophia swore to one another before cruel circumstance stole her away from you. Before ego, before anger, before paranoia created in this person before me someone I can barely even recognize as my own brother. Someone she can barely recognize as her husband." Elijah begged his brother to remain with him and promised him his aid and fealty so that they could re-build their home together.
"No," declared Klaus, before storming away.
Elijah didn't flinch. For all his anger and bluster, he was reasonably certain his brother had no intention of abandoning the Gilbert girl to the mercy of the witches.
He's- angry. Dark. Doesn't feel safe and doesn't know what to do about it. He wishes he could control his demons instead of having his demons control him. He's lost. Alone.
The brave bartender's words ruminated in Klaus's mind as he sat contemplatively on a bench, on an otherwise empty street.
All illusions and guarantees of safety had been shattered after his father's first blow to him. At least the first hit that Klaus recalled. It had not been the reprimand of a well-meaning parent who wanted to discourage a young child's moment of hazardous levity. No, Mikael's strike had been too angry- and with how Klaus's face had hurt and throbbed too much for it to have been…
Klaus attempted to dismiss thought's of Mikael by contemplating the predicament Sophia had gotten caught in. His delusions that he could ensure those he loved would be protected had died when Sofija and their child had. The thousand-year-old vampire reflected on how part of what drew a younger Niklaus to Sofija was how she had entirely loved him with every fiber of her being. In the beginning, guilt had festered in him that he would never care for her as greatly as she did him. After how much Tatia's confusion had hurt him, he knew that the intrepid girl turned stubborn woman- who he had watched over and protected her whole life- deserved better than his pathetic affections. Then… Then she had made Mikael bleed on his behalf. Had scorned Tatia's lukewarm love for him. Stayed by his side even after his mother's dark magic turned him into a terrifying and mysterious new beast. She vowed to love and be loyal to him and hadn't wavered when those same vows asked more of her than either of them could have possibly imagined.
Before Mikeal even knew of Esther's deceit, he had made Klaus feel other. Alone. As laughably brief as it was, Sofija had alleviated that distinctive pain. A millennia later, her simultaneously hesitating yet peculiarly resilient affection for him had worked its magic again. Then- she had abandoned him, made him feel alone as he ever was. How Klaus loathed himself for giving her that power. It had burned far worse than Mikael's disgust and his sibling's hatred of him.
(Was it her turning her back on him that scalded Klaus, or that he had no one but himself to blame that she found reason to do so…)
Centuries of rage and suffering and paranoia (What his siblings never understood was that it's not paranoia when it's real) rotted within him, as well as their pitiless, unthinkable insight. He knew the witches wouldn't kill Sophia, she was their only bargaining chip. Do away with her, and then what did they have? Klaus would burn them, their ancestors, and this city to the ground for their hubris.
Sophia had wanted space and time away from him. Perhaps a whole lifetime's worth, but that couldn't be helped. She needed him. Their child needed him. The thought immediately tamed the hybrid's outrage, as well as the memory of the terrified look in Sophia's eyes as she confirmed the witch's assertions of her pregnancy. He knew that hadn't been entirely for his benefit, for Sophia knew all too well how fragile fledgling life was.
All his demons- and he had many- guided him, had kept him alive thus far. He had ensured his impetuous sibling's safety for as long as he was able, carting them with him as he sought his doppelganger. Perhaps decayed and enraged, but very much safe. His demons (traumas, losses, betrayals) would keep his former wife and the life within her safe. Sophia and their child had already died once in his arms. That wouldn't happen again.
Klaus's expression didn't change when he suddenly found himself with company. "Are you here to give me another pep talk on the joys of fatherhood?"
"I've said all I needed to say," ascertained Elijah.
"I forgot how much I liked this town," admitted Klaus. It would be a shame if things didn't go his way.
"I didn't forget," claimed his brother. "All the centuries we've spent together, and yet I can count on one hand the number of times our family has been truly happy. I hated leaving here."
"As did I."
"What is on your mind, brother?"
Klaus shook his head, the demons clawing at him. Something told him that in spite of her soul being two thousand years old, Sophia had experienced about as much joy as he and his family had (Perhaps that was why they were able to find solace with each other). It wouldn't do to share his speculations of Sophia with Elijah. So Klaus picked another truth that rankled to admit to his brother. "For a thousand years… I lived in fear. Anytime I settled anywhere, our father would hunt me down and- chase me off. He made me feel powerless and I hated it. This town was my home once, and in my absence Marcel has gotten everything I ever wanted. Power, loyalty, family. I made him in my image and he has bettered me. I want what he has. I want to be king."
"And what of Sophia and the baby?" asked Elijah.
Klaus looked at him. "Every king needs an heir." A hint of a smile graced his stalwart's brother's face.
A vindicated smile etched on Klaus's as he turned away, already drawing up battle plans to protect the mother of his child and reclaim his city.
Sophia frowned at the expansive room before her, unsure of what to make of her predicament.
Elijah had relocated her to a luxurious mansion well away from the Quarter, claiming her the most important person in the family, and in need of a good home. Hayley was out exploring the property. (The gentlemanly Original had been leery over her friend, but Sophia was obstinate that they were a package deal.)
"So I'm curious, in all this time, has anyone asked you how you feel?" Elijah inquired as he walked over from another room.
"About being pregnant with a magical miracle baby?" Sophia smiled dryly. "With my once husband?"
"About being a mother?" Elijah clarified.
Sophia considered his query thoughtfully, thinking of her parents. She hadn't wanted for anything. They had never made her feel unloved, or unwanted. She hadn't known how lucky that was until she relived her life as Sofia Rakovski. Grayson and Miranda Gilbert nee. Sommers had damn well made sure that her, Elena, and Jeremy knew they came before anything else- and if they had a favorite kid, she couldn't begin to guess who it was. Her mom being relatively young at 21 when she had been pregnant with Sophia and deciding to adopt Elena- well, it gave her hope that- just maybe- she could do this.
And then Sophia thought of how she was only 18, without even a high school diploma to her name. If she were to turn up in Mystic Falls a handful of months from now with a swollen belly, her hometown busybodies would be atwitter with how her family's tragedy had made her a teenage statistic. What was more to consider- Sophia never saw herself as a mother, and always a fun Aunt Jenna type to her sibling's future kids. And boy, how her past life with Klaus hammered in how that ultimately would have been the best choice, except, fate had other plans.
