I hope you all have been safe and doing well. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it is a bit long and late getting to you. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and followed this story and my other ones. I have so very much appreciated it and it gave me the motivation to push through my writers block. Please drop a line, it really does help. Again I don't own these characters, just playing with them. This is still rated M for later chapters. Thank you and be blessed, be kind and be willing to love, I dare you. Oh, if there are mistakes please be forgiving, I was trying to get it done late into the night so I could upload.
Chapter 9 - Paths Converge
Abattoir - Present
It was a quiet afternoon on a lovely Sunday. Since Klaus had come back, he decided to be proactive, preparing for the battle ahead. So he laid off Ms. Turner indefinitely and gave her a very large compensation package, letting her know that when her services were needed again, he would call her.
He figured that it was best for her safety and between his siblings, Marcel, Lucy and himself, they could look after Henrik, thus the reason he was in his nursery now. He had put him down thirty minutes ago and came in to check on him.
Klaus looked lovingly down at his son as he slept peacefully in his crib. Klaus couldn't help the smile that brightened his face while he listened to the rhythmic breathing and watched the rise and gentle fall of Henrik's chest. He couldn't help himself, he had to lift him up and cradle him in his arms.
As he walks softly around the nursery he gently cradles the small child, rocking him in his arms. Henrik was small to be eighteen months old, possibly due to his birth, Klaus surmises. He hasn't yet started walking or crawling but he scoots and rolls given the chance. Henrik never seemed too interested in wanting to walk, to talk or even babble, although he did sometimes coo and gurgle to Klaus, as if he had a wealth of things to say to his father.
Mesmerized by his sweet countenance, Klaus was sure he could see Geeta or the child that she once was in his features and it saddened him. He really missed her. He was her great love and she was his greatest lesson of love until the birth of Henrik.
Klaus didn't know why he was blessed with such a gift as fatherhood, but he would no longer rage against the gods or fates, but be eternally grateful for the privilege because he knew he was so undeserving. He remembered that there was a time when he did rage and curse and howl in outrage and indignation for the sin he thought was wrought upon him.
"Klaus, I can't do this without you. The child will need your protection...and your love," Geeta pleaded as she lovingly cupped his face in her trembling hand.
"I can't be a fucking father Geeta. How can you ask this of me?" Klaus' mind was reeling and all he could hear was Mikael telling him how weak he was and how simple, that no one could ever love him, that he was unworthy of love.
"It's too late...what's done can never be undone." She said as she stepped away from him.
"Damn you! I will never accept it...never," Klaus yelled as he stormed out of the room with vampiric speed, leaving the young woman staring after him with sad, tear-filled eyes.
To be honest he didn't deserve to be the father of this sweet innocent child. He was a monster and not just because he was a hybrid but because the only fatherly experience he ever had came from Mikael and he feared that he would ruin his son as Mikael did him. He surmised that he all but ruined Marcel in his attempt at being a father. And although they finally were in a good place, it did take time, talking and mercy, on both their parts. He prayed to the gods that things would be different this time especially with the child's mother gone.
It was funny, he thought as he held Henrik, that it was his human existence and experiences that shaped the monster that he had become. In many ways, important ways, he was Mikael's son and there was nothing that could change that and in the end both Mikael and Esther realized that to their destruction.
Klaus didn't know he could love anyone as much as he loved Henrik and it was this love of his child that taught him how to really love without restraint or conditions or limitations. It was a pure love without demands or bribery and it was given freely and without any thought of recompense.
If he had to die to keep his son safe then Klaus would consider it his greatest achievement and would gladly give up the next thousand years for that one solitary act. It was no less what any good, loving parent would do and now he realized why Geeta did the same. And this realization caused him to hate his parents even more and bless the day that he killed them. They should have never had children.
Lucy's Room
Lucy loved her room, the king-sized canopy bed was her dream choice of bedroom furniture and she loved lounging around on the soft silky sheets in her cotton cami and boyshorts panties. She lay on her stomach, supporting her weight on her elbows, knees bent and legs swinging back and forth in the air as she listened to her music.
