#even then the way they wrote marcel was eyebrow raising at times

[ellenhuttereborn]

every single one of Elijah’s love interests are incredibly hot and badass woman, and that’s just what happens when you’re the sexiest man in the entire tvdu

[alwaysfangirlingish]

Title: Unwrapped gift

Word count: 1.3k

Pairing: Klaus Mikaelson x Female!Reader (But is more about Kol Mikaelson x Friend!Reader and Young Hope Mikaelson x StepMom!Reader)

Warnings: I wanted this to be a thing but I think I missed the whole point, so it may be just a lot of nonsense together :)

A/N: I may edit it later, I just wrote it and I’m sleepy, so... I hope you enjoy it tho 💕✨

Thanks for reading! If you liked this, please consider like, comment and reblog! ✨💕🥺

“Oh, here you are, Y/N,” Kol said, “My brother is looking for you,” He entered the room to see what I was doing, “I’ll tell Nik you’re taping your present.”

“I’m wrapping it.”

“There’s more tape than wrapping paper, luv,” He said, chuckling.

“Shut up, I'm trying,” I said before curving my lips, keeping my eyes on the present I was trying to wrap an hour ago.

This was going to be my first Christmas with the Mikaelsons and, more important, with my boyfriend’s six-year-old daughter, who seemed to hate me since the very first moment she saw me.

Hope was a cute little girl. Everybody loved her, I included, and she loved everybody, except me. For some reason, she didn't want me around, and I couldn't live knowing that, so... My goal for Christmas was to give Hope the best gift and win her affection.

“I don't think my niece will care about the gift wrap, Y/N,” He said, looking at me with a stupid smirk on his face.

“Well, I don’t care what you think.”

“It looks terrible.” 

“Shhh.”

“Just give her the gift unwrapped.”

“Kol, I’m tryi-!”

“I would hate it if someone gives me that rubbish for Christmas.”

“I just wanted this to be perfect!” I yelled, punching the pillow at my side with frustration before hiding my face in my hands.

The gift was a tiny painting lectern with some little canvas, but with the wrap looked like an enormous ball of paper. It was a disaster, I couldn't give her that for Christmas.

Some tears fell from my eyes, rolling down my cheeks and falling on the bedsheets. Later I felt Kol sitting next to me, rubbing my back up and down to calm me.

“Y/N, I didn’t m-”

“No, it’s ok, it's just... Today was a mess,” I said with a weak voice, still hiding my face in my hands, “First, I woke up very late,”

“Yeah, I see why it was a bad day,” He said, nodding. Everybody knew how bad it was if something messed up my routine.

“Yes, I also burned the food for tonight, so I had to do it again,” I said, taking my hands off my face, “And then my dress didn't fit me, so I had to fix it but I couldn't finish it because I had to go to pick up the presents,” I looked at him with my soaked face, “But then the old man at the store didn't want to give me my things, I don't even know why,” I sobbed, under his concerned gaze, “And when I got home, I finished everything but I forgot to wrap the present,” I said, patting my legs, and looking down, “I thought it wouldn't take much, but look at me now...” 

“I know how important this is to you, Y/N,” He said, “And I know you’re a control freak too,” I looked at him, pouting, “Sometimes things don’t go our way, and all we need to do is take a deep breathe and try again when we’re calmed, or just let go,”

“Have you tried any of that?”

“No, but I heard that from a tv show once,” He said, making me roll my eyes, “Look, I’m sure Hope is going to love you... Eventually, with a wrapped or unwrapped gift,” He smiled at me, kissing my cheek.

“Do you really think that?” I asked him.

“What happened with ‘I don’t care what you think’?” He raised an eyebrow, “But yes, I believe what I said,”

 “Thanks, Kol,” I said with a brief smile.

“What are brother’s in law and friends for?” He said, getting up from the bed and walking towards the door, “We’ll be waiting for you downstairs, so hurry.”

Immediately after the vampire left the room, I unwrapped the gift. He was right, the wrapping paper didn't matter here, I just stressed myself more and more.

I got out of bed to put on my dress, makeup and hairstyle as quickly as I could, which was about twenty minutes. I picked up the little lectern with the canvases and put a red bow on them, and went down to where everyone was, except Hope and Hayley, who I heard were still getting ready.

I went to the tree and left the gift there. I smiled to myself, realising that the little girl wasn't even here the whole time, so I could have simply put the gift behind the tree without her seeing me so that the gift would continue to be a surprise.

“You look ravishing, love” my boyfriend, Klaus, approached me from the side, placing his hand on my waist, drawing me towards him, leaving a kiss on my neck.

“Thanks, darling, and you look so handsome,” I replied with a smile before we headed over to where everyone was drinking and chatting.

Later, the little person who wanted to see the most came, calling everyone's attention as she entered with her cute and fashionable ponytail. She greeted everyone with a hug, happy to see her uncles, aunts and her father. The moment she saw me, her smile turned into a straight line and she only greeted me with a wave of her hand before running off into her mother's arms again.

Klaus hugged me knowing that it discouraged me, and whispered to me that soon she would feel comfortable with me, that she was shy, that it was not my fault, that I had to give her a little more time... Things that he already had told me, but I couldn't get on my mind.

All night I tried to interact with little Hope, I offered her food, offered her some of her toys if I saw her getting bored, offered her to choose a song she liked to put on the speaker... But she just ran the other way, or she would stare at me like I was annoying.

When it was midnight, we all gathered around the campfire as I had been told was a family tradition and make wishes. My wish was quite obvious: I wished I could get along with Hope one day. After making that beautiful wish, it was time for the gifts, and the little girl was very excited about it.

Hope got all the gifts, of course, she was the spoiled and dearest girl in the house. Her face of happiness when seeing all her gifts made my heart melt.

Rebekah and Marcel gave her stuffed animals, which she squeezed a lot. Elijah and Hayley gave her a toy she seems to have asked for a lot all year. Klaus gave her a portrait of her and a family heirloom that left her astonished as any six-year-old girl could. Freya and Keelin gave her a kind of giant dollhouse, in which she didn't waste a second entering and greeting all of us from the little window. Kol and Davina decided to give her some little witch things, which made her very excited, and she placed them in her dollhouse right away.

Now it was my turn, and I was very nervous. They had all been splendid gifts, and I only had one painting stand. With some insecurity, I put my gift in front of me and she looked at him carefully with wide eyes.

“Is it for painting?” She asked me, speaking to me for the first time that night. I nodded with a warmhearted smile as I stepped back and hugged Klaus. She smiled, approaching the gift, touching it with her little hand. “Am I going to paint like my daddy?” She asked and looked at me with a smile from ear to ear when I nodded again. She jumped with excitement and ran to hug me, thanking me.

A few small tears gathered in my eyes when I returned the hug, and my gaze went to Kol, who nodded as if to say 'I told you so'. Hope let go of me and ran up the stairs screaming that she would find her paintings and do a portrait of all of us.

The best Christmas in the world.

[domesticblisss]

Summer is Almost Gone

Timothy Thatcher x Female Reader Rating: PG-13 Word Count: 1565 Warnings: Angst, fluff. Some cursing, I guess. Just exes bumping into each other and some nostalgia. Summary: Reader finds Tim where she least expected. A/N: Another Lana Del Rey inspired one, but mostly because of the feeling of nostalgia “White Dress” gives. Tried to not make it super sad. Hope you guys like it.

→ “You’re coming, right?” ← “Yeah, I’m going, Marcel. It’s just us, right?” → “Just you and I and Fabian and a couple of our friends.” ← “Cool, I’ll be there in 10.”

She did arrive there in ten. But what was supposed to be a get together between her, Marcel and a few friends turned out to be a full blown house party. Some rapper that she has heard Marcel listening to before was blasting on the speakers, people were already intoxicated, couple were making out, and dancing bodies were tightly pressed together crowded his living room that it took her almost five minutes to make her way from the front door to Marcel’s kitchen.

She finds Fabian sitting on the counter, drowning in a beer and talking to Shotzi. “Oh my god, you came!” Shotzi exclaims, hugging her.

“Ugh, I did. Missed you much, girlie.” she hugs Shotzi back, before turning to Fabian. “Dude, what’s going on? Marcel said it was going to be just us.”

“You know how he is, this was just a ploy to invite that new girl he is head over heels for.”

“Ah, of course. Did she actually come?”

“Yeah...” Fabian answered with a slight embarrassed tone to his voice, raising his eyebrows and scratching the back of his head.

“Ok, that face tells me he’s somewhere with her already. Anyways, love you guys but I’m going to head out a bit. It’s way too crowded here.”

“See ya later, babe.” Shotzi yelled over and got a blown kiss in return.

She made her way to the backyard, hoping the swing set she helped Marcel build was still free. It was a typical end of summer night. The days got darker earlier, the hot day air slowly turning to a chilly night breeze. To her surprise, the backyard was empty besides one figure sitting on the left bench of the swing set.

Tim.

They haven’t seen nor talked to each other in four years, after she signed with WWE and things ended in a rocky path for the both of them.

He sat in her favourite bench, the one Marcel made sure to paint purple and write her name on.

Tim had his head bowed down, but from the little she could see, he looked older, the same tired expression he always had, hair cut short, beard full like she always asked him to let it grow. He was sporting his navy-blue dickies and the long sleeved Black Flag shirt she loved so much. He looked beautiful. Taking in the sight in front of her, she couldn’t help but think about how much she missed him, how much she still loved him.

As he raised his head to take another swig of his beer, he saw her standing there with a tiny amused smiled on her face.

“Dove, hey!” his strong voice boomed and he instantly regretted calling her by the pet name he used during their relationship. “I’m sorry, force of habit.”

“It’s fine, Tim. You know I don’t mind.” she told him as he got up to greet her, torn between a handshake or a hug. They ended up hugging, a little awkwardly in the beginning, but quickly getting used to the other’s touch once again.

“Why is your name written in the swing?” Tim asked, laughing.

“Marcel and I were talking about our childhood one day and we found out we both had this obsession with swings. He decided to get one and I helped him build it. So, he painted it and wrote my name on it so, and I quote, ‘everyone knows this place is mine’.” she smiled at the memory.

“So, I think it’s only fitting for you to sit here, ma’am.”

They sat side by side, engulfed by awkward silence, nervously drinking their beers. Tim decided to break the silence.

“How’s everything going?”

“It’s fine.”

“Dove, c’mon. We haven’t talked to each other in four years. You have nothing new to tell me?” Tim pressed on.

When she looked at him, he had the same look of adoration in his eyes he always had when he asked her to talk about her day, or when she watched an interesting movie and decided to tell him its plot. That brought her back the safe feeling she had whenever they were together. So, she told him, told him how the transition was, how much she learned on NXT, the plans they had for her to hold the championship and how her life was going in general.

Tim couldn’t do anything besides stare at her. He took in her figure, thinking about how the years apart did her wonders, thinking about how she was always the most beautiful woman in the world to him and how she looks even more beautiful now. He thought about how he missed the way she would move her hands while she talked excitedly about a subject, or how she would bite her bottom lip when she needed to concentrate or remember a word, or the way she would scrunch her nose when she made a crappy joke. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much he missed her, how much he missed these little things that she did, and how even after so long, they hadn’t changed. He couldn’t stop thinking about how stupid he was to break things up so abruptly. He got back to the real world after hearing her call his name.

“So, you finally accepted it and gave in to the dark side, right Tim?”

“Well, I’m old and I needed to at least end my career in a good place, so why not?” he answered, knowing what was coming.

“Oh for fuck sake, Timothy. You’re not old, sto–“

“I miss you, dove. I miss you so much” he interrupted her.

It caught her off guard, the feelings she suppressed for years rising up once again. She battled with herself for a few seconds but allowed herself to show her vulnerable side to him.

“I miss you too, you have no idea how these four felt like to me.” her voice was quiet, soft, almost a whisper.

“I am so, so sorry for being such a prick to you and ending things how I did. Just know that I was always happy for you and that your dreams came true.”

“I know.” she nodded, holding herself together so the tears that was at bay wouldn’t spill.

“Come here.” he took her hand and pulled her to his lap. Tim held her tight, as close as he could, almost making themselves one. He sensed the tears coming and kissed her. Kissed her forehead, her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, and her lips, one by one, begging her not to cry. Apologising for all the hurt he made her go through.

“I know,” she sobbed, “you have no idea how many times I thought about this, about seeing you again.”

“Me too, dove. I dreamed about coming back to you countless times.”

He kept holding her as she laid her head on his shoulder, her nose touching the crook of his neck. They enjoyed their presences in silence, the only noises heard were the distant sound of the party and the squeaking of the swing as Tim rocked them both back and forth.

She lifted her hand, scratching his head the way she knew he liked and kissed his neck. Breaking their little moment, she asked “What are you doing here, anyway? You hate these things.”

“Marcel said he was having a little dinner get together with me and three other people. I haven’t been around for a while, so I thought ‘why not?’”

She started laughing and Tim looked at her confused.

“What?”

“Marcel is a fucking idiot. He did all of this because he wanted to ask this girl out. He probably told her he was throwing a party and needed an excuse for us to come.”