"I never thought much of being a mother, in this life. That was all Elena. And- Well, you were there the last time I remember being pregnant. I remember the morning sickness, the mood swings, the cravings- Being so excited to meet mine and Nik's baby- and then, very unexpectedly, out of nowhere, our baby died. No rhyme or reason, just like that. And not very long after, I died... And it all just goes to show, anything can happen-"
"I will always protect you and your child," Elijah vowed solemnly. "You have my word on that," he said softly.
Sophia's lips quirked as she held his gaze. She and he had never been particularly close, but her hormones being what they were… She finally understood how he had taken Tatia so completely by surprise, why Elena was swept away by his vows.
"And noble Elijah always keeps his word. Given the circumstances at hand, I hope you'll pardon me for not keeping mine." Klaus was now leaning against the archway to the living room, eyes narrowed as he briefly met Sophia's eyes, then addressing Elijah. She frowned at him. She hadn't seen him since he abandoned her to the witches.
"Is it done?" the older brother asked.
"As a matter of fact, yes. Your underhanded deal worked quite well."
With the help of Elijah, Klaus had wormed his way back into Marcel's good graces. "My only concern now," the hybrid smiled, " is this coven of impudent witches."
"I believe them to be honorable, they did release Sophia to me- Although, they haven't been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need- They don't want him dead. There must be a reason why?"
Let me make it easier for you sweetheart, I'll go on and stay out of your hair- out of your life.
Kill her and the baby.
Sophia felt queasy as she followed Klaus into the extended foyer, knowing better than to completely blame the pumpkin seeding growing within her. They haven't talked since the witches blindsided him and he was careful to not be alone with her. They had to talk.
"Nik- we need to- Will you please stop walking away from me-" He didn't turn to address her, keeping a brisk pace as he made his way out the door.
"Kill her and the baby!" she burst out before he could open the back door. "What was that?!"
She saw his hand freeze on the doorknob, his shoulders tensing. "It wouldn't have been to my advantage for the witches to know who you are to me-" Klaus turned to face her. "Although, the noble Elijah has gone and made amuck of that, and you remain linked to Sophie bloody Devereux."
Sophia's lips curled viciously. "Oh, what a line! And I'm sure you didn't need any convincing at all to own up to your part in this pregnancy- leaving me to fend off the witches on my own. If it wasn't for Elijah they might've cut their losses and would have killed me then and there-"
Klaus stalked towards her as he interrupted her."You are their only bargaining chip, they wouldn't have-"
"You didn't know that!" Sophia yelled, pushing with all her strength against his chest, stung at how careless he was with her life. She caused him to crash onto the door behind him. Fair's fair, an annoying voice whispered in her ear. He promised to stay out of her life, and here she was, ready to box him for keeping his word. She attempted to hit him again, but he caught her wrists mid-air.
Anger was kindled in his eyes, a searing hurt, as he stared at her. "I left at your word," Klaus said roughly. "You wanted nothing to do with me, and I respected your wishes-"
Sophia turned still, refusing to be cowed by him after what he had done, and stubbornly kept her eyes on his.
"What a foul predicament you find yourself in," he rasped, still holding onto her wrists. "In an attempt to distance yourself from me- Your first destination outside of Mystic Falls being my family's former home, pregnant with my child, forever connected to me- you must dread that I'm the father… Unless the little wolf was wrong- and you were with someone-"
Sophia yanked her arms away, stepping back from him. How dare he… Stung and hurt, she stared at him spitefully.
"It's yours, Nik! It would be impossible for anyone else to be the father, as you are the only man I have ever-" Sophia cut herself off and shook her head bitterly. "You know what, that's beside the point. You either believe me or you don't. What did Elijah say to get you to change your mind anyway? Because from where I'm standing- you don't give a shit that in nine short months, you're going to be a father!" Sophia's lips twitched, and before knew it, she was laughing at the thought. "It's hilarious really- I mean, you a father?" She practically cackled.
Klaus gritted his teeth, tightening his jaw. "You don't think I'd be a good one?"
"Absolutely," Sophia said as she finally calmed down, winded. "I have a hard time imagining you helping me with diaper changes and bath time in between decimating your enemies and torturing those who've wronged you. There's good reason for why vampires shouldn't procreate- and of course it's my god-awful luck that you are the exception to that rule."
Sophia took a deep breath and in the blink of an eye, Klaus was gone, the back door left wide open.
The next day, it was difficult to determine who was avoiding who. Sophia was more grateful than ever that plumbing and running water overran Hayley's reservations at living under the same roof as Klaus, especially after Elijah was seemingly nowhere to be found. His absence unnerved her, and given his personal stake in her pregnancy, it couldn't mean anything good.
She was torn between feeling guilty for the role she played in the fracture in their communication, and with Klaus regressing before her eyes. Then she felt frustrated for feeling guilty.
Klaus was terse with her the few times they crossed paths, leaving the house as he pleased, ordering her to stay inside and to never leave. His orders and avoidance stung, and the apology on the tip of her tongue whenever she saw him evaporated away. He had regressed to the version of himself he had been when he first came to Mystic Falls, hell-bent on outmaneuvering his enemies.
When the dusty old mansion she was now meant to call home was lit with warm sunlight, and she distracted herself by snooping through every crack and crevice with Hayley, things didn't seem so bad. It seemed as if there was all the time in the world to repair the damage between her and Klaus, to reach out to her friends- hell, time and distance had worked miracles in regards to her thoughts on Elena. Miles between her and Mystic Falls had lessened the ache of what Qetsiyah had done to her, what Silas had made her remember. She and Elena had had their own ways of grieving their brother's death and given who the father of her baby was, her sister's actions didn't seem quite so malicious in comparison.
She abhorred when the sun fell away to night. Stuck in a drafty, shadowed house, she ached to go to Klaus. To say sorry, to reassure him, to tell him that if she was going to do this with anyone, she was glad it was him. And on the turn of a dime, she spurned the thought away. Klaus, who wouldn't give her the time of day so she could apologize to him, didn't take the time to say sorry to her… Would he be like this when it was time for the baby to be born? For some reason, he wanted their child's home to be in New Orleans, but what if that wasn't what she wanted? Didn't she get a say?
She was haunted by memories of Klaus's childlike wonder of when she told him she loved him. How easy and breathtaking it had been to fall into rhythm with him… And the reasons she threw it away.
Sophia eyed her phone nervously. The Salvatores were insisting she return to Mystic Falls, that they felt they were close to a breakthrough in regards to getting Elena to turn her humanity back on. And Caroline was still hopeful she would be back in time for graduation.
Sophia sighed. She couldn't imagine telling any of them that she was pregnant and Klaus was the father.