As she allowed the fierce lyrics of 'I Will Survive' to surround her senses and the uplifting beat to move her body, she was lost in the moment, eyes closed, singing along with Gloria Gaynor, so much so that she didn't hear or feel the other presence that now filled her room.
Klaus had knocked on her door several times but when he heard her singing to the music coming from the room he knew that she didn't hear him so he let himself into her room. Lucy was a vision of unabashed sexiness and confidence even as she sang off key and oblivious to her audience.
Klaus just watched her with a smile on his face as he leaned against the wall waiting for her to 'notice' him. He was sure her magic would signal his propinquity so he just stood there watching her. Suddenly he felt her magic wrap around him and then through him as if it was searching for a threat or danger, then he felt warm and a feeling of happiness, for a lack of a better term.
"I guess you were just going to stand there like a perv huh?" Lucy teasingly questioned as she straightened herself up and sat on the side of the bed.
Klaus smirked. "What was that? I have never felt that before." Klaus was amazed by her ability to alter, even slightly, his emotions, he didn't know witches could do that.
Lucy chuckled, surprised, that, HE, Klaus Mikaelson with his affection for witches had never experienced this before and didn't know about it. "It is my magic acknowledging you as a friend, that there is a connection between us. The feeling you felt was its way of saying hello friend."
"I have been around many, many witches and they have not been able to change my emotions", Klaus countered.
"It depends on the witch and also the relationship. You may not have even noticed it, but if there was a witch you were close to you may have felt calmer around her or there was an ease with which you could speak with her. Some witches aren't aware that they are doing it. It also can work the opposite way causing more animosity and dislike or distrust when around those that are having conflicts. Of course with you most witches probably just wanted to kill you…so there's that.." Lucy couldn't stop herself from chuckling.
Klaus also chuckled, then thought about Geeta and wondered if that was why they all loved her so much and why she was able to bring so much peace to the Mikaelson house. "It seems that with all the witches around me I still do not know all that I thought I did about them."
"Well I am always happy to give a class of witches 101,but I am sure that is not why you were all googlily eyeing me and invading my personal space, so what's up?" Lucy questioned.
"I wanted to know if you have heard from Bonnie. Things are quiet now, but that doesn't mean they will stay that way and the best offense is a good defense. I need to be prepared." Klaus said with silent dread.
"No I haven't heard from her but I know she is on her way. The bedroom closest to Henrik is where she needs to be and Desi will be joining since she is driving. "I'm not sure if she will want to stay here. I mean she isn't that comfortable living with vamps, but if she does, a room downstairs, facing east and not too big, will do fine for her." Lucy smiled.
"You are very sure and who is Desi?"
"Yes, I am and damn Niklaus you don't pay attention. Desdemona is one of the five sisters and a good friend and kickass witch. I enlisted her to get Bonnie here. She loves a fight."
"Shouldn't Bonnie be in a room downstairs as well? I would think that it would be easier for her." He reasoned.
"She doesn't need it easy and it will piss her off. No shortcuts. She is resilient and a quick study, but aren't you sweet?" She winked.
"Plus she needs to be close to the little guy." Lucy got up to walk around the room, Klaus watched her, "You have no shame do you Lucinda?" He marveled at how at ease she was walking around him in the little she had covering her body. She reminded him of his brothers and himself around Rebekah.
" Niklaus you will come to find that I have very few regrets and no shame, why should I? I am who and what I am and if someone doesn't like...fuck them!" She turned to grab two hangers out of her closet, "Now, which will it be, the white dress or the purple jumpsuit?" She asked with a pur.
A Month Ago - Klaus and Lucy's Arrival
Klaus and Lucy's arrival to the Mikaelson homestead was met with excitement and a bit of quiet speculation as the two entered in a whirlwind of conversation and laughter with Klaus carrying Lucinda's bags while she held a Yeti coffee mug. They were oblivious to the unusual scene they made. Klaus was fully engaged with a genuine smile on his face, looking worry-free and relaxed, while Lucinda Bennett looked like a vision in a short pink, frilly pleasant dress that barely covered her lady bits as she walked as the material flowed and twisted around her body.