“He didn’t change one bit, huh?

“Nope!”

“Have you even seen him after you arrived?” Tim asked.

“Not really, I met Fabian and Shotzi and Fabian said he disappeared with the girl. I texted him saying I had arrived and came out here because I’m not in the mood to deal with whatever is going on inside.”

“Me too.”

“Tim, you are never in the mood for these.”

“Wow.” he looked at her with a fake shocked face. “You’re right as always.”

They looked at each other, lose smiles on both of their faces.

“I still love you, you know that. Right, doll?”

“I still love you too. Very, very much.” she told him between pecks on his lips, to which he grabbed the opportunity to turn into a kiss. A slow but powerful kiss, that was filled with missing, with four years of unresolved feelings, filled with regret but also filled with hope for new beginnings. Tim pecked her lips several times after the kiss ended, making her smile once again.

“Sooo...” he began

“So...?”

“Do you wanna get out of here? There is this lebanese place near my apartment that I think you would like.”

“Oh god, yes! I’m starving.”

And they left, hand in hand, in a silent agreement that this time nothing was getting on their way.

[hs-devote]

20. E N D G A M E

Moodboard // Content // Masterlist

Disclaimer:

All characters and situation in this story are fictitious. Resemblance to any person living or dead is only God knows. Previous chapter;

"And it will be better for us, to help us to move on with each other's lives."

Move on with each other's lives.

Was that what she wanted?

20. ENDGAME

“How's him, Niall?”

“He's .. he's getting worse.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't even feel him anymore.” . . . .

It had been months since Y/N decided to take proper rest to help her syndrome. At the first few months, she was overwhelmed by her poor brain performance. She had almost burnt her kitchen because she forgot how to turn off the stove all of a sudden. One day, she even forgot where her apartment was after going out for grocery shopping. The poor woman was anxious, making her cry in the middle of the street. Luckily for her, her neighbour found her and drove her home.

Her parents were worried, of course. They both were agreed to Y/N to came back home in Swansea,  for them were easier to look after her. After all, she had no one in London anymore.

During that time too, she underwent routine treatments to restore her condition. From drugs to a few therapies. To this day, her condition was better, although sometimes she still got light headaches.

If her health had improved, her heart wasn't completely healed.

No matter how hard she tried to forget her broken relationship, especially him, she couldn't. Harry was too beautiful to be forgotten. Despite what happened last time, she couldn't lie even if her tongue said another.

She remembered the last time, really last time, when she met him in his penthouse to pick up her things. Y/N indeed hadn't lived with Harry yet, but since she often stayed at his place, he suggested her to bring some her things to his penthouse.

He looked skinnier, and his face looked tired. From what she heard from Suzanne, Harry's loss of appetite made him lost weight. Plus, time-consuming work also made him forget to rest. Y/N had scolded at him for refusing to eat his lunch at that time, and made her had to force her ex-boyfriend to eat even a little.

But Harry was Harry.

He would eat if she also had lunch with him. She refused at first, yet because she felt bad with Suzanne who had made the food, then she finally agreed. On the other hand, she was a bit sad that their lunch at that time was so different. If usually they would have a conversation, for the first time, only the sound of plates and cutlery between them.

Harry.

Harry.

She missed him very much.

The two of them no longer in touch after that. She still had his number, but did he?

She didn't know.

Nevertheless, he sent her a flower bouquet for her twenty-fourth birthday. She remembered very well what Harry wrote on the card. A simple birthday wishing. Yet, he didn't call her nor text her.

Well, what did she expect?

They broke up.

She was the one who broke their relationship first.

She was the one who told him to move on.

Why was she still yearning for him?

Because Y/N broke them when she was falling in love for the first time.

Did she regret it?

Y/N couldn't answer that. . . . .

Y/N just returned home after buying food for her fish. Yes, she had two goldfish to keep her company if she got bored. Her eyes caught an unfamiliar car parked in front of her house, a quite expensive car for the neighbourhood where she lived.

Shrugged it off, she ignored her thoughts and immediately went in. In the living room, she saw her brother was talking to a woman. Was this his girlfriend? But, he didn't say anything.

When she was about to say hello to them, her smile faded as she recognised the lady who had been sitting back facing her.

“Clementia?”

“Hi..” Clementia shyly waved her hand, smiling softly. Y/N averted her gaze to Connor, raising an eyebrow – asking for some explanation. How did he know Harry's sister?

“She comes looking for you,” he shrugged, “Well, I'll leave you two.” then leaving both the girls alone.

“How are you, Y/N?” Clementia asked her once she took a vacant seat available, “It's been too long.”

“I'm fine, Ce. You?”

“Good.”

She nodded, “What are you doing here?”

“Err..” Clementia bit her lip, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Looking confused to answer Y/N question.

“We need your help.”

Y/N arched an eyebrow, “What kind of help?”

Something must gone wrong. There was no way Clementia had come all the way here asking for something unimportant. She wouldn't ditch her school in Italy and come to Swansea for only meeting her and having a casual conversation. Or, maybe she was on her semester break?

“It's Harry.”

“Harry?”

“Yes,” Clementia sighed, “You're our only hope, Y/N. Just like Niall told me.”

What did Niall say to Clementia? What actually happened?

"I... I don't understand," Y/N laughed nervously, "We're not a relationship anymore if you don't know."

“I know. But– ”

“Harry's condition is worrying, Y/N.”

Her head snapped to the where the voice came. There, Niall was standing at her door, with his arrival that she didn't know. Since when he was there?

“I'm sorry I just come,” Niall spoke, “Traffic was quite shit today.”

While Clementia just rolled her eyes, Y/N stared at Niall anxiously. What did he mean by that? Did Harry have an accident?

“What do you mean, Niall?” she asked quietly.

“Harry.. has been so stressed lately. Making him lost control of his emotions. He seemed not to care about his life anymore, and that makes Marcel take the opportunity.”

Y/N's eyes widened the time Niall said Marcel. He was sitting next to Clementia, how could he slip like that?

“I already know Harry's condition and who is Marcel.” Clementia spoke to answer her thought.

“And your mother?”

"She knows too. That's why she didn't come here, have to set an eye to him." Clementia nodded, "It broke my heart that Harry has such a hard life. It's not his fault that he.. he grew another personality that eats him alive."

“What exactly happened to him?” Y/N questioned after a minuted passed in silence. Hearing Marcel's name, made her shudder a little. It had been so long since she had heard Marcel and Harry's name pronounced in one sentence.

Marcel.

How was he?

"Marcel is the one who lives in Harry's body as we speak now. Harry is getting weaker, and hasn't been able to come back with us for more than a month." Niall rubbed his face, "We're afraid that... Harry will gone.”

Her heart felt like being electrocuted when she heard that. Marcel took over Harry's body, and her ex-boyfriend had no strength to fight him. And it had been going for a month. A month.

A month, Harry never came back to his place.

And he didn't care anymore.

Why?

“No way,” she chuckled incredulously, “The last time I met him, he said that Marcel refused to show up.”

“It's because he took his time,” Niall answered, “He saved his energy and knocked Harry out when he was weak.”

“And why couldn't Harry fight him? Why didn't he care?” Y/N bombarded him questions, “Harry should be strong enough. He has no more burden because Erskine was back to normal.”

“It's you, Y/N.” Clementia squeaked.

Y/N pointed her finger dumbfounded to her chest, “Me?”

"My brother is very sad and depressed with your break up," Clementia murmured, "He thought too much of your separation to make him forget about his health, and he feels guilty for failing to protect you from the incident with your head."

It was because of her..

Y/N speechless.

She didn't think this would all be bad for his condition. She didn't know Harry would take it too seriously.

“Has Marcel done anything... bad?" she asked carefully. She wasn't sure if Clementia also knew what crimes Marcel had committed. Her feelings worsened when Niall looked confused to answer while Clementia just lowered her head and leaned back.

“He killed Dale.” . . . .

Returning to London was quite nice. For a long time she left this city, made her miss some places.  Y/N would stay for two days in London, and since she was agreed to help the Styles family, she would try to talk to Harry, or Marcel.

She couldn't refuse their request, especially Anne also called her and begged her to meet her son – hoping that Harry would listen to him, even though he was deep in his subconscious.

One more fact she wanted to know, why Marcel killed Dale?

That disgusting human had already rotten in jail, why did he have to get his hands dirty – again?

Despite her worries, she was a bit happy to meet him despite this difficult situation.

Back to set foot on his building, pulling her to play back the memories of her and Harry. She remembered when they were pretty drunk, and luckily only his penthouse was on that floor, they were making out all the way to his home. Moaning out loud in the hallway, stumbling in the dim light as Harry tried to unlock his door. It was midnight, and there was only two of them there. And the rest, their scattered clothes on the floor being the silent witnesses.

Her cheeks became hot just to think about it.

Harry.. Oh, fuck..

She was startled when the door in front of her being opened, showing Anne who smiled kindly at her.

Since when had she gotten to Harry's floor and rang the bell?

Anne brought her body to her warm embrace, “Hi, darling. How are you?”

“I'm good, Anne.” Y/N smiled fondly.

“You must be tired of the long journey. Where's Niall? You should have come with him right?"

Niall?

“Yeah, yeah. I'm here.” An Irish voice came from behind her.

How could she forget that she came here with Niall?

Y/N laughed at her stupidity inwardly.

Harry's penthouse was quite quiet. She didn't see Suzanne, only Clementia who was busy on the stove. Anne kindly poured them a drink before sitting down with them. Her happy face now turned sadder than before.

"Thank you for coming, Y/N. It means a lot for us." Anne smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry if it bothers you. I don't know anyone else to ask for help."

"It's okay, Anne. I understand." Y/N gave her a small smile, "How's him?”

“He's still.. Marcel.” Anne carefully answered, “I don't see Harry in him. He isn't annoying as before, but it still different.”

“Has he done anything all this time?”

“Besides.. killed Dale?” Anne whispered, “Not really. He was just been awful, a bit rude, but he wasn't physically abusive.”

Anne knew Marcel killed Dale.. “But, still. We don't know next.” Niall murmured, “We have to be careful and not make him angry.”

“He wouldn't lay off  his hand at a female." then, Y/N stared at Niall, "But, I agree with Niall."

Suddenly, they flinched when they heard a scattering loud from Harry's bedroom. When Y/N looked at Anne, the old lady just closed her eyes and rubbed her face while Niall swiftly getting up from the couch.

“I'll prepare his medicine, and shot– just in case.”

“Can I see him, Anne?" she spoke quietly. Anne just nodded and warned her to be careful. Giving Harry's mother reassuring smile, she brought her leg to his bedroom.

She wasn't too surprised to find broken glass scattered near the door. She entered slowly and found Marcel staring at his laptop screen. The man didn't seem to have noticed her presence yet. After gathering courage, Y/N stepped closer to him.

“Marcel.”

Hearing her voice, Marcel averted his gaze towards her. His forehead creased in surprise, looking at the woman who hadn't he saw for months. He shrugged, shaking his head unbothered.

“What are you doing here?”

His voice was surprisingly calm. Yet, Y/N still had to be careful. He was Marcel after all, not her Harry.

“Didn't you miss me, huh?” she tested the water, she even didn't know if Marcel wanted her presence let alone miss her. She couldn't straight to the point asking why he threw Harry's favourite mug, why Harry didn't bother to back in his body, and why he killed Marcel.

“Wrong person, Y/N. Harry was the one who suffered because he missed you, a lot.” Marcel snickered, “Poor Harry was so fragile about love, pathetic.”

“Marcel, I didn't come here to fight with you.” Y/N sighed, “I just want to.. talk with you. Like a friend?”

Her last sentence was more a question to herself, because she wasn't even sure.. they were friends. She sighed heavily when Marcel still unbothered, and with careful steps, she walked closer to him.

“Why are you so selfish like this, Marcel? You took the opportunity when Harry was weak and control his body at will. You must remember, Harry is a part of you. You're nothing if it's not because of him."

“You know nothing, my darling.” Marcel shook his head, lifting his head up to stare at the girl who was looking at his dark irises. “When Harry had given up on his life, I couldn't let him leave it all. If Harry didn't want to stay and I didn't act fast, this body would be lifeless. He would be sleeping, so would I. And then, what?”

She didn't mishear that, did she? Why Harry gave up on his life? He still had so much more in his life, why did he think like that?

“Why?” she murmured, “What caused him to think that way?”

“You.”

Y/N widened her eyes, “Me?”

“Like what I just said. He was so desperate. He feels like everything is wasted if you're not with him anymore.” he rolled his eyes, “He was very hurt because he loves you very much.”

He was drowning on his own love..

"And you didn't try to persuade him?" she changed the topic. Y/N couldn't keep hearing Harry who was sounded unable to move on and be the most hurt. She was hurt too, but she realised the reality that had slapped her sweet dream.

“Believe me, Y/N. Despite I'm satisfied with this opportunity, I also miss my dark corner.” Marcel  worked his jaw, “Being him is not easy.”

“Fine,” Y/N whispered, “Then, why did you kill Dale Jespersen?”