"What was that?" Hayley frowned. Before Sophia could ask what she was talking about, she also heard the rumble of a car pull in front of the house the next night.
"Maybe we should- where'd you get that?" Sophia wondered as Hayley walked in front of her down the stairs that led to the front door, a metal fireplace poker in hand. The door opened before them.
"Who the hell are you?" the brunette asked as she walked downstairs. Sophia rushed behind her, widening her eyes at the unexpected surprise.
"Rebekah," Sophia said, her mouth falling open. It felt as if had been ages since she had laid eyes on her old friend.
"Oh, Sophia," Rebekah tsked disappointedly. "And you must be the maid," the sister Original addressed Hayley. "My bags are in the car, get them. Will you?" she asked offhandedly.
"She's not the maid, Bekah," Sophia smiled thinly as she struggled to slip the fire poker away from Hayley who was sizing up the incoming vampire. "She's my guest."
Rebekah arched an eyebrow as she pushed the door shut behind her. "Very well, mumsy. I should've known you and Nik would fall into each other's arms when no one was looking. I was expecting to see some kind of supernatural miracle baby bump. Guess you're not showing yet."
"She has her brother's manners," Hayley sniped under her breath to Sophia.
"And his temper too, so watch it," Rebekah threatened. "Where's Elijah?" she demanded.
Hayley's eyes narrowed as Sophia looked over her shoulder, wondering where Klaus was at- if he was home. "I haven't seen him since he gave his word he would protect me and the baby. So- my best guess is daggered."
Rebekah's eyes narrowed. "We have catching up to do- later. Klaus!" the blonde exclaimed. "Get out here and tell me what you've done with our brother you narcissistic backstabbing wanker!"
"Enough with all the shouting- Little sister. I should have known." Klaus observed as he stepped out from the connected foyer.
Sophia's breath caught at the sight of him, and held it in as he looked blase towards Rebekah, who demanded to know where Elijah was. He taunted little sister about Marcel, who Sophia had yet to meet. She supposed his actions spoke for themselves- banning werewolves, cutting the witches off at the knees, Klaus's protege and now- Well, Sophia gathered this Marcel and Rebekah were more than friends.
"What did you do to him?" Rebekah asked.
Klaus smiled. "Perhaps he's on holiday. Or taking a long autumn nap upstairs. Well, go on. Take a look around. You remember this house as well as I."
Sophia, who felt misplaced and completely ignored as the siblings took a stroll down memory lane, walked back up to join Hayley on the staircase. She sat with her hand propping up her chin, listening as the siblings bickered over the memories they shared of this house. She raised her eyes when they looped back to the front door and was startled when Klaus met her eyes as he told Rebekah goodbye, then left again.
Rebekah turned around and raised an eyebrow at Sophia and Hayley, who were clearly eavesdropping. "You two- Sophia and wolf-girl- I'm going to search this house inch by inch until I find out what my evil brother has done to my good one. And you two are helping."
Sophia felt queasy after Rebekah tracked down her own coffin in some sort of secret room. The house was apparently full of them, and she and Hayley had barely scratched the surface of it.
The blonde vampire had shared all she had done in an attempt to get the cure, how she nearly had it within her grasp… Then Klaus, under the threat of Silas, had swindled it away from her and Elijah. Sophia's stomach churned. So. Silas had the cure. Maybe she should return her friend's phone calls.
"Why haven't you returned home yet?" Rebekah asked. "I'm sorry for your loss Sophia- truly." The blonde vampire said sincerely. "But you have to know staying here with Klaus- especially with Elijah gone- won't end well for you or your baby."
Sophia swallowed. "The French Quarter witches put a hex on me and- well, leaving New Orleans could result in my sudden death."
Rebekah frowned at her. "Klaus is in rare form, Sophia. I never thought I'd see the day that- that Klaus would put you in a box. But I know better and you know better. Chances are he will the second you give birth. He'll say it's for your own safety- then he'll tuck you away as he did Elijah."
Sophia lurched and grabbed onto Hayley who was taking in Rebekah with narrowed eyes. "I was leaving as soon as I found Elijah-" Rebekah let out a huge, put off sigh as her gaze momentarily focused on Sophia's stomach. "Once I track him down, I'll find a way to help you break that hex." The blonde said distractedly as she left the room.
"You have options Sophia. You do have choices," Hayley said delicately the next morning as Sophia ate a bowl of cereal.
The girl in question nodded. She had thought long and hard all night about her choices. She couldn't imagine Klaus locking her up in a box as he did his family- but she was now forced to admit it was within the realm of possibility.
The hybrid's twisted methods of keeping those he cared for safe aside, Sophia wasn't sure she was ready for a baby. She didn't hate children- she respected them. She felt they deserved to have parents who wanted them. This baby wasn't asking to be born, and Sophia was in no position to be the mother he or she deserved. And Klaus certainly wasn't ready to be a proper father.
Really. When put into those terms- the decision she had arrived at made the most sense. It was the responsible thing to do.
Sophia looked with renewed certainty towards Hayley. "I have a favor to ask you."
Sophia volunteered to join Rebekah that afternoon as she tracked down Sophie, with the hopes of getting the witch to help them find Elijah, and trailed behind the pair after the witch insisted they all talk at the cemetery. Sophie was explaining that under Marcel's rules, performing magic was punishable by death. Rebekah continued to insist that the witch perform a locator spell for Elijah.
"Marcel?" The original vampire asked, miffed. "What do you think I'm going to do to you if you don't give me what I want?"
"Not much," Sophie stated as she looked towards Sophia. "I've been linked, so anything you do to me, you do to Sophia."
Rebekah narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. "Lucky for you, I'm rather fond of her. Otherwise, I'd break your neck right here."
The witch crossed her arms and mirrored the vampire's stance. Sophia awkwardly cleared her throat as she shifted her weight to her other foot.
"How did Marcel get so bloody powerful anyway? It wasn't like this when I left a hundred years ago."
The blonde frowned the witch continued to sidestep how exactly Marcel was able to know when the witches were using magic.
"Why can't you just move away?" Sophie wondered, startling the pair.
"We practice ancestral magic," Sophie explained. "This cemetery is filled with the remains of our witch ancestors. Without them- we're powerless. If we run, we're leaving our legacy behind- our home, our family."
"Well, family's overrated," declared Rebekah as found a seat on an upraised grave. "Look at me- I'm back in a city that has given me nothing but heartbreak, looking for a brother who's hell-bent on protecting a baby I don't even care about."