Once in the foyer, Klaus set down the luggage and took the Yeti mug from her and took a huge gulp of the contents. Within seconds the abattoir was a flutter of movement and noise.
"Brother, it is good to see you," Elijah greeted as he hugged Klaus. Klaus returned the hug with a hearty hand squeeze on his neck and accompanied with a smile, "Yes it is good to be back."
The atmosphere was ripe with purpose as siblings and servants alike came to greet the returning Mikaelson brother. Rebekah flashed by Kol blocking his way to Klaus to push herself into his arms, hugging him and kissing him on his cheek, excitedly. Still wrapped in his arms she stayed close to him as she peeked a wary eye on the accompanying visitor with him.
Rebekah knew that he was bringing the Bennett Witch, but the woman standing there looking stunning and bored was not what she was expecting. And at once Rebekah felt slightly insecure, which wasn't something that she was used to being. The woman was a more glamorous model than some uber powever witch. But the fact that she made Rebekah seem less herself made her showout.
Rebekah batted her lashes then purred in her best innocent, sweet voice, "You are not what I was expecting," as she looked Lucy up and down, reluctantly admiring her fashion sense with hardened eyes.
"Of course not," Lucy laughed, "I'm an altogether different animal, sweetie." Lucy's eyes twinkled. She could tell that Rebekah was not used to not being the center of attention when other women were around. Lucy could understand, especially knowing that she had been spoiled and coddled by her siblings. But Lucy's tolerance went only so far and she expected that she would have to lay down some rules of engagement at some point in time. Now was as good a time as any.
"Rebekah…" Klaus softly warned squeezing her, since she was still in his arms.
"What? I mean she doesn't look like what I envisioned the Bennett Witch to look like," she slightly whined.
"I am certain your mind couldn't fathom what the Bennett Witch would look like, even with a snapshot and instructions , but let me put your mind at ease. I am a Bennett witch, but not The Bennett Witch. I am Lucinda E. Bennett." Lucy didn't like to play games…unless she was in the mood and she wasn't, plus at this point she wanted to make sure that the youngest Original sister knew who she was dealing with.
Rebekah, tilted her head and played the words over in her head then her eyes narrowed as she realized that Lucy insulted her, "What the hell did you say?" Rebekah questioned as she detangled herself from Klaus and moved closer to Lucy, facing her, looking into her eye, baring her fangs in a show of strength.
Klaus decided to allow whatever was going to happen to happen so he let Rebekah to move and he turned to speak to two of his men, getting a rundown of what, if anything, had happened while he was away. Elijah gave him a questioning look but stayed silent.
Instantly, the room was full of tension. Elijah, squared his shoulders, Kol smirked, loving the drama, but ready to defend his sister if he had to, while Freya leaned against the wall, observing the situation and realizing that Lucinda Bennett may not be the Bennett Witch, but she was packing a lot of power. Freya was glad she was on their side. She almost felt sorry for Rebekah…almost.
Klaus kept his back facing the unfolding scene. He loved his baby sister, but she could be a brat when she felt threatened and Lucy was an imposing presence. Plus Rebekah had always been indulged and was used to saying and doing what she wanted unchecked and most often unchallenged. In this moment, Klaus wished he hadn't always been so lenient with her.
He trusted Lucy not to hurt Rebekah too much, but damn there would be hell to pay, either way if she had to show some force.
He finally turned and his eye locked with Lucinda's briefly, while she still held Rebekah's. In her eyes and magic, he read her intentions. There was nothing for him to do so he continued giving instructions to his servants and getting intel from his men.
Lucy smiled sweetly, placing her right hand on her hip. "Rebekah, you and I are going to be the closest of friends, but you will learn two things about me." She was speaking to Rebekah, but making them all aware of how things were going to go while she was there.