“One of the reasons he was tired of everything was also because I killed Dale," Marcel put the laptop away, going to the chair facing the window. His fingers rubbed his chin while staring at Y/N who was still standing next to the bed.

“Dale Jespersen appeared all of sudden and blocked Harry's car one night. Your ex-boyfriend just came back from the office and was so shocked. How could someone who was supposed to be in a prison roam freely at night? Long story short, that prick bribed the officers there to release him that night, only to meet Harry. And of course, for revenge."

Y/N shook her head in disbelief, “How could that be?”

“He said something offensive and... he was gone.” he gave her innocence look, “Don't think about how I got rid of him. Be glad Harry didn't end up in prison.”

“But your family know!” she cried, “How fucked up was that?”

“Yes, they do. But the world doesn't. Good thing Harry has money and connections so I can use that. After all, Dale was alone on his own self in this earth. Why was he still in this world."

“I can't.. with you, Marcel.” she pinched her forehead, “I just.. I just don't know the way you're thinking.”

“Then, why are you here?” he scoffed, “If you're trying to call him, good luck then. Because if you don't hurry, you'll lose him.”

Grunted irritably, Y/N got up from her spot and left Marcel who still seemed not care about her. However, she was sure Harry still could her and felt her presence despite he didn't want to reveal himself.

“I know you're there, H. Please come back. Don't be scared. I'm here, and we'll be alright.”

And that was all she said before leaving him alone. Letting the words crawling inside his mind and soul. . . . . Y/N had no luck talking to Marcel. Not her fault, but it looked like Harry indeed had given up. Yet, she was also wondering if he could feel her presence that day. Didn't he want to meet her?

She also stayed longer in London than she planned. Her parents didn't mind, but Connor was the one who scolded her on the phone. Her brother knew why she went to London, and he didn't like that. He didn't like the idea of her sister help the man who made her cry for days after their broke up despite he didn't know why exactly they broke up. He just knew that things couldn't work between them so she decided to back off. He didn't know which one was wrong. But, one thing he knew, he would do anything to protect Y/N, no matter what.

Anne insisted her to stay at Harry's penthouse at first, but she remembered the circumstance, so she understood when Y/N refused gently.

The girl stayed at a hotel that Anne booked for her for another week, and she was very grateful and making a mental note to pay Anne's kindness someday.

That night, Y/N was trying to find a new job because she thought her condition had improved. She was also thinking about trying to apply for a postgraduate scholarship if she couldn't find any job. There were several vacancies on the internet that made her interested.

It was one in the midnight and she had to get her things ready as she would get back to Swansea tomorrow. After closing her laptop, she quickly packed her things and got to bed early because her train would leave in the morning. But, when she was about to brush her teeth, her mobile phone rang a few times. She frowned when seeing Niall's name on the screen.

“Hello, Niall?” she said softly, her palm closed her yawning mouth. Her eyes, which were heavy with sleepiness, suddenly opened up widely after hearing Niall's panicked voice at the end of the call.

“You're joking, aren't you?” Y/N didn't know if she was screaming or not. It was clear that her tone was quite high and she realised that. Her hands suddenly sweating, making her almost drop her mobile phone.

The last thing she knew, she sprinted to grab her jacket and hurried out of her hotel room.

. . . . Here, everything was so quiet. Y/N heard almost nothing but the beeping machine. Her heavy eyes grew heavier because of the tears that flowed when Anne hugged her while sobbing violently earlier. She had never seen Anne so frail and sad before, and that made her heart ache even more.

Her sleepiness disappeared at the second Niall called her and giving her the news that sucked her life out.

Harry was involved in a car crash and in critical condition.

Niall didn't give the full chronology. As far as she knew from him, Harry drove off the track and his car was hit from behind before hitting the divider. Also, he was drunk while driving.

Now, the man was lying unconscious with wires connected between his body and the machine beside his bed. A few scratches on his face didn't make any better. The bandage wrapped around his head reminded her when she had the same one back then.

The doctor said, if Harry would get through his critical condition tonight, he would probably survive. If he wouldn't, Y/N couldn't imagine what would happen.

If Y/N now was sitting beside Harry's bed and watching every inch of this man in front of her. His family was outside giving her time to see her ex-boyfriend.

She slowly took Harry's free hand and hold it tight. Her wistful eyes stared straight at him who still sleeping soundlessly. Smiling sadly, she could still sense the confused and panicked feeling ran through her body when she was leaving her hotel room and rushed to meet Niall who was waiting for her in the lobby.

The poor man got a slap from her when she thought he was lying and joking around. But, when he said it with a serious face, almost screaming at her, Y/N knew Niall wasn't joking. She felt that was real when he grabbed her hand quickly and pushed her into his car. They didn't have much time. Niall was driving fast, with her still dumbfounded. She felt even more dumbfounded when she realised she just wore shorts and a baggy shirt. But her jacket was likely saved her from such an inappropriate clothing choice.

“You can do it, H.” whispered her, taking his hand to rub her cheek, “Get better, please.”

Y/N knew everyone wouldn't sleep tonight waiting for him to go through his critical moment. It was almost four in the morning, only a few hours until the doctor could say that he was successful and she couldn't wait for it.

“I feel bad that I'm the one who sitting here and not your mother. But, that's okay. Anne should take a rest, as well as your family." she hummed, her eyes constantly glancing at the machine displaying the rhythm of his heartbeat.

Normal..

“I haven't told you that I like the flowers. The one that you sent me on my birthday. They were beautiful, H.”

“I also sent you a sunglasses for your birthday. Did you like it? Because I heard no words from you.” she sighed, “I know it's not Gucci but I think it suits you.”

Y/N chuckled slightly, looking at his bare fingers. “They removed your rings? Or, you didn't wear any?

“Why were you driving drunkenly, H? You told me once that you avoid that it as much as possible." she frowned, "Was it Marcel? I–"

Weird.

She heard a strange sound.

Her eyes stared at Harry who was still unconscious. Then, who made that sound? It was just both of them there.

Suddenly, the colour on her face was drained out like she just realised something. No, she didn't want to say that. She didn't want to lift her head or averted her gaze. Her vision still fixated on Harry who looked so calm in his deep sleep.

No...

No way.

Y/N flicked her head to where the machine was, only finding that his heartbeat was flat line.

Flat.

No rising or falling charts.

Like before.

No.

“No!”

The chair she was sitting on, fell backwards when she stood up and immediately grabbed Harry's shoulders, shaking him as hard as possible.

“Harry? Harry! Harry, please!”

Her finger quickly pressed the emergency button and again tried to wake him who she knew was impossible. Her mind was chaotic, it felt like her brain was paralyzed to digest everything, her hands were shaking and sweaty and so cold. She hed never panicked and feared this much.

“Harry..”

Her voice was shaking, head began to feel dizzy. Her eyes began to blur because of the tears that were ready to flood, and repeatedly stared at the machine and Harry's face back and forth.

The line was still flat.

And Harry still had no movement.

She couldn't help it. Finally, she let the tears fell down her face. Sobbing violently, her inner goddess was cursing the doctor who hadn't come yet.

“Harry, please. Wake up! Don't do this!" she whispered, stroking his face which still felt warm under her fingertips.

Why were they taking so long!?

She choked in a sob, "Harry, please. Please. We're not doing this!"

“Don't die on me, please!" screamed her in agony. She couldn't bear the thought she lost him. She didn't want to lose him. Not now, not later, not ever.

“H,” she cried, holding Harry's head and stroking his hair softly. “No, please. Don't – don't.. leave me. I – I can't.. lose – lose you. Please.”

“I'm so – sorry that .. that I haven't – haven't said that. I forgive you, H.”

“I'm sorry – sorry for.. everything. You're – you're not... the only one was – was wrong." she cried harder, "I shouldn't – shouldn't … given up on you."

She shook her head, didn't want to accept the reality that had happened. Harry couldn't die. He wouldn't.

“Harry, please.” she once again shook his limp body. The sound of the machine that had been her nightmare now was filling her head, it got louder and louder and made her nauseous. They were still flat, and Y/N didn't know how long it had been.

“Don't leave me, Harry. Don't leave your mother, your sister. And everyone who loves you.” she stammered, eyes squeezed tightly.

With shaking shoulder, Y/N stroked his jaw and brought her mouth closer to his ear, "I love you, don't do this to me, please. We still have so much together. I love you, H.."

She flinched when the door opened suddenly and a nurse tugged her gently so the doctor could check on him. She couldn't hear what they were telling her. All she knew, the next second she got out from the room with tears flowing profusely and body shaking. From her blurry vision, she could see Clementia and Niall approaching her. She shook her head, was speechless and head was spinning and ears ringing badly. The last thing she felt, her body fell to the floor. . . . .

Two years later.

Y/N's tasks that day almost made her head explode, plus her co-worker being uncooperative doubled her irritation. She knew, working in an international financial institution had its perks. Her previous job was nothing compared to now. Not that she underestimated them all, yet this was the first time she felt her energy and mind really drained out. Moreover, she would likely to travel to Washington D.C to attend conferences, a lot.

“Yes, yes. Send them all to me by tomorrow afternoon. Thanks, Bobby!” Y/N gave her co-worker thumb out before waltzed out from the meeting room, heading to her office.

“Tough day, Y/N?” Sienna wiggled her eyes, teasing Y/N who just entered the break room to grab a drink first. Y/N just nodded, filling up her tumbler with mineral water.

“Everyone almost gets my nerves today," she murmured, "Plus, I just landed from New York last night and the jetlag was a nightmare. I couldn't sleep during the flight and my eyes wouldn't let me rest."

“Lucky for you, it's Friday! And, I think your fiance won't mind to help you to get relax for the rest of weekend." Sienna winked her eyes, "Don't be so tense, Y/N!" and leaving Y/N alone with a bursting laugh.

Y/N shook her head, leaving the break room unoccupied since she had a lot to do and must be finished today. When she got her office, she found a bouquet of her favourite flowers with her favourite chocolate bar. Chuckled giddily, she closed the door behind her and walked closer to her desk. Her manicured fingers picked up the card laid on top his desk, her eyes immediately recognised the familiar handwriting.

Hard day? I hope you love the flowers and enjoy the chocolate bar. I know you're on a dairy diet but nothing is better than seeing you happy.

Ps: I made a reservation at the Royal Lancaster tonight, 8 p.m sharp. Your darling fiance

Fiance.

He always knew how to made her smile even at any time. Smiling softly, Y/N grabbed the flowers and smelt them before putting at the vase. Her hand then took the chocolate while turning on her computer,  but when she saw the ring on her fourth finger on her left hand, her memory pulled her back when he popped the question.

They were in Switzerland for Christmas holiday. It was when the Christmas morning, and was snowing heavily. She had just made them hot chocolate since they stayed at the Bernese Alps and the cold was crazy, and he told her it was the time to open their presents. At that time, she didn't have the clue if the proposal being her present.

When he pulled the red box out and slid it open, her eyes fixated to the ring sat on the cushion. It was the Cartier platinum ring paved with diamonds cut. That shiny and beautiful thing caught her attention, ignored him who knelt in front of her. When Y/N just realised it, she quickly jolted and gasped – closing her gaping mouth. Even though he proposed her with simple words, she knew that her man was nervous as hell because his hands were shaking while holding the ring.

With an ugly sob, Y/N nodded meekly and said yes to his proposal.

What a beautiful moment.

She chuckled lightly and then returning to her work, excited to get them done as she couldn't wait to meet him. Five days in New York made her missed her fiance so much.

Later that evening, Y/N succeed to have her task done by 6. She hurriedly shut down her computer and took her things to immediately meet her fiance who was waiting in the parking lot, even made Sienna teased her in such a haste. Her smile grew bigger after spotting a silver Porsche in the VIP section. Wasting no time, she jogged to the car and opened the door.

“Hello, there.”

“Hi,” she waved at him and get in, “I'm sorry for taking to long.”

“Looks like you did have a hard day."

Y/N hummed, closing the door and putting the safety belt. Then, she turned her head to him and grabbed his neck to land a kiss on his plump lips. The fiance himself happily savouring her lips like it was the only antidote in the universe. The kiss only lasted for a few seconds before she pulled back, grinning at him. "Thank you for the flowers and chocolate. I love it."

He chuckled, wiping her wet lips affectionately, “Glad to hear that. Shall we go now?”

“Sure.”

She leaned back to the seat as the car moving down to the street, sighed happily because she finally could relax after a full day of stress plus the lacking of sleep.

“Is there anything special that you take me out for fancy dinner tonight?” asked her while looking at her fiance. A little smile formed on her lips while caught her fiance was so focused behind the steering wheel.

“Eh, no. Why?” he asked back, throwing her a quick glance.

She shrugged, “I'm wondering. I mean.. it's not saturday night.”

He chuckled, “Is it a crime that I take my fiancee to have a dinner not on saturday night?”

“Heyy..”

“Little birdie told me that you pissed all day long. So, I think a nice dinner will cheer you up.”

“How thoughtful of you.” she grinned, “Thank you, though.”

“I'm doing my best.”