Sophia's eyes turned towards the ground, shame heating her face. All the trouble Elijah had through to protect her, and here she was plotting against him. Nobody even asked me if I wanted this pregnancy, she reminded herself. Not the witches, not Elijah, not Klaus, not Rebekah. Hayley had been the first to mention the alternative, and Sophia was exercising her free will and making her own choice.
She squared her shoulders as she looked up to meet Sophie Deveroux's surprised eyes.
"I find that hard to believe. I thought Sophia was your friend?"
"Elijah is the one who idiotically believes this baby could be Niklaus's redemption- Now he's missing, probably at the hands of Klaus himself. And my friend is all of 18 years old and being taken advantage of by you lot. That baby can't be more than four weeks old and look already at the grief it's causing her." Rebekah said jadedly, then looked up at Sophie. "And you were foolish enough to believe that Elijah could convince Klaus to go against Marcel when everyone knows they have a history."
"Klaus sired Marcel- I'm aware," the witch said impatiently.
"You don't understand- Marcel isn't just some guy that Klaus turned into a vampire. Klaus loved him like a son."
Sophia listened with complete attention as Rebekah described this chapter in Klaus's life. She wished could have learned this from Klaus himself. How he had adopted and raised a boy who he had named himself, an illicit child whose mother was a slave owned by the child's father.
"And that is why your plan will fail," shared Rebekah. "All you've done is bring back together two long-lost souls. Who knows what they'll do?"
Sophia parted ways with Rebekah who had left to go stake out Marcel. Meanwhile, the old soul went to meet Hayley in Bienville park. Walking at a hurried pace, she furrowed her eyebrows as she quickly glanced down at her phone. She had over 20 missed calls and a ton of text messages from her friends and the Salvatores over in Mystic Falls. Those would have been easy for her to ignore, but what caught her eyes was missed calls from Elena. Sophia quickly squashed her curiosity, the hope that maybe her sister had returned to her original self. She would return her calls later, as there were more important stakes at hand to tend to.
She took a seat on a wooden bench beside her friend.
"Thank you so much Hayley, you have no idea how much I-"
"Hey- it's the 21st century. It shouldn't be this hard for a girl to get an evil hybrid vampire abortion," the werewolf said as she handed Sophia a cup of tea. "I already mixed it with wolfsbane, the witch who gave it to me free of charge said this should do the trick."
The brunette stayed quiet as Sophia looked morosely at the cup, unable to raise it to her lips. She remembered the absolute joy she had felt when Klaus told her he loved her, how- in another life- it had once her dream to be a mother. How- all this time later- she still couldn't comprehend having a family with anyone other than him.
Sophia blinked back the tears gathering in her eyes. What she had shouted at Klaus had been some of her worst fears- It was a piss poor way to go about it, but she wanted reassurance he was capable of being her partner in this. That she hadn't screwed things up so completely by running away just when he was opening to her. Perception became reality, and he had all but reverted to the man he was when he had first stumbled across her in Mystic Falls. All acid and broken glass.
She thought of how devastated she had been when she failed Mai, unable to carry the babe quickening in her to term. The tragic surprise of it all. What she had shouted at Klaus hadn't been completely about him, and really about how terrified she was that this pregnancy would be anything like her first one.
The old soul cleared her throat, coming to a decision, looking with clear eyes at the now cold cup of tea. She couldn't do this- she wouldn't do this. Despite all the horror and deaths and hurts that marred their relationship, her and Klaus's baby had come to be because of love. While their baby would hold a part of him and a part of her, they would grow up to be their own person entirely, and Sophia wanted to meet them.
She looked over to Hayley, and her friend opened her mouth to speak, when both girls tensed at the same time, the hair on Sophia's arms raising. Someone was watching them.
Sophia jumped to her feet and clutched Hayley's hand at the sight of the vampire behind them.
"Dumb move coming into the quarter. You're coming with me, wolves."
"Back off," Hayley growled. Sophia bared her teeth as she threw her tea in his face without a second thought, clutching her abdomen protectively, her heart hammering as she caught sight of two more vampires behind them.
Out of the darkness, Rebekah appeared, twisting the neck of one and pulling the heart out of another. "Now that is no way to treat a pregnant lady. I do hate bad manners."
"This is why I told you never to leave the house," Klaus said as piled the two vampires Rebekah had killed in the front yard. "Werewolves are banned in the quarter. I had a plan and your little nighttime stroll put it all in peril- Leave him," Klaus yelled at Rebekah as she stepped towards the third vampire, who was alive enough to moan in pain. "You've done enough, don't you think? Leaving a trail of bodies like a roadmap to my door."
"If I hadn't overheard this lot bragging about werewolf heads, everyone here would be screwed. And don't give me that crap about having a plan- you've had all the time in the world to execute a plan and no ones seen you do a damn thing! Elijah made a deal to protect your child so that he could save you from your selfish rotten self. You obviously don't give a damn about the child, Sophia, or Elijah because what have you done to honor it?" demanded Rebekah.
Infuriated disbelief shone in the hybrid's eyes.
"I have done everything," Klaus growled. "Let me spell it out for you, shall I? From the day I arrived Marcel hasn't trusted me. From day one, he's had his vampires ingest toxic vervain, which as you know, little sister, protects them from my mind control. I needed a spy- someone on the inside who Marcel would never suspect. So I created a day zero and got there first. Marcel had just lost six vampires thanks to your little murder spree and he needed new recruits. So I made the new one mine before he even had a drop of vervain. But we all know the real way to a man is through his heart, so…" Klaus alluded to his machination with a shrug. "And this one-" he said as he pointed to the still barely breathing vampire, "I'm going to drain him of vervain and compel him to believe his mates found religion and moved to Utah so that he can explain to Marcel why he lost three more vampires tonight," Klaus explained angrily as he dragged said vampire into the house. Sophia, Hayley, and Rebekah followed him in.
"Does anyone have any more questions?" Klaus demanded as he raised his hands.
Sophia's gaze shirked away from him, unable to meet his eyes.
"No? Good. Because I have a question, Sophia," Klaus said as he glared at her. She suppressed a shiver. He's never looked at her like that.
"What were you doing in the bloody French Quarter in the first place?" Sophia raised her head as she met his eyes, staying silent. "Answer me!" He shouted.
"Leave her be," Rebekah said protectively. Hayley shifted to step forward, mouth open and eyes mutinous. Sophia stuck out an arm, not wanting her friend killed on her behalf, and stepped forward.