"First my fashion sense is impeccable, plus I love to shop; I always look good and no one is ever expecting what they get when they meet me. The second thing, the really important thing is no one talks to me in any kind of way, not Originals, Hybrids or witches….no one. It would be best to remember that," Lucy said as she released her magic to let it flow from her to fill the room with a subtle warning.
The strength of Lucy's magic reminded Freya of the witch that had stolen her, not in its malice but in the magnitude of it. It swept through the room, tentacles of green, gold and blue slithering over everyone and everything causing an uncomfortable suffocating feeling. Freya stood there with her mouth slightly open, thinking that if this woman wasn't the Bennett Witch, then what manner of power was Ms. Bonnie Bennett harbouring because this seemed like Bennett Witch, next level shit.
Lucy winked at the dumbfounded Mikaelson little sister as she stared at the witch not knowing what just happened. Rebekah was used to commanding the room and any situation either by brute force, manipulation or using her sibling status, but she never had been effectively silenced by anyone as she had just been by Lucy. She instinctively knew Lucinda Bennett was much more than she first assumed and this made her thoughts mirror her sister's concerning the true Bennett Witch.
Lucy's magic returned to her, she smiled at Rebekah, then hugged her, "We are going to have so much fun. Now where is my room and when do we eat?" Klaus shook his head after hearing her question about eating. He really didn't know where she packed it all, but damn she had an appetite.
That had been the formal introduction of Lucinda Bennett to the Mikaelson siblings and household, from there on, it was a roller coaster ride and Lucy was the conductor.
…
During their ride to New Orleans, Klaus had spoken of his family and some of their back history and some of the inner workings of their familial relationships. This gave Lucy a blueprint or starting point to watch and understand their interactions.
She observed their actions, how their body language around each other spoke volumes when they were speaking or not, especially between Klaus and Elijah. She sat and listened. She soon noticed that they were a family just like any other. They loved each other and were united in their goal to protect the youngest Mikaelson.
The littlest Mikaelson, Henrik was an adorable cherub who stole one's heart with one look. The only trace that he was Klaus' son was his striking big, blue eyes and long lashes, all other features must have come from his mother, Lucy assumed. His dark curls, chubby face and happy, if not still demeanor garnered him as the best baby in the world by Lucy's standards.
She felt the magic, the power in him. It was almost off putting because his magic was on a different level, like he was made of magic but not connected to it. It was strange and hard to explain. He didn't seem to manifest any of his powers, but it was there and from what she felt, of course there was a big bad that wanted to tap into it. He had a lot of raw power that just enveloped him.
He was a hybrid of sorts and with any hybrid situation there had to be a learning curve set in place. A point to start from but then deviate since other factors would be in play. Many elements could cause a child not to show their magic or even not present magically.
Lucy knew a girl whose father was a werewolf and mother a witch and she could sense magic in others but had none and she also couldn't shift. Yet a human and witch coupling produced a very powerful witch child. The truth was that it was really a toss up and one could never be sure.
Most full-blooded witch children manifested their magic at an early age, surely by eighteen months and in exceptional cases before birth. It could be magically moving a favorite toy to come to them or causing minor mishaps when tired, fussy or inconsolable. She really didn't know what to expect from him. His conception, birth and mother were all still topics of mystery that she hadn't broached. Bonnie would uncover the secrets of this rather intriguing tale, of which, she was sure.
…
As the days passed Lucy had her fun flirting with Elijah, and Kol to a lesser extent, (he was just too easy) but she really had her eye on the older Mikaelson brother, she loved that he dressed in suits and appeared to be tightly wound. Boy would she love to unwind that top, she thought. Sights set she was ready to conquer that tall glass of smartly dressed water and make Elijah hers, but that came to a screeching halt. Everything changed when she felt Finn's presence in the abattoir.
Three Days after Klaus and Lucy's Arrival - Finn's return
Finn had left Romania with every intention of going straight to New Orleans, however fate intervened. He had been contacted by an old acquaintance needing to speak with him. Since the matter seemed urgent, Finn made a sudden detour to Greece. This put him getting back three days after Klaus and Lucy.