If her fiance hadn't realised yet, Y/N kept her eyes on him all the journey. She found that the way he drove was so endearing. Especially when he was biting his lips or licked them while waiting for the red light. While his right hand remained on the wheel, his left hand never left her grasp unless he had to shift the gear.

“Why did you keep staring at me?” he questioned, even though they had been together for a long time, but such a small gesture still made him nervous.

“Why do I find a man is so attractive when he's driving,” she whispered, “Especially you.”

“Don't start, darling. We're in the middle of street right now.”

“I'm not.” she widened her eyes, “Do you think I was.. teasing you?”

“Obviously,” he snickered, “If not, you wouldn't squeeze your thighs together, darling.”

How obvious he did know that?

“We don't want to be late because I fucked you at the gas station over there, do we?” he smirked, “We just have forty-five minutes to get there.”

“Challenge accepted. We both know you can finish me in twenty minutes anyway, H.” . . . .

Harry felt numb.

The second he opened his eyes, the lights blinded his eyes and made him wonder if he was in heaven. Yet, he breathed in relieved when his gaze sharpened and he heard the beeping machine beside him. His suspicion strengthened when he lifted his hand and finding an IV stuck in his hand.

He was in a hospital.

And he was survived.

Then, the door bursting open quietly made him turned his head, looking at Anne who just entered with a shocked face. A relief radiated from the eyes of the woman who gave birth to him.

“Mum?”

His throat was sore along with hoarse voice, but he made it clear that he was fine by flashing his mother a small smile.

“Oh, Harry.” Anne mewled, stepping closer to her son, “You're awake.” and peppering kiss on his cheek.

“I am.”

“How do you feel? You're pretty banged up.” Anne stroked his unruly hair while sitting on the chair beside his bed.

“My body hurts, but it's okay. I'm fine.”

Anne gave him apologetically smile, “Okay, then. I'll call the doctors so they can check your condition.”

Harry was checked up not long after that. The doctor said he had improved and could go home within a week. He was being told that he was lucky because the car crash was quite fatal yet he had no serious injuries, jut a few stitches on the temples. But, he was quite surprised when Anne said that he had lost his heartbeat for a while.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep. The last time he was awake when Clementia was out for lunch and left him alone in the room. He loved to sleep, but he hated the pain hammering his head when he just woke up.

“Fuck.” he mumbled while touching his bandaged head.

“Is it hurt? Do I need to call the doctor?”

He never snapped his head that fast, was surprised to hear the voice he missed so much. He felt he was hallucinating when he saw Y/N looking at him worriedly.

“Y/N?”

“Hi, Harry.” she said timidly, “How are you feeling?”

“Hi.”

Harry didn't know how to feel. He was happy, but on the other hand, he also confused. During Y/N talked to him, he couldn't focus. Not only his head still feel dizzy, he felt like he was high on drugs. Everything felt like floating.

“I'm sorry it took me almost lost you to realise how wrong I was.” Y/N fumbled her fingers, “I'm too late to say I've forgiven you.”

“It's okay, Y/N. I understand.” Harry exhaled, “It's not your fault alone.”

“Why were you driving drunk?” seeing the hesitant on his eyes, Y/N felt bad and changed the topic, “It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I just.. worried.”

“Marcel was drunk, and took the opportunity to have one night stand with a striptease dancer there. I couldn't let it happen. So, I tried to take over and quickly left." he sighed, "Even it was him who was drunk, I would also get drunk when I got over the body."

“And why would you choose to take over?”

“Because I don't want to disappoint you, Y/N.” he admitted while looking through at her eyes, “I knew if.. if that happened, you would hate me even more.”

“Harry.." Y/N whispered, "If.. if that really happened, it wasn't your fault. It was Marcel. Even though you and him are one, you both are still different and I have to understand that. Not all his fault should I blame on you. If I can understand you, I should be able to understand him too."

“It's impossible, Y/N. No one would accept a disorder like me.”

“You're not a disorder, Harry. You're just different and special... "

“... If I can love you, I have to love him too.”

It caught him off guard.

Did he hear correctly?

He didn't mishear, did he?

Y/N smiled softly seeing Harry who looked dumbfounded, staring at her like she just grew an antler. Then, she grabbed his free hand and rubbed his knuckle, "I'm sorry for the long waiting. I'm sorry it took me almost losing you to realise that I love you."

“When did you first know?” his voice was barely audible, he couldn't believe his voice to speak. It was more like his soul spoke for him.

“I always knew.”

Harry laughed, and laughed. Until a single tear rolled down his lids. He was never this happy, he could never be this relieved. His love wasn't unrequited. He loved her, and she loved him.

His free hand brought her face closer to him, landing a short kiss on his love lips. She grinned widely and kissed him back.

“I love you," he spoke quietly and rubbing their nose together, "Very much."

“I love you, too much.” and she kissed his jaw.

“Harry?" she pulled back, "Why did you give up? Why didn't you care about your life at that time? Your family was worried sick.”

Harry's shoulder slumped back, “I was.. I was so depressed because.. I thought you didn't want me around anymore. I felt helpless, I thought my life has no meaning anymore. That's why I don't want to face the truth.”

“And thinking it was the best if Marcel was present?” she shook her head, “You have more right to this life, H.”

“Honestly, I wanted to wait. I didn't care if the wait would cost a million years. But, the wait was worth it because I'm in love.”

Y/N never saw this vulnerable side on him, and it was surprised her. She never thought someone like him, was so fragile yet tough at the same time. She smiled at him while rubbing his cheek.

“How's Marcel?" asked her carefully. She was quite curious about Marcel because he was the master of Harry's body lately. What did he feel, for now?

“I don't know.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't feel his presence anymore. He's not weakened, though.”

“He's just.. not there?”

“He's gone.”

. . THE END What did you think?

[doyelikehaggis]

The Vampire Diaries Verse (Screw-Canon Style): Klaus Mikaelson x Stefan Salvatore x Hayley Marshall | Put your arms around me and I'm home

Requested by anonymous

For a moment, Klaus can't feel a thing. It's like he's just there, floating in an abyss of nothing, without a corporeal form. Not quite existing, but just enough for him to be aware of it. Maybe this is true death, he thinks.

Or maybe it's his punishment for every sin he's committed in his life. Not quite peace, not quite hell. A limbo of sorts, where he'll be all alone, forever accompanied by nothing but his own mind. And he's content with that. It's not endless torture, and he'll take anything over that. There would be too many possibilities for ways that he could be broken.

No, this is right. This is what he deserves, and he is okay with that. In a way, he makes peace with it in that moment. 

Then it's as if he blinks, and things slowly start to form in the abyss. It turns from pure darkness to a light shade of grey, silhouettes and objects hazy and unfocused, as if just out of reach. Colours start to seep into the picture before his eyes, and his heart starts to sink. Of course he doesn't get off with simply being isolated for the rest of eternity. 

Murmurs echo around him, drifting closer, getting clearer. His eyes narrow, trying to pick out a word, something that'll help him figure out what exactly is going on. He's supposed to be dead. If he's not dead then the hollow could still take over. Everyone, especially Hope, will still be in danger. 

Laughing catches his attention. He whips around, on high alert, already trying to shift in anticipation of a fight. But his teeth stay blunt and human. He doesn't feel himself get stronger, or angrier, or feel a need for blood. Not even the presence of magic inside of him, the curse of the hollow trying to get free. It's all...gone.

"Aw, he thinks he's still the all-powerful hybrid. Isn't that adorable?"

Klaus goes completely still. His chest constricts, the air getting caught in his lungs as his head snaps up. Something won't let him turn around, though, let him see for himself. Fear. This is a hallucination of some sort. Probably caused by the hollow. Just a mind game.

"The cutest."

His heart twists, and he really can't breathe. It's not possible. Those voices. It can't be.

But he forces himself to turn around now, his heart stuttering in his chest. And there they are. His stomach drops and he can only stare wide-eyed in disbelief at Hayley and Stefan, standing so casually in front of him. So alive, their eyes bright and full of something he never thought he'd see in either of them ever again. Both wearing smiles with this look on their faces. 

"How..." he starts, but can't figure out the rest, simply shaking his head. "This isn't..."

The amusement softens across both of their features, turning to understanding. His mind can barely keep up, trying to process it and failing. It's the Hollow. It has to be. Even in death it won't leave him be, let him rest in peace. 

"It's real, Klaus," Hayley says, and her voice sounds so real. 

He just shakes his head again as Stefan nods, confirming it. He goes to step back, but stops when Hayley reaches out, her hand settling on his shoulder. The rage that had been building at this mind game he's being forced to play fizzles out like a flame underwater. It feels like everything inside of him stills, as if the whole world slows to let him catch up. 

His eyes follow her arm to her hand. He can feel it. The gentle pressure of her fingers curling around his arm, giving a squeeze of proof. Warmth emanating from her skin, and the closer he listens, he realizes with a start, he can hear her heartbeat. The same heart that he heard being crushed. The same skin he saw catch alight under the burning sun until there was nothing left of her. Yet here she is. 

Slowly, he draws in a sharp breath, light-headed all of a sudden. He lifts his eyes to meet her soft, assuring gaze. It's not a trick. He knows, because hallucinations even get things wrong, and only the real version of Hayley has ever looked at him like that. 

"It's real," he echoes back to her, and her mouth curves a little more as she gives another, single nod. 

He doesn't think, just moves, brushing her hand off to pull her into him. Her surprise is clear, but she hugs him back, arms winding around him. Klaus can barely bring himself to remember to breathe. He can feel her. Her small, powerful body in his arms, her hair against his face. Her heart beating against his chest and beneath the skin of her neck. She's real.

The second wave of realization makes him cling tighter, his breath coming out in a harsh gasp. His eyes move without him really controlling his actions. They lock onto that familiar pair of green eyes that are shining so brightly, still holding that same look that Klaus has never felt like he earned. That he thought he had missed his chance to ever see again when he heard of his death while he was too many miles away. 

Hayley pulls back, and despite the part of him that read every single letter she wrote to him wanting nothing more than to hold onto her forever, he lets her, his gaze still locked onto Stefan. 

"Well," he breathes out, "I heard you ignored me, as per usual, and did a lousy job of taking care of yourself."

Stefan's mouth curves into a grin and a soft chuckle. "You're one to talk."

Klaus can't help but laugh in return. He's crying, he realizes, feeling the wetness around his eyes. They both are. 

"I'll admit, I've missed you," Stefan says, and holds a hand out to him with dancing eyes. "Welcome to the afterlife, old friend."

Glancing at his hand, Klaus scoffs. He doesn't even hesitate in knocking it aside and pulling him in with a hand on his shoulder instead. Stefan instantly wraps his arms tightly around him, face pressed into his shoulder. Klaus grips the base of his neck and closes his eyes. For the first time, when he exhales, it doesn't feel like a weight is crushing him. 

It doesn't feel like he's going to drown in a sea of grief and despair, but is home at last. 

Yet again, he finds himself unwilling to break apart. But he forces himself to anyway, only he doesn't let go. He leans in without worry, without thought, feeling Stefan's desire as strongly as his own. Stefan, who moves to meet him as if it's the most familiar thing in the world, as if it hasn't been decades since they last kissed. 

In his heart, it doesn't feel like it has. Everything feels right now, like a rush of memories flowing through him, dropping every barrier he had in place. The same effect that Stefan has had since that day in 1922.  He just never thought he would get a chance to feel it all again, not like this.

A throat clearing draws them apart with grins. Klaus steps back and looks over at Hayley, her eyebrows raised but a smile glinting in her eyes.

"Don't worry, little wolf, there's plenty more of me for you," he says.

Hayley rolls those brilliant eyes that he's adored since their first meeting as well. "Still obnoxious in the afterlife. Got it. Are we sure this is peace and not hell?"

"Ouch." Klaus presses a mocking hand to his chest with a wolfish grin. "And here I thought you would be thrilled to see me again."

"This is certainly better than the last time we reunited," Stefan jokes, tilting his head. "Well, sort of. We're all kind of dead this time around, so I'm not too sure about that, but at least no one is trying to kill each other. That's good, right?"

Hayley doesn't agree. A dark look crosses her face. "I was hoping it would be a lot longer before this." She looks at Klaus, and he understands the glint in her eyes before she even says it. "For Hope's sake."

He presses his lips together, swallowing down the lump in his throat and the stinging still lingering in his eyes. The reality of it had slipped him for just a moment, but now he nods, smiling sadly.

"I know," he says, then draws in a shaking breath. "But she's strong. Like her mother. She can survive this." He glances at Stefan, laying a hand on his shoulder. "And she has Caroline looking out for her, along with Rebekah and Marcel, and Freya, and even Kol."

Stefan makes a noise at that, disguising the flash of pain in his eyes at the mention of Caroline. "Kol? I'm a little more worried about her now."

"Yeah, that wasn't your most uplifting speech," Hayley agrees with humour in her voice. 

"I knew there was a reason I never wanted to introduce the two of you," Klaus says dryly, and points a finger at them. "I will not be ganged up on! Elijah will be joining us soon, I assume, and the last thing I need is three against one."