"You want to know what I was doing," she said, days of anger and confusion seeping into her voice. Her annoyance over how he avoided her and avoided all her attempts to speak to him. She was already bitter at how he would find fault with her for contemplating an abortion despite how he never once communicated to her, assured her that he was in this with her. The pain of how she would have to tell their kid one day how daddy had killed Aunty Elena and Jenna.
Sophia spat vitriol, having it up to here with Klaus and how he had the nerve to be furious with her. "I was buying poison so I could put your little baby out of its misery!"
Klaus's eyes briefly flashed gold, and next she knew, she was pressed against a wall, her arms pinned at her sides by Klaus who held her tightly. "Why?" he roared, shaking her. Sophia barely took notice of how her head banged against the wall. "So desperate to be rid any connection to me- of our child, you'd risk your life-"
"Nik- Nik!" Rebekah yelled.
Then it was Klaus who was being pulled away from Sophia and pushed against a wall by his sister. "Keep your hands off of her, she is pregnant for god's sake!"
In shock, Sophia messaged her strained wrists, flinching when Hayley put what was meant to be a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Rebekah continued on. "All of this bluster about not wanting the child and the second Sophia tells you she's ready to get rid of it…" Klaus turned incensed eyes back on to Sophia, who met them, not quite sure what to make of the look on his face. "It's okay to care," Rebekah reassured. "It's okay to want something. That's all Elijah was trying to do, all he's ever wanted for you. All we've ever wanted."
Sophia relaxed when Klaus did, sagging against the wall, reaching out to squeeze Hayley's hand, partly in an attempt to keep the wolf from speaking out.
The fair-haired siblings sat next to each other, defeated, in front of the staircase.
Klaus broke the silence, his expression subdued. "I gave Elijah to Marcel."
Rebekah stared in shock at him. "What?"
Sophia should have known better. Rebekah too. Klaus always had a plan.
Gain Marcel's trust. Dismantle his empire. Honor Elijah's wish that their baby be born.
"I am executing that plan the only way I know how," said Klaus as he briefly met her eyes, then turned back to his sister. "If you don't like it, then there's the door. See if I care." Then he was gone.
Hayley was sitting silently on the poolside chair across from Sophia, while the old soul's bare legs were in the clear water, her mind blissfully empty and she listened to the chirping of crickets. She was jolted when her phone rang and she saw that it was Elena again. In all the excitement, Sophia had forgotten to reach out to her. She really hoped the Salvatores had performed a miracle of their own, and that it would be her sister with her humanity intact on the other side of the call.
Swirling her feet nervously in the water, Sophia answered. "Hello?"
"Sophie?"
Sophia's heart seized, and her feet stilled as she held in her breath. It wasn't possible-
"Jeremy?" she whispered.
He laughed. "It's me Soph. This is gonna sound insane, but Bonnie dropped the veil for the otherside-"
"Oh my god," inhaled Sophia, barely noticing how Hayley sat up in her chair. "How- when-"
"It's not permanent, and I wanted to see you before- before it's time for me to go. I-" Jeremy coughed awkwardly, taking a beat. "I know where you are- what you've been dealing with.," he said in a low voice. "I can't leave Mystic Falls, Bonnie only dropped the veil in town. You would have to come here-"
French quarter witches be damned. "I'll be there tomorrow."
With bare feet, Sophia pattered over to Rebekah who was on the porch at another wing of the house.
"Thank you, Bekah, for stepping in tonight," Sophia said softly as she took a seat beside her.
"Us girls have got to look out for each other," the blonde said with a small smile.
"The way you were going off on Klaus earlier, saying you hated him for not giving you the cure. But- the way you talked him down, you still love him even when you hate him," Sophia wondered aloud.
"I can say the same for you." The vampire looked appraisingly at her.
"I- I love Nik. And somehow, I don't hate him." She probably should. Her brother had returned from the dead, and somehow, Sophia knew it would be better to apologize later instead of letting him know now that she would be returning to Mystic Falls.
The blonde looked out over the yard. "I love him too, but sometimes, the hate is just so powerful. Klaus had killed so many of my boyfriends. He did it again and again- everytime I found someone to care about. He just kept doing it, until finally, I just stopped falling in love. He said he was protecting me from my mistakes, that no one was ever good enough for his little sister. Until one day someone was."
Her friend shared how she had fallen in love with Marcel, and him with her. For her folly, Klaus had daggered her for over fifty years and had made Marcel choose between her or vampirism. It was plain to see what he had chosen.
"I'm so sorry Bekah-"
"I honestly wonder, if we had somehow figured out how to turn you when had become what we are, if Klaus would have been better for it- Or if he would have would have convinced himself that even you needed a dagger to the heart for your protection."
Sophia stayed quiet. It was a haunting thought exercise, but she was going to follow Jeremy's advice and not get lost in what if's.
"And now Marcel gave Elijah over to a little witch. Davina. Pretty young thing, and not just any witch. She's beyond powerful, and because of Klaus, she has Elijah."
Sophia adjusted to face Rebekah. "How do you know-"
"I couldn't help myself. I went over to Marcel to demand Elijah back, had to threaten the blonde bartender he's been fawning over to get him to introduce me to the little witch. She erased my memory, I have no idea where to find her."
Sophia wrung her hands, eyeing her friend anxiously.
"What's wrong Sophia?" Rebekah wondered as the old soul silently opened and closed her mouth nervously.
"I have a huge favor to ask of you Rebekah- and obviously you can say no, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't. My brother called not that long ago." Sophia let out a breath and the blonde vampire's face twisted in confusion. "Bonnie dropped the veil in Mystic Falls, she brought him back. But it's only temporary, and he's doesn't know when she'll have to bring it back up. I have to go see him- I have to-"
"Then why are you wasting your breath on me," the original vampire said urgently as she stood up, and nudging Sophia to stand as well- then she hesitated. "The witches are one thing, but Klaus- He'll dagger me as soon as he learns I've helped you-"
"Then I guess it's a good thing Hayley found these." Sophia pulled over the antique steak knives, carefully wrapped in fine cloth, and handed them over to an open-mouthed Rebekah. "It's a fourteen-hour drive back. Roughly. We really should leave as soon as poss-"
"I agree we need to leave now, but let me pull some strings. I think your brother returning from the dead calls for a more speedy transportation."
The sun was rising as their plane landed in Virginia.
"I'm sorry all of my… baby drama has kept you from-"
"It's okay, Sophie. I'm not out of the game yet. And with werewolves banned from the Quarter, it would have been a matter of time before they strung me up if I had gone to New Orleans on my own." Hayley looked over Sophia to Rebekah. "Thanks for springing for a seat for me. I did not want to be the messenger to tell your brother Sophia took off."