The evening was cool and Lucy found herself lounging in her room enjoying the breeze, having left the balcony doors open. As the sheer curtains billowed and swayed dancing with the night zephyr filling the room with a light jasmine scent, she listened to music, again in her panties and push-bra. Then unexpectedly her magic started stirring, causing her hands to tingle and the hairs on her neck stood up.
She wasn't sure what she felt, at first thinking it was Bonnie, but instinctively knowing that was the case. The sensation startled her.
She flung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Once up her heart felt heavy as if a sudden sorrow invaded it, causing despair to grow from the ashes of longing. She bent over, under the force of such empathy. She felt the urge to sob, but fought the desire, because she knew the emotions she was experiencing were not her own and yet her magic tapped into it. This only ever happened with her immediate family members or someone she was involved with. She didn't understand this. Who was causing this? She needed answers.
She grabbed her robe, tying it around her as she walked out of her room, down the stairs to seek out the source of her discontent. Stealthily she walked to the study having heard voices, walking into the room, but standing near the door, leaning against the wall barely noticeable.
Finn stood by the fireplace with a glass of scotch in his hand while the other siblings either sat or stood listening to him. He was tall and lean and not what Lucy had envisioned the eldest Mikaelson sibling to be.
Where Klaus was bad-boy sexy on a stick and Elijah was reserved GQ sophisticated hotness and Kol was playboy mischievous cute, Finn was stoic with a roman straight nose, chiseled chin and squared shoulders, but there wasn't a sexiness or hotness, there was just a harden quietness. Lucy couldn't say he wasn't pleasant looking, because he was, but his appeal was subtle or maybe he just paled in comparison to his brothers.
Whatever it was, it wasn't his looks that drew her to him, it was his suffering, his pain, the sadness in the depths of his eyes. His pain touched her magic and therefore touched her.
When Klaus noticed her, he smiled then they all looked in her direction, but it was Finn's eyes that made her look down. She couldn't bear the solitude of his stare.
With a curious look, Klaus made the introductions, "Finn this is Lucinda Bennett. Lucinda, this is our eldest brother Finn."
Lucy walked towards him, extending her hand. "Hello, nice to meet you," she politely said and they shook hands. Finn looked down at their hands and then up at her. "Likewise." He responded, quickly removing his hand.
"And it's Lucy," she said, rolling her eyes at Klaus.
"Lucy is a pretty name for a rose, but Lucinda is a much more fitting name for a goddess such as yourself," Finn said as he leaned a fraction closer to her ear.
With a girly grin, leaning into him, she retorted, "Call me Lucinda."
The exchange was clearly not missed as the two stood close. The siblings had never seen Finn act in such a way and were completely without words to express their amazement. This is going to be very interesting, Klaus thought to himself.
….
After Finn regaled them of his adventure in getting the five stars amulet of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes and certain aspects of what was told to him (he would talk to them about his other trip later), he handed the precious jewel to Klaus.
"Thank you." Klaus said as he squeezed his hand before taking what was offered to him. He walked out of the study to go to his son's room.
The others asked more questions and delved into conversation about the meaning of the interaction with the supposed Saint Bernadette of Lourdes. Lucy, for her part, had walked back to her room after listening, partially engaged in the conversation. Her mind was still on Finn….Very curious, she thought.
Later that night as she drifted off to sleep, it was Finn's sad gray-blue eyes that she saw as she heard softly in the air "Your fidelity has not gone unnoticed. Although you think love is lost, you will find it in an unlikely place."
As Finn laid in his bed, eyes closed with an arm resting over his face he heard, "Remember Finn Mikaelson, everything happens for a reason, choose to live with no regrets, you are who and what you are." And he remembered the feeling he felt when his hand touched Lucy's….ahh..no…Lucinda"s, the goddess. A small electrical charge that seemed to spark something in him, as of yet he wasn't sure what it was but he was intrigued and wanting and willing to try living without regrets.