"Oh yeah, no can do, buddy," Stefan says, patting his hand. He shares a grin with Hayley. "We've gotten pretty close waiting for you over here. I don't know if we can make any promises on that one."

Hayley shakes her head. "Absolutely not."

"Alright." Klaus drops his hand from Stefan's shoulder. "I'm going to wait over there for my dear brother, far away from the two of you."

"Yeah, good luck with that because we're not going anywhere," Hayley says cheerily, and Stefan agrees.

Despite the front he's putting on, he feels an insurmountable joy. He hopes they're right, because he couldn't bear to lose either of them again. Just seeing them together feels like a blessing, something far more precious than anything he has ever been deserving of in his life.

He would be happy to listen to the two of them tease and trade jibes about him for hours, because it means they're both here with him, and happy. At peace. He understands now why he's here, somewhere in the middle of the bayou. This is his peace. Stefan and Hayley. They're his happy ending, the one thing he never thought that he would get. He's happy to be wrong.

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

Painted Souls Part 3

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Eventual Elijah Mikaelson x Reader, Klaus Mikaelson x Caroline Forbes, Elena Gilbert x Damon Salvatore

Word Count: 2.7K

Warnings: Nope none at all. 

Author’s Note: Welcome to part 3 my lovelies. This one is a repeat of the same day, but in Elijah’s view of things. I hope you guys enjoy it. And I promise that they’ll meet soon. 

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. ♥

<< Part 2 || Part 4 >>

"It looks like someone is having fun." Freya said as she held out a coffee cup to Elijah.

Elijah's eyebrow raised slightly. "What do you mean?" He asked as he took a hold of the coffee cup.

"I'm assuming your soulmate is painting again." She said as she pointed to his forehead where the was currently a swipe of white paint across it. "Either that or you were painting your apartment and didn't look in the mirror before you left."

"I can assure you I wasn't the one painting." He gave his sister a small smile before he looked at his watch. "My soulmate has been painting for almost three hours now. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a smudge on my face somewhere."

Freya chuckled. "At least you can appreciate the work they must be putting into it. Have you tried speaking with them?"

The look on Elijah's face had said all that Freya needed to know. He hadn't. No matter how many times the writing or the paint appeared to let him know there was someone else on the other side of this connection, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Freya sighed and shook her head slightly. "You know maybe if you actually responded, you'd feel better about moving on from Celeste."

"Freya." Elijah warned before taking a drink out of his coffee.

She shrugged slightly. "I'm just saying. Your soulmate is supposed to be the best person out there for you. Yet after that heartbreak, you haven't done a thing to try and get to know who is on the other side of this." She said as she tapped the paint on his forehead.

Freya was right, much like any older sibling was from time to time. Elijah had only deeply loved one person for the majority of his life. Celeste had been a childhood friend to the Mikaelsons. She was closer to Elijah in many ways that made Elijah believe that even if there was a soulmate out there, Celeste was it for him.

At least that was until Celeste had actually met her soulmate after heading to college. While she had loved Elijah, there was something about her soulmate that just made her feel whole and she left Elijah without a second thought. It left Elijah broken. While he could play it off that he was fine, deep down it was something he couldn't easily move on from.

And while he may have thought he was crazy, that same day his own soulmate tried talking to him. Part of him wanted to believe that they knew something was going on with him and wanted to reach out. While he had been used to the paint splatters and occasional notes that would show up on his skin, this was the first time he had ever seen words specifically for him.

Hey, I know this is a little strange trying to communicate like this, but I just wanted to apologize for all the paint. I've got this huge project due. I promise I'll give you a break from the paint soon.

Elijah must have read over the words over and over for as long as they had been on his skin. There were a few times where he almost picked up a pen to write back, but he couldn't get himself to do it. Not with how he currently felt. The moment he decided not to reply to the message, he watched as the ink faded from his skin, indicating that it had been washed off.

"What about you?" Elijah asked taking the questions off of him. "Have you finally given into whoever is on the other side of yours?"

Freya grinned at that. "As a matter of fact, I have. Keelin and I will be meeting later this week. If I hadn't put it off, we would have met a few months ago when she was out here for a month. Something to think about."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "As much as I would love to continue this conversation, we have a meeting to attend." Without another word, Elijah made his way into the building that they had been standing outside of.

Freya shook her head, a small smile on her face, as she watched her brother walked away. One of these days, she was going to give him the push he needed to actually speak with his soulmate.

________

Elijah ran his hand over his face as the meeting with his client came to an end. He and his older siblings all worked at Mikaelson Law Firm. While he covered a majority of the cases that involved with media contracts, Freya handled family courts and Finn was a divorce lawyer.

It had been a long day overall and Elijah was definitely ready to leave the office for the day. It didn't help that from time to time he'd catch a few ink marks appear on his fingers before they vanished some time later. It made him think about what Freya had been telling him earlier that day.

The knock at the door had caused him to leave his current thoughts and look up to see Freya standing at the door. He gestured for her to enter and she gave him a smile.

"All done for the day?" She asked as she took a seat across from him.

"Very." He nodded as he stretched a bit in his seat.

"I know just the thing to make it all better." She suggested.

"Drinks?" He asked knowing what was coming.

Laughing, she shook her head. "That too I guess. But after a long day at work, sending Keelin a message always helped."

"There is a difference between you and I on that." Elijah noted. "I don't actively speak with my soulmate."

"It's really not that hard to." Freya knew she was probably pressing her luck with trying to convince him to do something again. But something was telling her it was time to push him out of this stubbornness.

"And say what?" He asked as he stood from his seat. "I apologize for not saying anything all this time."

"I'm sure they'd understand." She shrugged. "I know I would. You've been through a lot Elijah. We all have our pasts while waiting for our soulmates to be present in our lives. Who ever is on the other side is going to be okay with what you've gone through."

"With my luck, they've given up." He began unbuttoning his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves.

But it was as he had been doing to, Freya had noticed the writing that had been appearing on his arm. A smirk grew on her lips seeing it.

"Now if that's not a sign, I don't know what is." She said pointing to the message on his arm. "By the looks of it, you are being invited to an art gallery."

"What makes you so sure that it is for me?" He asked with a roll of his eyes. "For all I know it could be another memo." His eyes moved to the writing. He had grown so used to the handwriting that he could easily read it even if it was rushed.

"Is that why you haven't stopped looking at it?" Freya asked a moment later after watching her brother take in the information it provided.

Elijah sighed as he dropped his arm. "What am I supposed to do? Just show up there?"

Freya reached over and placed her hand on his arm. "Write something. Anything. It wouldn't hurt." She gave him a small smile. "Don't forget we're heading out tonight."

"How can I forget?" He asked with a chuckle. "You've made it a ritual."

"That’s one hell of a ritual." She shook her head before making her way towards the door. "Don't be late this time, Elijah."

"Alright." He called out as she left the office.

His eyes moved back to the words on his skin. He ran his thumb over it for a moment before making a decision. Not wanting to think twice about it. He quickly wrote something out underneath the memo that was there.

I wouldn't miss it. -E

Not wanting to lose the information, he quickly wrote it down on the notepad that sat on his desk. As much as he hate to admit that his sister was right, he knew that he needed to give this a try. He wasn't exactly sure what he'd do one he was there, but it was better than not doing anything at all.

_____

"Is Nik not coming?" Rebekah asked as she sat down at the table with her other siblings.

"He's out of town, visiting Marcel." Finn noted. No matter how many times they came to this bar for Freya's 'ritual' Finn always looked as if he'd rather be elsewhere.

"Oh right. I forgot that was this week. At least this time we wont have to deal with him ignoring us for whatever conversation is going on on his arm." She rolled her eyes at that.

"Like you wouldn't be doing the same damn thing, sister." Kol grabbed a hold of the glass that he had in front of him and took a drink. "Either that or flirting your way through the men in this place."

"That's enough, Kol." Elijah said as he shook his head at his younger siblings. It never ceased to amaze him how often the two seemed to bicker about anything and everything.

"Speaking of which!" Freya said as she clapped her hands together. "Did you happen to respond to yours?"

"Wait, are you finally moving on from Cel?" There was excitement in Rebekah's question.

As much as she had loved having Celeste around. She hated how she had ended things with her brother. All she wanted to see was her brother happy and if it meant that he finally responded to the writing on his arms. She and Freya had been trying to convince him to do it for years and hearing that he might have actually done it, she was hopeful.

"It is none of your business if I did or not." He said with a shrug. He had kept a straight face while saying it as well. He didn't need his siblings pressuring him or asking several questions about the whole thing.

To be honest, he had been expecting a response to what he had written. But there had been nothing in return. Not long after he had written his message, he watched as the memo faded from his skin, prompting him to wash off his own.

"You should have seen him earlier." Freya said as she looked towards Rebekah. "It was quite interesting to watch a stripe of paint form on his forehead."

Rebekah laughed. "Was it like the other time where the yellow splatters started forming on his cheeks?"

"You do realize that I'm sitting right here, right?" Elijah asked with a raised brow. "You two never give the others this many problems when it comes to the soulmate thing."

"None of us have an artistic soulmate." Kol noted. "Though it is the reverse for Klaus. His poor soulmate must hate how much he paints seeing as he practically has a canvas attached to him."

"Wasn't Nik supposed to get a tattoo today?" Rebekah looked at her siblings.

"If it is anything like the last, I feel sorry for his soulmate." Finn brought his own glass to his lips, taking a long drink.

Freya chuckled. "I doubt he'd get anything that was hideous."

"Are we talking about the same Klaus?" Kol asked. "Cause if it's not on a canvas, I'm pretty sure that he'd put it on his skin."

"Elijah!" A new voice could be heard over their conversation.

"Bloody hell, does she just wait until we are here to make a move?" Kol asked as he turned to look at who was currently making their way over.

"Well, there goes my night." Rebekah sighed before she caught the passing waitress and ordered another round of drinks.

"Dear sister, I think this ritual of yours is about to be plagued." Finn said with an amused look on his face.

From the moment Elijah heard his name being called, he rested his head in his hand. While he was looking forward to the usual night out with his siblings, this was becoming a habit and he wasn't looking forward to this part of the night.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be Katherine?” Kol asked as she approached the table. 

An annoyed look formed on her face as she looked over at Kol. “I’ve just come over here to speak with your brother. Not you.”

Elijah sighed and looked towards Katherine. “What is it? I’d like to enjoy my night with my siblings.”

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Have you given any thoughts to what I asked you?"

Elijah had to hold back the laugh that wanted to form. He hadn't thought about it at all. "No, I haven't thought about it."

He hadn't been interested at all in the woman's proposal. The one time Rebekah had been drunk enough to spill a few different things to Katherine had been all it took to get the woman interested in him.

“Just in case you change your mind.” She grabbed a hold of his hand and began writing in the palm of his hand. “Here is my number. Just give me a call.”

Elijah rolled his eyes as he pulled his hand back. It wouldn’t be long before he washed it off. He had no intentions and probably would never even think about taking Katherine up on her offer. 

“Good bye Katherine.” He said as he turned his attention back towards his siblings. Katherine must have stood there for another moment before leaving. Rebekah and Freya shook their heads the moment she did. 

“She doesn’t give up does she?” Kol laughed. 

“Might be time to get a restraining order in place.” Finn said with a slight shrug. 

“You’d think she’d get the hint.” Elijah said with a shrug. 

As his siblings continued to talk about the whole thing, Elijah felt his phone vibrate with in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw he had gotten a message from Klaus. Unlocking the screen, he read the message. 

So Katherine tried giving you her number again

Elijah's eyebrow raised as he reread the message to ensure he had in fact read it correctly. He turned around in his seat searching the place to for his brother. If his brother knew, he must be around there somewhere.

“What is it?” Rebekah asked as she watched him look around. 

“It’s nothing.” He said as she looked back at the phone. He typed a quick response and sent it. 

How do you know that? I thought you were in Richmond.

It wasn't long before his phone chimed in again with a message from his brother.

Because I just watched as Katherine's name and number appeared on a new friend of mine.

Followed by another.

A lovely artist who is excited about her showing at Richmond Gallery next week and that you'll be attending.

Elijah's eyes widened at the texts. His brother had in fact been gone all day. While Freya had known about the information that appeared on his arm, she didn’t know anything about it being her gallery showing. He hadn’t even mentioned that he agreed to attending the showing to anyone. 

His thumb hovered over the keyboard. Words in that moment couldn't be formed in his mind. He wanted to know more about the artist his brother spoke about. After a few moments his thumbs finally moved creating a message. 

You are with her?

The minute long wait had Elijah nervous. While his brother had his eyes set on his own soulmate, he knew how his brother could be at times. 

Check your wrist.

Elijah’s eyebrow raised as he set the phone down on the table and began checking his wrists as his brother had said. Sure enough on the inside of his right wrist was everything to confirm he was with her in that moment. 

The Mikaelson Crest in Klaus’ artistic style was still forming on his wrist. It was right there in view of even his siblings. 

“Is that what I think it is?” Rebekah asked.

The others had been watching Elijah from the moment he had finished looking around. It made them even more curious as to why all of the sudden he was looking at his wrists. From each of their spots, they could easily see the family crest begin to form. There was no mistaking that. 