Rebekah acknowledged the wolf's gratitude with the lazy wave of her hand.
"Why are you looking up church attics?" Sophia asked curiously, seeing a map featuring New Orleans churches on Rebekah's laptop.
"I managed to remember that much. This Davina erased everything else. When we return, I'll scour the whole city if it means finding Elijah."
Luckily for Sophia, but unfortunate for her friends, Bonnie had failed to bring up the veil last night when she was supposed to. All the sacrifices that had to be made to unleash the otherside had come back with a vengeance.
Hayley, who was in charge of driving the rental car as Rebekah's eyes remained glued to her laptop, dropped Sophia off at the Mystic Falls cemetery, where her brother had told her to meet him.
"I think it's better if I stay out of sight," the wolf said shrewdly when Sophia invited her to come along. "Besides, you need quality time with your family. Call if you need anything," she said before driving off.
Right. Sophia curtly remembered how it had been Hayley who had sacrificed the hybrids to Klaus as she made her way through the entrance.
The sight before her momentarily caused her to freeze, then smile from ear to ear. "Jer! Ric!" She laughed as she made her way to them, crushing Jeremy in a tearful hug as he met her halfway.
"And this is why you told me to bring four burgers," said a familiar voice, and Sophia noticed a familiar figure at the corner of her eye.
"Elena," Sophia said stiltedly as she stood up.
"Sophie," her sister said as she walked over, eyeing her in concern. "I- I'm so sorry for everything. I know it's not enough, and I can't even begin to explain what I was thinking-"
Sophia shook her head, as if she could literally shake Amara's shrieks out of her ears. She looked towards Jeremy, and let the sight of her brother alive ground her. Her brother was here. Ric was here. Elena- whole and intact- was here. That was more than enough. "It's okay Elena," Sophia said as hugged her.
A call from the formerly dead hunter Connor, and their little happy family had learned that hell had broken loose all over Mystic Falls.
Same old, same old, Sophia thought exasperatedly as she made her way over to the Salvatores boarding house with Jeremy and Elena.
Qetsiyah had given her hunters orders from the otherside, and they were following her commands to kill Silas using whatever expedient means possible.
Silas had lost the cure, which Damon now had. Connor had been threatening innocents at the Grille, but Ric managed to stop him. Another hunter had been targeting Damon back at the manor, but Stefan arrived in the nick of time to rip his heart out.
"Ah, it's nice to finally meet the infamous Lexie," Sophia smiled as she shook hands with the leather-clad, bombshell blonde who was Stefan's best friend.
"It's nice to meet you too Sophia. You're fairly infamous yourself on the other side. Friends in high places, if you know what I mean," the vampire smiled as she raised a suggestive eyebrow.
Sophia shook her head, baffled. "I really don't." She shook her head politely as Stefan offered her a drink, and resisted pressing her hand to her abdomen, guiltily thinking of Klaus- how he might've reacted to her and Rebekah's disappearance.
"I know you're pre-"
Sophia moved quickly to smack Jeremy's arm. "Dude, we are surrounded by vampires," she hissed.
He rolled his eyes as gestured for her to follow him out into the forest.
"I know you're pregnant with Klaus's baby," he said in a low voice. "And I was there when- I know it was your decision to keep it."
"You were in New Orleans?"
"I went back and forth between you and Elena."
Sophia nodded, hugging herself. "Why didn't you tell anybody?"
"It's nobody else's business, and I figured you would want the honors. But you should at least tell Elena she's going to be an aunt, and where you've really been all this time."
She turned her eyes to the sky. "Can you please… Keep it a secret for a while longer. I don't want to tell her just yet." Jeremy frowned at her. "Look Jer- Pregnancies are really fragile. It makes no sense for anyone to know about this- at least until I make it past my first trimester."
"So you're fine with the entire supernatural community in New Orleans knowing about the baby but not your own sister?" Her brother asked dryly.
"Not the entire supernatural community, just the witches… And there were extenuating circumstances!" Jeremy stayed silent, prompting Sophia to continue further. "I love Elena, and I honestly forgive her for… everything. But- it hurts to breathe when I'm around her. When I see her- I see Amara and Tatia and Katherine and countless other shadow selves. I haven't dealt with what she represents to me yet, and with her humanity back- Gods bless her… she won't leave well enough alone if I tell her I'm pregnant and Klaus is the father and that I have to return to New Orleans."
"But I will?!" Jeremy asked incredulously.
"You will," Sophia stated with confidence. "Because unlike the codependent messes me and Elena are, you've always been great at respecting boundaries. And it's not that I'm never going to tell her- I just want some time."
Jeremy sighed loudly.
"Soph, look. I wish you would stay here with Elena and go to college and let her and Caroline help you raise the baby. And let's be honest, they would prefer that too. They love you and they'll love him or her, no matter who the father is."
Sophia laughed as she wiped at stray tears."This baby will be a Mikaelson, Jer. They'll be inheriting all of Klaus's enemies- and hell- maybe even a few of my own. I don't know everything I've been up to in the last two thousand years. It will be better for me and them to return to New Orleans. To Klaus."
"Sophia, I know you changed your mind… But I saw you scrambling for an abortion because Klaus was the father- Even his own sister hates him! How do go from that, to wanting to return to him?"
"My- my last pregnancy didn't end so well me Jeremy. And my guess is that it's not one of Klaus's favorite memories either. But Klaus had already done more for this baby than I ever realized. I know it doesn't make sense to you- But please respect my decision."
Jeremy's eyes softened even as peevishly shook his head."I'm going to tell you what I told Elena. You're my sister, and I love you. No matter what you choose."
"Jeremy! Sophie!" Elena called out from the Salvatore's porch. Suddenly, she was right in front of them.
"The bullet the hunter shot Damon with- it was laced with werewolf venom, and it's killing him! I know this is too much to ask, and I'm sorry, but can you please call Klaus?"
Sophia froze. She had received no call or text from Klaus, and neither had Rebekah. And she honestly couldn't say if that was a good or bad thing.
"I don't- We had a huge fight the last time we saw each other, Elena. A call from me might do more harm than good." Sophia swallowed. Klaus could be here in a matter of hours, and unwillingly whisk her back to New Orleans. Bonnie was supposed to get the veil up tonight. She looked at her brother with sad eyes. At least they had been able to see each other one more time.