Elijah nodded slightly. “Our brother is currently with my soulmate.”

Part 4

Always & Forever Tag: @taylordrunkonwhiskey @thewolf-and-thesheep @wayward-dan @neeadinghugs @fafulous @kenmen02 @elizamonet @dora-the-grownup @mschellehitt @xanderling @fandom-princess-forevermore

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As always, if your tag is in bold, I cannot tag you for some reason. If you would like to be added to or taken off the taglist, please let me know. ♥

[boat-dock]

“Knowing you is for the Better” chapter 7

this is a chapter I’ve been very excited to write for a long time!! Hope you guys enjoy!!

New Orleans was exactly like Hope remembered it, the perfect mixture of vibrant colorful life and a wild dangerous power that always seemed to follow the Mikaelson family wherever they went. However much she loved the Salvator school, the quarter will always be her home, even though half of its inhabitants have tried to kill her. 

Hope’s aunt Freya and her family met them at the door of their family home in a flurry of hugs and laughs before they all settled in for dinner. Nik attached himself to Hope’s side and had no plans of letting go anytime soon. He was particularly shy for a three-year-old, but he and Hope had a connection, they might not have been siblings but Hope could only imagine this was the kind of love that her father and his brothers and sisters all shared. 

It was strange, all of them in the same house again, she thought it would get better as time passed but weeks later and Hope could tell that everyone was trying to be on their best behavior, for her. They saw how vulnerable she was now after everything she’s gone through the past year and they wanted to give her a stable environment. Which somehow made it all so much worse. She missed the chaos that came with her family, she was tired of being handled with kid gloves. 

What did get better with time was the blood lust. Hope learned to safely feed on human blood, to control her urges and to restrain herself. Josie was right, it was a lot like dealing with her magic, keeping it under control every hour of every day for the rest of her life. 

Of all the things that Hope missed about home, one of them wasn’t Mardi Gras. It’s not that she hated the crowds or the party, she hated the responsibility that fell on her shoulders because of it. For the past four years, the quarter chose four girls to be princesses in a parade, one witch, one wolf, one vampire, and Hope. Every year she got dressed up in gowns and crowns, parading through the streets and attending balls; she hated every second of it. But she did it anyway because it represented the quarter as a unified people despite their differences. She could handle one day of torture if it benefited her people.

She’d expected Mardi Gras this year to be just like every other year, long and loud and boring, at least until she got the phone call. 

This wasn’t the first time Josie had snuck away to New Orleans, last time however she had a cover story and she didn’t have her twin with her. They were royally screwed when they got home from their impromptu vacation but Josie decided not to focus on that right now. She chose to be excited instead. She was excited to experience the city at its best and most importantly she was excited to see Hope again. 

Josie felt Hope’s absence like a missing piece of herself over the few weeks she’d been gone, but she’d tried her best to focus on herself and heal, the same way Hope was. It was harder than she’d anticipated but nothing worthwhile was ever easy.

She followed Lizzie off the bus and onto the street, swarming with people, who were already very drunk despite it barely being breakfast time. “So we made it,” Lizzie said, taking in the city,” but how exactly are we supposed to find Hope? They're thousands of people here and we don’t know where she lives?” Josie’s signature pout deepened as her sister pointed out the flaw in their plan. 

She yelled over the noise” we’ll figure that out later, right now I’m starving. Let’s find something to eat.” they linked arms so as not to get separated and pushed through the crowd until they found a small corner cafe. The smell coming from inside was intoxicating and they found themselves going inside without even discussing it. They seated themselves in the back corner at a table for two with a small bouquet of daisies in the middle and waited patiently to have their order taken. They were the only customers there so Lizzie started getting impatient fast when they weren’t waited on right away, but Josie used the time to take in the city. 

A minute or two later an older man with a white beard appeared at their table and placed a large plate of beignets in front of them,” We didn’t order these, sir,” Josie said sweetly, proud of herself for remembering to add sir at the end.

“Read the card little lady,” he said with a kind smile and a soft southern accent, motioning to the brown envelope sitting on the plate that Josie didn’t even notice.

Lizzie grabbed the card and ripped it open before Josie could. She scrunched her eyebrows together as she read aloud,” Welcome to the Crescent City, enjoy your meal. Love H.M” Lizzie laughed and handed the note to her sister so she could read it too,” How on earth does she know we are here? We just got here.” Josie didn’t have that answer but she could guess who did. 

“Excuse me,” she said, getting the attention of the man who brought the note,” Do you know the girl who wrote this note? Do you know Hope?” 

He returned this time with two cups of coffee, but it wasn’t him who answered, a lady with dyed red hair in a messy bun stuck her head out of a window in the wall that led to the kitchen,” everyone in the quarter knows who Hope Mikaelson is,” neither of the twins was surprised by this,” she’s the best thing to come out of that damned house in two hundred years.” 

“Do you know where we could find her?” Lizzie asked

“If you’re looking for her you should watch the parade later today,” the man said. Josie leaned closer to get a look at his name tag, it read Benny. 

Before Josie could respond the lady from the kitchen spoke up again,” but that’s not for hours and you girls look hungry, so what can I make for you,” 

After they placed their orders the twins dug into the beignets. There was no doubt that it was the best food around. They ate their breakfast in silence, more focused on the food than anything else. After they finished Josie decided to try and get more answers,” So what time is this Parade we should be going to?” 

“It starts at 10:30 but if you want a good spot you’ll need to be out there much earlier,” Benny said, clearing their plates. 

Lizzie checked the time on her phone and made a face,” we better get going then,” she said and they stood going to the register.

“Your check’s been taken care of. You girls go enjoy the parade.” Benny said, waving them off. Josie was shocked, and she and Lizzie met eyes for a moment trying to decide whether they should push this or not.” I’m serious now,” He said noticing their uneasiness,” go enjoy the city,” 

They knew they couldn’t fight good old southern hospitality so they said goodbye and once again faced the chaos of Mardi Gras. They found a spot near the road and waited, Josie got distracted for a moment and when she found Lizzie again her sister had a drink in each hand. Josie wasn’t much of a drinker but she sipped while they waited for the parade to start. Soon music flowed through the air and the crowd started to scream as the floats started to arrive. Beads, candy, and small toys flew as Josie scanned every face looking for Hope. Just as Josie was starting to lose hope in finding her friend, the parade morphed into something new. The floats were grander and each only held one person. 

On the first float was a girl with tan skin and a smattering of freckles, in a long tule green dress with flowers in her dark hair and a crown of roses on her head. She was smiling and waving at the crowd around her like a princess as the crowd surged forward lifting their hands to her. 

On the second float, was a girl considerably younger than the others, with wild black curls and silver circlet around her forehead. Her dress was brown and ragged if Josie had to guess she would say it was made out of burlap, but it was a fashion choice that she pulled off well. Despite her age, she held herself with a large amount of pride, Josie could tell by the way she raised her chin as she watched the crowd. 

The third float had a girl in a velvet red dress, with pin-straight blonde hair and a tiara dripping with black jewels. She had intense makeup that few people could pull off and a glint in her eyes that suggested trouble. She didn’t wave at the people around her and for some reason, they screamed even louder because of it.

When the fourth float appeared Josie nearly choked on her drink. Atop it stood Hope, in a stunning satin blue dress and her auburn hair was in a dramatic updo with a crown so big that it looked more like a sheet of diamonds. Hope looked regal without even trying, you could never tell that she hated every minute she was on that float. For a moment Josie could swear Hope found her in the crowd, and she might have waved it off if Hope hadn’t winked, her smile turning slightly more genuine. 

The floats moved past them, but not far before they stopped in the road and the girls climbed down one by one. Josie was too distracted watching Hope to notice where they were going until Hope disappeared from view behind a curtain that leads to a stage. Lizzie snapped her out of it by bumping her shoulder and motioning to the stage, as Marcel Gerard walked out to the center. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he bellowed grinning from ear to ear, obviously very comfortable in front of a crowd,” It is my pleasure to once again announce this year’s princesses of the quarter.” the crowd roared around them and Josie lifted slightly onto her toes in anticipation. 

The girls filed onto the stage, one after the other then turned to face the crowd. They linked hands and lifted them into the air, as if on queue the wind picked up in a way that could only be explained by magic. She didn’t know what the mass of drunk people thought was happening, but however they explained it to themselves they loved it. Everyone gasped and laughed, enthralled by the magic of the city, that was linked to these four princesses. 

The spectacle was over quicker than Josie expected and each of the girls walked off one by one disappearing off the stage and back behind the curtains, effectively ending the parade and leaving the people to go back to drinking and partying, at least until the next parade. Lizzie grabbed Josie’s hand and started pulling her toward the stage. 

Come Jo,” she said as they ducked behind the curtains following,” We found Hope we can’t lose her now,” they stopped just far enough away that they could see the group of girls huddled by the door to a bar with some men standing farther away in dark clothes, like security guards. Marcel appeared out of nowhere, the same grin on his face as he ushered everyone inside. But Hope stayed behind, her back was to the twins so they couldn’t hear what excuse she gave. Josie took this as their queue to come out of the shadows, so she nudged Lizzie and they moved forward. 

“I was wondering how long you two were going to wait there,” Hope said, turning to face them, wearing a smirk that was so much more beautiful than any crown. Then Josie was running and throwing her arms around her, she’d missed Hope so much. She was even more sure of that now that they were together again. Hope met her halfway and wrapped her arms around Josie’s waist pulling her close. 

“Did you forget about me?” Lizzie’s voice broke through.

“As if I could,” Hope laughed, releasing Josie and moving to hug Lizzie. “What are you guys doing here?” she asked 

“We decided to take a long weekend, come see the city, celebrate all that and running into you was just a happy accident,” Lizzie teased with an eye roll. 

Before they could say anything else one of the girls stepped back outside, the smile she was wearing earlier had turned into a scowl. “Come on Hope, some of us actually want to look nice at the ball tonight” She was the picture of grace and kindness during the parade, all covered in flowers but now she was completely different. 

“And you have to work so hard for that Phoebe,” Hope shot back like she was very used to dealing with this girl. Hope’s comment must have been enough because Phoebe’s face turned red, whether it was from anger or embarrassment Josie wasn’t sure, but she turned on her heel and marched back inside. 

However she was quickly replaced by another, the blonde this time.” I know she’s a bitch Hope but she’s right if we don’t get back soon your aunt will have all our heads,” 

“Yeah I know,” Hope replied then glancing at the twins she asked,” do you guys want to come?” 

It didn’t take twin telepathy for them to come up with their answer. Soon they were following Hope into the bar. Josie recognized it immediately, it was the same bar she met Freya at when she came to reverse engineer the spell to bring everyone's memory back and it hadn’t changed one bit. 

None of them talked as they followed Marcel into the back room where he moved a refrigerator revealing a hole in the wall. Josie’s eyes widened but she didn’t open her mouth. She watched in silence as all of the girls and the body guards disappeared inside without hesitation until it was just the three of them again. 

Hope must have sensed her unease because she spoke,” It’s an old bootlegger tunnel, they run all over the city, you can get anywhere with them.” she climbed inside with ease and held out her hands to help the twins in, with her new strength she basically did all the hard work for them. 

The tunnel was dark and damp and Josie remembered just how much she hated being underground, she took a deep breath to settle herself  and pushed forward, following Hope through the twisting catacombs. Josie grabbed Lizzie’s hand, she didn’t know if her sister could tell how much she hated this but she squeezed her hand and Josie felt better. After what felt like an eternity, they made it to an exit and when they resurfaced Josie found herself in a grand house that somehow looked ancient and modern (modern for New Orleans at least) all at once. The group made their way to a room in the center of the house, that was where the princesses had gotten ready for their grand debut. The walls were lined with four vanities, covered in makeup and jewelry and surrounded by people whose job it was to prepare the girls for the ball they had to attend that evening. 

The girls scattered to their respective areas and started to get ready, and the twins followed Hope to her’s. But unlike everyone else Hope didn’t get to work,” welcome to my home,” she stated motioning at everything around them. 

“You live here?” Lizzie gasped shocked. Josie shouldn’t have been surprised given everything she knew about Hope’s family, but the magnitude of the house still weighed on her. It was giant. Speaking of families, it was around that moment that they started to pour in from the outside. A young girl around 12 bolted across the room and nearly tackled one of the girls, the one sitting at the vanity next to Hope’s. 

“You look like the queen of the wolves,” she squeaked. 

The girl huffed and rolled her eyes messing with her little sisters hair,” thanks but that’s Hope’s job not mine,” 

“Very funny Ava,” Hope shot back with a grin, as the little girl came to give Hope a hug too. 

“You look really pretty too,” 

“Why thank you Charlie,” Hope replied, giving the girl a squeeze then turning back to the twins,” guys this is Charlie, that’s her sister Ava and the one being all broody behind them is their brother Logan. They’re crescent wolves from my pack.,” Josie hadn’t even noticed Logan, but Lizzie had, he was tall, dark and Handsome exactly her type, Josie could tell by the way her eyes were bulging out of her head. “ and as for the other girls, you already met Phoebe she’s a witch and that’s Cecily a vamp,” 

“One of each faction,” Josie commented, raising an eyebrow,” and you're the tribrid it’s all very symbolic.” 