Jeremy nodded at her with concerned eyes, and ticked an eyebrow in Elena's direction. It had broken her when he died. It had shattered Sophia. She couldn't let her sister lose her brother and Damon in one night. Sophia nodded hesitantly. "I'll call him."
"... Damon hasn't had time to bury Silas's body yet," Sophia heard Stefan explaining to Elena. Sophia massaged her temples, perplexed. Damon had lured one of the hunters (Von? Vahn?) out to the quarry under the guise that he had dropped Silas out there, and Elena was worrying herself sick over the werewolf venom coursing through his body.
"It was one bullet, and it was only laced," Stefan soothed. "We still have a little bit of time. I will go to New Orleans myself and I will beg Klaus if I have to."
Hopefully it wouldn't have to come down to that, fretted Sophia as she eyed the unanswered text messages she had sent Klaus on her cell phone.
"Then it's settled," announced Jeremy, pulling Sophia along with him as he walked towards Elena and Stefan. "You're both going to your graduation."
"Graduatio- No, Jer…" Elena began, shaking her head. "I never even sent in my college applications."
Sophia nodded in agreement with her sister. "I literally haven't been to school in the last month-"
"I don't care," their brother insisted. "Mom and dad would kill you guys if there wasn't a photo of you two in your graduation get up." Jeremy looked meaningfully towards Sophia. "Caroline took care of all the logistics for you, all you need to do is show up."
Sophia shook her head in disbelief. "What about you?"
Elena nodded along. "Jer, no, not if you can't be there."
He waved off their concerns. "Lexi will keep me company- You're both going."
"Nik, I'm sorry we just- I'm sorry I just…" Sophia quieted, overly aware of the vampires in the graduating class as she left a message for Klaus over the phone. "Please, call me back," Sophia finished.
"Sophia Gilbert, get over here," ordered Caroline from where she was huddled with Elena, Stefan, Matt, and Bonnie.
A helpless smile overcame the old souls' face as she made her way over to them, her cheeks aching at the force of it. It had been touch and go for a while there, and she honestly didn't think she would make it to this moment. Her sister, their friends- all a matching set in red polyester graduation gowns. The sun shone brightly over the green football field where they would be graduating.
Sophia hugged all of them, leaving Caroline for last. "Thank you so much," she said before letting the blonde go.
"As if I were letting you get out this," sniffed Caroline as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, then winked at Sophia, who laughed. "The perks of being a vampire- You're graduating with Principal's Honor Roll, as you should have, and we can all go to whatever college we want to go.."
Sophia tried not to let the melancholy settle in as her friend continued on, hoping her tears would pass off as ones of happiness. And friends and her sister would be going off to college, and she would be... a mom. While she found that she didn't mind the concept as much as she did only a few days ago, she couldn't help the sadness enmeshed with the path not taken.
Elena squeezed Sophia's hand before walking across the stage to accept her diploma.
"Sophia Gilbert," Bonnie's dad called out, and Sophia walked over and smiled as she shook his hand.
Not ten minutes later- Sophia, Elena, Stefan, and Caroline were gathered behind the football stands, wary of the vengeful ghosts brought back to life scattered throughout the graduates, ready to strike.
"It's nothing personal, darling," Kol said smoothly as he briefly wrapped a loose arm around Sophia and squeezed, then pulled away. "Happy graduation," he tossed over his shoulder as he strolled away.
Bonnie had nodded at them. "I'll take care of it," she said before trailing after him.
Dark thoughts clouded Sophia as she remembering spotting the witch she killed sitting in the same row as her.
"Are you okay?" wondered Elena, frowning as she took in Sophia protectively shielding her stomach with both hands.
"Fine- I'm fine," assured Sophia as she dropped her arms and relaxed her stance. She had just called Klaus not a minute ago, and he still wasn't picking up.
Suddenly, everyone around her clutched their heads and bent over in some sort of silent pain.
"Remember us, Sophia," said the witch who nearly killed Bonnie, who Sophia had unintentionally killed, as she walked over to them with her coven of witches. Her head was promptly sliced off by a bright red graduation cap.
"There are plenty more of these to go around," threatened Klaus, dapper in a fitted suit. "Who's next?- I can do this all day."
Sophia lingered outside on the driveway after everyone returned to the boarding house, waiting for…
"Nik," she murmured as he walked out from the shadowed trees.
"You should go inside- join your family. It's why you're here, is it not?"
Sophia shook her head. "I don't want to, not yet."
He scoffed. "The day you suss out what you want, there'll probably be a parade. Seventy-six bloody trombones."
She didn't rise to the bait, as his comment was not unfounded. There was time to say goodbye to Jeremy, and Klaus was here, right in front of her. Against all odds, he appeared indulgent, even cordial.
"Did you get my note?" she wondered.
"I'm sorry Nik, it's not what you think. Please forgive me. Sophia." He quoted dryly as he walked slowly closer to her. "Never let it be said you aren't concise, love."
Her cheeks burned. "I was in a rush, and Rebekah said it was better to be vague so you wouldn't haul me right back to New Orleans."
Klaus sighed. "How very astute of her. Your note had me second-guessing whether you would be returning to Mystic Falls when I spotted this in the mail." He pulled a graduation announcement out of his jacket pocket.
Sophia furrowed her eyebrows. "How- Caroline," she said wryly.
He frowned. "The witches weren't pleased when they realized you left- nor was I for that matter. I bartered with them as Elijah had for this time for you- please allow that and a first-class ticket to New Orleans be your graduation gift."
If he was angry, he hid all indication of it from her. As she caught Klaus's eye darting over to her midsection, she sighed. "I- I didn't take the wolfsbane."
He stayed quiet, his gaze unnerving.
Sophia gulped, shaking her head. "You- you wouldn't talk to me, wouldn't look at me! The entire time the witches held me captive, I had nightmares of how I failed Mai-"
"You didn't fail-"
"I wasn't strong enough." Sophia said roughly, her eyes blurry with tears. "I know I went about it poorly, but all I wanted was to know if you were in this with me, if you really wanted this baby. Our baby. All I had was Elijah's assurance to go on- and he wouldn't say anything that would scare me away from this pregnancy. I was terrified- and I needed you… But that wasn't fair of me, was it? I was the one who told you to go away."
"Sophia…" Klaus lifted his gaze from hers, turning away from her as he looked towards the stars. "You could have been free of all this. Of me- as you wanted. What stopped you?"
Sophia resisted reaching out to grasp Klaus, scared of what she might happen if she did. "When I almost- When the vampires almost… I realized- when push came to shove- I wouldn't let anyone hurt it. That the rest of it didn't matter. Despite my recent actions, I would do anything to protect her."