Hope laughed, loud and clear,” No I’m the Mikaelson representative, but I like your reason better.” 

The rest of the Mikaelsons entered with the families of the other girls, Kol and Davina came to them first because Marcel and Rebekah were busy politicing and Freya was chasing her small son around trying to stop him from throwing beads. 

Kol held out a very ornate looking box lined with velvet and Hope removed her crown and earrings placing them in the box. “ You looked stunning out there Hope,” Davina cued. 

“Anyone looks stunning when they are wearing priceless Russian jewels,” Hope said shrugging

“Oh just take the compliment, Hope,” Davina laughed. 

Rebekah appeared behind them scarily silent, but her demeanor didn’t seem threatening,” Did you decide what dress you are going to wear tonight, darling?” she asked as she stood behind Hope at the vanity, running her fingers lightly through her hair. 

“No not yet aunt Bex,” she replied.

“You don’t have a dress for tonight,” Lizzie shrieked clearly appalled. Josie bit back a laugh at the shocked look on the tribrid’s face. 

“Don’t worry Lizzie I have plenty of options,” Hope said standing up,” come on you can help me pick,” they followed her back through the house and up the stairs till they came to a door off a side hallway that looked like it lead to a broom closet, and it was a closet but it was also so much more. 

Inside was the biggest walk-in closet that Joise had ever seen, the walls lined with dresses of every kind, from different eras and styles, there was even an entire corner dedicated entirely to wedding dresses.  Hope smirked as she saw her friends gaping, clearly amused. 

“Wow,” Lizzie muttered, running her hands through the dresses and Josie joined her, sifting through hundreds of dresses from every point in history, and of modern ones too. As much as she wanted to play with all of the historical dresses, she decided to focus on the modern dresses. 

Hope was silent as they searched, but Josie could hear Lizzie muttering to herself. After a moment Hope spoke up,” you can each pick one dress for me to try on, we are on a time limit,” 

“There’s no need,” Josie gasped as she pulled a gorgeous, sleek black dress covered in swirling god beading off the wall,” this is your dress,” Lizzie sucked in a breath as she saw the dress and Josie knew that her twin agreed with her decision. 

“You just want an excuse to see me in that dress,” Hope poked. Was that flirting? Josie couldn’t tell, but she played along.

“Guilty as charged, now go put it on,” Hope laughed, taking the dress in her arms and disappearing behind a screen to change. 

Josie was so right about the dress, anyone who saw Hope would know that. For lack of a better word, she looked hot, insanely hot, Josie had to force herself not to stare. Before she could say anything Freya appeared in the doorway with her son on her hip,” You look so much like your mother sometimes,” she said her eyes filled with emotions. Her son, Nik Josie remembered, wiggled his way out her grasp and beelined for Hope. she scooped him up with ease, her smile growing. 

It was strange, seeing Hope with her family something shifted, she wasn’t just hot she was beautiful. There was a light behind her that wasn’t normally there, it made the siphoner’s heart skip a beat. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon getting Hope ready, the twins fell into a rhythm, easy and fun, they did her hair and makeup and laughed like they were normal teenage girls getting ready for a party. They talked to the other girls too, Ava and Hope were really close, they’d practically grown up together, and Cecily was nice enough. Phoebe kept her distance but nobody complained about that. 

At some point Kol stopped by and left another box, this one considerably smaller, but probably equally expensive. All of the crowns were smaller now, Josie noticed wondering that was another strange tradition that Hope hadn’t mentioned. 

Eventually everyone made their way downstairs to the front door, it seemed they were using a visible exit this time. Hope’s entire family was dressed to impress, minus Freya’s wife Keelin who was staying home to watch Nik for the evening, it seemed that a Mardi Gras ball wasn’t an appropriate place for a toddler. Everyone made their way outside but Hope stayed behind,” sorry for leaving like this guys,” 

“Are you kidding,” Lizzie scoffed,” you’re going to to an actual ball Hope, I think we can handle ourselves for the night,” 

“Besides we’ll probably just go explore the city some,” Josie added, trying to ease the older girls' guilt. It didn’t work because Hope’s guilt seemed to turn to worry. 

Hope held out her hands and each of the twins took one without question,” stock up on some magic,” Josie started siphoning on instinct, Lizzie did too,” I’m not telling you not to go into the city but just be safe and if anything happens under no circumstances are you to tell anyone that you are siphoner witched ok?” Hope was tense, but she seemed to be willing to let the twins handle themselves for the night. 

“That’s worrying but we accept,” Lizzie said. 

It seemed that all of Hope’s family wasn’t outside yet because Davina was suddenly running down the stairs,” come on Hope if we don’t leave now we’re going to be late,” 

“You’re the one who’s late, D not me,” Hope retorted, releasing Josie’s hand but not moving away from them. 

“Go have fun,” Josie said, nudging her toward the door with a smile. 

[thisendlesslostparade]

2044 - Mr Robot

I wrote this in less than an hour and the writing sucks but I hope this hc makes you feel as warm inside as it makes me feel.

CN: Mention of death, grief

The door rang, and it completely took the young man by surprise. He raised his head from the artwork he was currently working on, his gloves covered in paint. Luckily he always put them on when he was working - he didn't like getting his hands dirty.

Quickly he tore off the gloves, before he made his way to the door.

The young man wasn't what you would consider an anxious or careful person, something he must have inherited from his parents. Instead of checking the security camera first, he opened the door immediately. In fact, the camera had been his husband's idea, personally he thought it was a bit paranoid to be scared of invaders when you lived in the middle of nowhere.

"Hello?" He asked, his eyebrows raised as he saw who was standing in front of him. It was a dark-haired man, probably in his mid-fifties, dressed in a warm winter jacket and wearing a ridiculous hat on his head. His huge eyes looked so kind and worried that the young man opened the door a little wider, even though he still had no idea who it was.

"Hello", the older man said in English. "My name is Elliot... Are you Marcel Wellick?"

Marcel shifted his position, getting a but impatient. "I am", he said. "How can I help you?"

The man took a deep breath, the warm air creating a fuming sensation in front of them the second he exhaled.

"I knew your father, Tyrell. I'm Elliot Alderson", he finally said. "I know there's no reason why you would just let me talk to you, but that's okay. I just wanted to see you're doing fine, and it looks like you are." He smiled awkwardly and turned around.

His father, Tyrell. The words sounded strange to Marcel. He had a father, but his name was Olaf and he was the sweetest person in the world. When his parents adopted Marcel, he had only been about four months old, and it was all he had ever known -The most wonderful, most caring people in the world.

"Do you have anything to prove that?" He heard himself say, although he didn't need proof. The man, Elliot froze and turned back towards the door.

He bit his lip, thinking. "I have nothing to remember him by", he said. "I have his old phone but it stopped working decades ago. I'm sorry. I should just leave."

The young man shook his head, panic in his eyes. "No, no", he quickly said, "I need proof that you are Elliot Alderson. I know who that is for God's sake, it's not like we didn't hear about 5/9 and all that over here."

And there was something else.

"Please, come in. You're gonna freeze your American ass off."

A quick smile appeared on Elliot's face and he nodded, then hesitantly entered the house. He had never seen anything this luxurious - even the entrance was bigger than the apartment Elliot had lived in when he was Marcel's age. Whatever Tyrell's son was earning his money with, he seemed to be having the kind of success his father always dreamed of.

Just a little joke - of course Elliot knew what Marcel earned his living with. Mastermind had hacked him, months ago - besides, a quick Google search would have been enough in this case.

Apparently Marcel was the CTO of the biggest Danish conglomerate there was, which had caused Denmark to become one of the most powerful countries in the world, practically over night. And regardless, Marcel Wellick was only 29 years old.

"You're mad rich and still answer the door yourself?" He asked, something that had been Robot's first question, but Elliot was only now ready to ask it. Robot could be so rude sometimes.

"Well, I do have a security camera. That wasn't my idea either though. I can defend myself, don't worry." The cocky smile, the confidence, all of it was just screaming Tyrell's name. However, his brown hair and facial features showed a lot more similarities to Joanna. The eyes though - Elliot wasn't sure about the eyes yet. They had the same intensity as Joanna's, the same shade of blue as Tyrell's but there was no sign of either of their coldness and arrogance.

"Here." Elliot awkwardly fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his ID. A quick glance at it and Marcel seemed satisfied.

"I'm not entirely surprised anyway", he said and pointed towards the large sofa, signifying Elliot to sit down. "I'm gonna show you something."

Elliot sat down, his heart still pounding in his chest. It had been a risky decision, all of this. First the trip to Scandinavia, then the countless google searches until he, of course, found out where Marcel was currently living. And the conversations he'd had with the other alters, most of them thinking it was a terrible idea. Well, here he was now.

Marcel returned, a piece of paper in his hand. Since everything was mainly digitalized nowadays, people who kept paper in their houses were usually hopeless romantics or hipsters. If Marcel belonged to the first group, he sure was a lot like his dad.

Elliot reached out his hand as he held up the paper, signifying him that Elliot should read it. The way he was fidgeting with the seam of his shirt showed Elliot that the young man wasn't nearly as chill as he seemed at first - he was nervous, unsure how to behave.

Elliot unfolded the paper and started reading.

"My son,

It is unlikely that the two of us will ever meet again - I have not fully given up hope yet and I never will, but my main goal is to protect you from the people who destroyed my life. I want you to be safe, and for my own sake, I'm gonna have to assume that you are.

When you are old enough to read this or even have it read to you, I will probably be long dead. But that doesn't mean there are no people who care about you. Your new parents looked lovely on the pictures I was shown.

Let me tell you the whole story, so you hear it from me, just once, and not from someone who wasn't there."

Elliot skimmed the next few paragraphs, his heart thumbing in his chest. It was the whole story of the year 2015, as Tyrell had seen it.

And in fact, his name was mentioned a couple of times. To Elliot's surprise, Tyrell hadn't left out a single detail, not the unpleasant things, not the terrible crimes he had committed, nothing. And not even the fact that Tyrell had been in love with him, Elliot.

"I know there is no way you can ever forgive me for failing you as a father, there is just one thing I want you to know, and that is that your mother and I loved you and cared about you, even when we failed you in any possible way. I'm so incredibly sorry, and I love you."

Elliot felt his eyes watering, so he put down the letter, trying to steady his breath.

"I don't know what to say", he squeezed out, looking right at Marcel who had sat down in front of him.

"Is it true?" Marcel asked, suddenly looking more like a little boy than a grown man. "Is that... what he was like?"

Elliot tilted his head, then looked back down at the letter, his fingers tracing the faded letters, the unfamiliar handwriting.

"He did those things, yes", he said quietly. "And he loved you. He loved his wife, and he loved me. I loved him too, but I wasn't the one in control of myself back then." He smiled, knowing full well Marcel wouldn't understand that last part.

"Did anything ever happen between you and him?" Marcel asked, then quickly added: "No details please. That's still my father we're talking about."

Not him and me, Elliot thought. Everyone in this body somehow had a connection to him, though.

"It's complicated", he answered truthfully. "Marcel, your father was not a good person, but he also wasn't the cold blooded asshole some people believe him to be. You know it's always more complex than just... black and white."

The young man nodded slowly. For a minute not a single word was spoken. Then Marcel spoke again.

"Why did you come here?"

Elliot sighed. "I needed to talk to you. All these years I never forgot about him, or you. I wondered whether anyone ever told you who your dad really was. I wondered if you ever even talked to someone who knew him. Whether you were treated well by your new parents."

Marcel seemed too lost in his own thoughts to answer for a moment, then he said: "He'll have been gone for 29 years next week."

Elliot nodded. "Christmas coming up."

It was the hardest time of the year for Elliot, even harder than the anniversary of his father's death. If it wasn't for his sister and friends, he didn't know what he would do.

They passed a few meaningful glances, then Marcel got up.

"Do you wanna stay for dinner? Why don't we catch up by eating some good food. My husband will be here any minute, he makes the best Hønsekødssuppe in the world."

Taken by surprise, Elliot checked his watch.

"That would be nice", he finally said. "My plane doesn't leave until tomorrow."

"Perfect. It'll be fun having dinner with you Elliot." As he noticed the shock on Elliot's face, he froze. "Are you okay?"

Somewhere inside of him, an old wound was starting to hurt again, but he smiled like nothing happened. This wound wasn't his, it was someone else's - someone he just happened to share a body with.

"No, that sounds great, thank you."

[kiwi-muses]

Empty Gold - Part 2

It took for actual ever, but I finally wrote a part two after multiple requests. Part one can be found here. 

“You mean?” Caroline nods. “You can really bring him back?”

“You can. You and Rebekah. I found a witch who wrote it all out, and Rebekah will be able to explain it to you. If you need anything, you can call me.”

Hope looks puzzled. “Where are you going?” Rebekah and Marcel come to stand beside Hope.

“I’m going to go see my girls, and a few other people. Besides, you should be the first person he sees when he wakes up. He and I will talk eventually.” Caroline turns to Rebekah. “You have my cell if you need anything.”