"Her?" Klaus questioned softly.
Sophia shrugged. "Or him."
He turned around to face her. "You jeopardized yours and our child's safety to see your brother. As reckless as it was-" he let out a long-suffering sigh. " I understand. I would expect nothing less."
"I'm the witch's only bargaining chip- they wouldn't have killed me." Klaus looked at her reproachfully as she threw his words back at him. A hint of a smile made its way to Sophia's lips- and then it fell. "All the reason's I needed space Nik- they're still there and I don't think there are any easy fixes. But- I want to try now. I was scared too before- and I still am- but I need to. We need to. I know our baby's best chance is with you." She laid a hand upon her stomach and looked with renewed strength at Klaus. "You need to talk to me- communicate with me. We both like our secrets and our grudges, but for his or her sake, we need to do better."
A wall fell away as Klaus edged even closer to her, his face soft. "What will it take for you to return to New Orleans willingly at my side?"
The air seemed to strain around them. Sophia stole a breath. "You once promised me the world- So why New Orleans? Charm aside, and after the witches are dealt with, what is it about this plot of Louisiana that has you wanting to build our child's home there? I know you loved Marcel like a son- why all this effort to take what is his?"
Klaus's eyes burned. "I made Marcel everything that he is- I treated him like a son, and when my father chased me and family from New Orleans a hundred years ago, we believed Marcel was killed- we each mourned him in our own way. Yet, when I returned, I found not only had he survived- he had thrived. Instead of seeking us out, instead of sticking together as one, he made a choice to take everything my family had built and make it his own. Now, he is living in our home, he is sleeping in our beds… The letter 'M' he stamps everywhere- Is not for Marcel, It's for Mikaelson," Klaus said, looking upwards in an attempt to spurn away his tears. "I want it all back," he declared, blue eyes burrowing into hers. "And if I have to push him to out to get it, then that's exactly what I'll do."
Sophia studied Klaus from head to toe. The rigidity of his posture, the hurt and betrayal behind the rage. The man he loved like a son had turned his back on him. More than that, he had once been truly happy in New Orleans. Given the turf war between the vampires and witches and Klaus wanting to usurp the current leader, the situation was far from ideal… But she was in this situation in the first place because a part of her had been in love with what Klaus had represented- a bright spot in her happiest memories. She had risked so much chasing that feeling, so she didn't- couldn't- fault him for wanting to reclaim New Orleans.
She nodded slowly at Klaus. "Just yesterday- I was so pissed that you wanted to make a life, our baby's life, in New Orleans without asking what I might prefer… The truth is, I don't have a better idea- And I can see this is something you need to do."
He frowned at her. "And you'll return with me-" Sophia nodded. "Just like that?"
Sophia's lips twitched, only just stopping herself from reaching out to grab his hand in reassurance. "Just like that. I just… wanted to know why. To understand. And to the best of your ability- Can you stop avoiding me? Just- keep talking to me. I know I have not been fair to you either- but I'll do better." She was terrified that when she returned to New Orleans, it would be a return to Klaus shunning her and leaving her behind as he ran amuck. To a degree, that would probably be true- no one would ever know the entirety of the diabolical machinations running through his head. But a little effort here and there, some acknowledgment- and it would be a start.
"... And it doesn't hurt that I'm a homeless orphan," Sophia thought out loud. "My house is burned down, and the Salvatore's boarding house never really felt like home-"
Klaus looked at her severely. "I am not reclaiming the city solely for my sake- New Orleans will be our home."
Inexplicably, Sophia's bottom lip quivered, and the next she knew, her arms were wrapped around Klaus's neck as she hugged him fiercely. A moment of hesitation- then his arms were around her. She pulled back just so to display her relieved, wobbly smile- and froze. Klaus's eyes were dark, and his lips were only a breath away.
"Nik-I'm not-"
"I know, sweetheart," he said tenderly as he stepped back from her. "Evidently, timing has never been our strong point- And yet, I meant what I said before, Sophia. However long it takes, I intend to be your last love."
Her heart in her throat, Sophia stared at him, taken aback, as he pressed an affectionate kiss to her cheek.
"Are you sure you want to go?"
If the old soul had her way, she would be able to spend the rest of the summer with her siblings. As it was, the witches were stingy, and Klaus had only been able to barter an extra day for her before he was bound to return her to New Orleans.
"Hannah needs me, Elena. And after everything she's done for me, I owe her this much." Sophia claimed that she promised to help Hannah out during the summer after claiming her friend was in a car crash that broke her leg. Her friends seemed to buy it. What reason was there for her lie?
"We'll visit-"
Sophia laughed breathlessly. "I'll visit you, she really not up for much company right now. Look, I promise I'll call, and you'll call-"
Elena looked at her speculatively. "What aren't you telling me, Sophie?"
Sophia froze, then she spilled the truths she was able to with her sister. How she needed time away from Elena as she reclaimed her peace of mind over what Qetsiyah had done to her, how she needed to get out of Mystic Falls, and that Whitmore College was never in the cards for her.
Eyes bright with tears, Elena crushed her in a hug. "I love you."
"You can only hide this for so long, Sophie-"
"I know, Jer. I promised I'd tell her, and I will. I just need time."
He rolled his eyes in the direction of the staircase. "I'm going to spend the better part of my summer dealing with Elena and Damon-"
Sophia winced. "I'm sorry, but I can't take you with me. There's already a lot going on in New Orleans without having to worry about my little brother getting caught up in vampire drama and Klaus's dramatics. For once, Mystic Falls is actually the safest place you can be."
"Oh, but New Orleans is the perfect place for my pregnant sister."
She rolled her eyes and hugged Jeremy one more time on the road.
"I cannot believe you disposed of those vampires without me," Rebekah complained from the reclined seat in front of Sophia. "You know how I love to set things on fire."
"You stole away with the mother of my child for god knows how long- was I supposed to leave them in the front yard to rot?" Klaus retaliated.
The original siblings' bickering fell over Sophia like white noise as Virginia grew smaller from her airplane window- a geometric pattern of bright green. She felt a warm hand squeeze her arm reassuringly, and she smiled thankfully over at Hayley before returning her gaze back to the window as the plane broke through through the clouds.
a/n: Some references & dialogue were borrowed/stolen from Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
If you felt this chapter ended a little too neatly, rest assured, there will be plenty of drama up ahead (If you're into that sort of thing). Thank you for reading!