Rebekah reaches out to her, and gives her a rare hug. “Thank you,” she whispers. They separate, and Caroline gets in the car and drives away.

Caroline does as she says; she sees her girls. They’ve both grown up and now have families of their own, so Caroline enjoys a couple of hours with her grandbabies. She visits the school and checks in with Ric – even after all this time, he’s still the headmaster, though he’ll have to find someone else soon. As much as Caroline would love to stay and serve as headmistress, the fact that she doesn’t age will be an issue until a new generation of Mystic Falls grows up.

After checking in, Caroline takes a walk through the woods and ends up at the tree. Their tree. Even after all this time, that afternoon hasn’t left her head. She can’t stop thinking about the way their lovemaking made her feel so incredibly cherished and loved, not to mention just how mind blowing it was. She knew, even then, that if she let it happen, he’d be her forever. And that’s what was so absolutely terrifying about him. He’d made it clear he’d never hurt her, that one incident after Kol’s death aside (and to be fair, his brother had just died so, you know, emotional distress and all). Caroline never could bring herself to feel a fear of death from him, but a fear of life? That’s a whole other ball game. Being confronted with eternity at seventeen was a big pill to swallow. Being confronted with eternity with the most powerful man on Earth… well, that was practically impossible to imagine, let alone digest. Klaus had her pegged from the start; she liked being strong, ageless, fearless. She longed to see the world and to learn and explore.

Caroline sat down at the trunk of their tree. For fifteen years now, she’d been running. Running to a solution to his death, running from the unexpected and all consuming grief, running from a world without him in it. Tears started to roll down Caroline’s face. She hadn’t expected the grief to consume her as it did when he died. She had gotten to the point where she couldn’t imagine life without him, and when she thought of her future, she knew he was woven into it somewhere. However, she had ignored the grief. She’d pushed it to the side. She refused to turn off her emotions like after her mother had died. She was going to fix it, she was going to bring him back or she’d die trying because that’s what Caroline did – she was a fixer. But now, it was out of her hands, and fifteen years of grief let itself out.

Klaus hadn’t imagined the afterlife to be as it was. Surprisingly, he hadn’t ended up in a firey underworld as he’d expected. He’d ended up in a wooded area not unlike Mystic Falls, and found his brother Elijah there along with some other familiar faces. It was comforting, but overall the afterlife was quite boring. Occasionally, he’d look in on his family from the great beyond (honestly, he hadn’t expected all that trite drivel about looking down on your loved ones to be true, but here he is doing that very thing). He watches as Hope grows up happy and healthy for the most part. He sees that she misses him, and it tugs on his heart. He looks in on Rebekah, and figures out that she hasn’t taken the cure yet, which leaves him curious. He looks in on everyone, with the exception of Caroline. He looked in on her once, and it didn’t go well. She had been captured by a group of people (witches, probably) and was having an argument about them completing a spell. He wasn’t sure what, but he knew Caroline wasn’t winning the argument. She eventually got free, but Klaus decided he’d keep his check ins to a minimum – it hurt his heart too much to know he couldn’t protect her.

Over the years, Klaus had gotten used to his routine. Then, one day, he had the strange sensation of being ripped apart and stitched back together all at once. It was agony, even for someone as used to physical pain as he. Worse still, he wasn’t sure what was happening. As he lay screaming, Elijah sat next to him. Klaus couldn’t concentrate on what he was saying, but he caught pieces. Something about “bringing you back” and “say hello for me.” Klaus didn’t care, he just wanted the pain to stop. And, miraculously, after hours and hours, it did.

The first thing he recalls is feeling heavy. He drifts in and out of alertness, catching bits and pieces. “Do you think it worked?” “Why has it been so long?” “I wonder if he’s learned some manners while he’s been away.” That last one almost sounds like Rebekah, but Klaus doesn’t think that could be. However, as he slowly comes into full consciousness, he can identify Rebekah, Marcel, and Hope. He doesn’t move just yet, but listens to try and ascertain the situation.

“It’s been a long time, Aunt Rebekah,” Hope says, worry tingeing her voice. “Do you think I messed it up?”

“No,” he hears Rebekah answer. “Caroline mentioned it may take a long time due to the complexity of the magic.” Caroline? Now that’s interesting, and Klaus files that away for later.

“Still, I think Dad should be waking up by now.” Hope sniffles, holding back tears.

“Soon darling, soon.” Rebekah comforts her, her own voice thick with tears.

Klaus decides that he should make his presence known, and manages to slowly open his eyes. It’s blinding. He feels a hand in his, and he squeezes it. Suddenly, a face fills his line of sight.

“Dad?” Hope’s voice is watery and shaky, but so full of hope that he can’t help but smile.

“Hello, sweetheart.” He’s rewarded by an armful of his daughter suddenly on top of him, sobbing into his chest and clutching his neck. He puts his arms around her tightly, holding her close.

Eventually, he sits up, still holding his daughter, and sees Rebekah looking at him with tears rolling down her face. Marcel is behind her, a hand on her shoulder, smiling. Hope pulls back, wiping tears from her eyes.

“I can’t believe it worked! I’ve missed you so much, Dad.” Klaus smiles, and feels as though his heart is about to burst from being able to hold his daughter after so long.

“And I you, sweetheart. Though I must admit, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again for centuries, if ever.” He looks at Rebekah, tears running down her face and her eyes bright. She looks as beautiful as always, and the sight of her means more to him than he ever thought possible. “Hello, sister.”

Rebekah smiles. “Hello, Nik.” Their expressions tell each other more than words ever could, and after a tender moment, Rebekah stands. “Well, now that you have successfully been raised from the dead, let’s get you some clothing.” Klaus looks down, and notices there’s only a sheet on him. A quick glance around the room tells him he’s in the Mikaelson mansion in Mystic Falls, which is somehow in livable condition. Interesting, and another fact he’ll file for later. Rebekah sets some clothes next to him, and pulls Hope up. “Come on darling, let your father get decent and then I’m sure he’ll want to know all about how we brought him back.” Everyone leaves the room, giving Klaus a moment to take it all in.

He takes a deep breath. He certainly never expected this to happen, and he’s interested to find out the details as to why. Perhaps there’s some new, massive threat plaguing the world that made it necessary to bring him back. He puts on the denims, Henley, and jacket that his sister provided. Ever the fashionista, Rebekah makes sure the clothes are exactly his style. He can hear everyone in the kitchen, and heads that direction. He walks into the room, and casually leans against the counter. Rebekah and Hope are on the other side of the island between them, and Marcel is standing at the end.

Klaus decides to just jump right into it. “So, how is it that I am back on this plane? Some new crisis, perhaps?” He smirks, trying to hide his nervousness.

“Not exactly,” Hope says. Klaus raises an eyebrow. Hope leans forward, placing her hands on the counter. “Caroline found a way to bring you back, but she didn’t elaborate on why.” Hope scrunches her eyebrows. “There are no threats that I know of.”

Rebekah huffs a small laugh. “There’s no threat for you to take care of, Nik. You’ll have to talk to Caroline specifically about why she decided to bring you back, but you should know that she started looking for a way since the second you made the decision to die.”

Klaus is floored by Rebekah’s statement. Everything in him feels tossed upside down. After a full minute, he finally says, “I don’t understand.”

Rebekah takes a deep breath. “When you decided to die, Caroline didn’t want to be there. Not because she couldn’t handle your death, but because she was trying to find a way to stop it altogether. Obviously, she couldn’t, so she decided to just find a way to bring you back to life. Honestly, I’m not entirely sure how she did it, but she left everything behind to do it. She’s been working on it for the past fifteen years. We’ve helped her as we were able, but she was very secretive about it for the most part.”

Klaus is absolutely speechless. His emotions feel all over the place. He’s happy to be with his family, confused by Caroline’s actions, and cautiously optimistic that she may have stronger feelings for him than he suspected. Finally, he finds his voice.

“It seems I need to speak with Caroline. Where might I find her?”

“She said she’d be in the place where you made your promise. I assume you know where that is.”

Klaus smiles. “Yes, I believe I do.”

“Before you go, Dad, you should know something. In order to bring you back to life, the witch who gave us the spell required that your life be tied to someone else’s as part of the balance, or whatever, since you used the last of the white oak.”

His stomach knots itself, and his mind almost immediately jumps to contingency plans. “Well I assume it was successful since I have returned, though it certainly is an issue. Who is it?”

“Caroline.”

After crying herself out, Caroline spends the night at the boarding house (because full moons and vampires don’t tend to mix well) but makes sure that once daylight hits, she’s back in their spot. She doesn’t want to miss him. She thinks about what she may say to him, what it will be like to see his blue eyes staring into hers again. She’s sitting against their tree when she hears leaves crunching, and she slowly stands. Her heart feels like it’s going to beat out of her chest. The footsteps come to a stop, and she turns around, and there he is. She takes a deep, shuddering breath, and she feels like a piece of her heart has come back. Uncharacteristically for her, she feels vulnerable, but he’s always been able to bring out those parts of herself, and she feels tears welling up.

He’s dressed almost the same as she last saw him. As always, his stance is confident, but something in his eyes tells her he’s nervous. He smiles softly, unusual for him, but it melts her heart. “Hello, Caroline.” And before she can stop herself, she’s running and crashing into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing into his chest. He freezes for a moment, but recovers and wraps his arms around her tight, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. She smells the same and she did fifteen years ago – vanilla, with a hint of citrus to match her sunshine personality. He murmurs to her, trying to calm her hysterical crying, but it takes a few minutes. Caroline is pretty sure he thinks she’s gone certifiably crazy in the time he’s been gone as she calms her sniffles.

She pulls back from him and gives him a watery smile. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m more emotional than I thought.”

Klaus brings his hand to her face to wipe away the last of her tears and gives her a small smile. “I find myself incapable of telling you what this has meant to me. But I have a multitude of questions that need answering.”

“I figured you did.” Caroline lowers herself to the ground, pulling Klaus down with her. They sit next to each other, her with her knees pulled to her chest and he stretched out along the ground. “What do you want to know?”

Klaus smirks. “Well, the obvious, naturally. Why? I tried asking Rebekah but she said there were no terror threats and I must ask you directly.”

Caroline laughs nervously. “Just going to jump right in then? Well okay.” She takes a deep breath and rocks back and forth a bit. “When you… died… I wasn’t there. Not because I didn’t want to not be there for you, but because I was trying to stop it, and I really thought I could.” Her throat gets thick with tears, and she has to clear it. “Right after, I refused to believe that you could be gone. I mean, you’re Klaus for crying out loud,” she remarks, throwing her hands up. “You’re this unstoppable force and I just… couldn’t imagine a world without you in it.” She looks at him, and he feels as though his heart may stop for the emotion in her eyes. “I couldn’t imagine my world without you in it.” He takes a sharp breath, and makes to reach for her, but she looks away and continues. “It took a while, and a lot of digging, but I found a witch who thought there was a way.”

“And nothing stops Caroline Forbes when she has a goal, hm?” Klaus says knowingly. Caroline laughs.

“Something like that.” She reaches out to cup his cheek, and he feels his heart stutter. That damned thing will kill him again at the rate it’s going. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I want from my eternity. I took too long the first time around, and you were taken from me. I won’t make that mistake again.” His hand covers hers.

“Caroline, I never imagined I’d hear you say those words, and I find myself in a torrent of emotion that I am not used to. But are you sure? Death has not changed me – I am still the man I was, the terrible and the ugly included. I cannot promise you the life you deserve, but- ”

Caroline’s hand covers his mouth. “I’m going to stop you right there. I stand by what I said fifteen years ago – you may be the villain, but you are not the villain in my story.” Klaus takes her hand and kisses it. “If you meant what you said all those years ago, at my graduation… then you’re it for me Klaus. However long it took, you’re it for me.” Klaus’s heart nearly stops at hearing his words repeated back at him, and he can’t stop himself from sitting up, taking her lovely face in his hands, and kissing her. Her lips are soft against his, and it feels like coming home. All of his senses are alive and he feels electric.

His lips hit hers, and she feels a piece of her come alive that she thought had died long ago. She sees stars, she hears fireworks, and at the same time she feels the peace that comes with finding the one whom her soul yearns for. She’s found home.

He pulls away from her. “I never imagined I’d hear you say that, love. I recognize the gift and the trust you have given me, and I swear to you, I will never forget it. But I do have one small problem.” Caroline’s face falls. “I’m told you bound your life to mine to make this resurrection possible?”

Caroline lets out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. “Is that it?”

Klaus raises his eyebrows. “Sweetheart, I find this deeply troubling. We need to find a witch to fix this – I will not have your life at risk. It is unacceptable.”

“And here I thought you’d have more of a problem with it because people could kill you by killing me.”

Klaus fixes her with a stare that stops her heart. “Caroline, I have no intention of living in this world without you.”

Caroline is speechless, and her mind whirs with the knowledge that she has perhaps underestimated the depth of his feelings for her. She takes a deep breath before responding. “Then maybe you can understand why I don’t mind my life being bound to yours.” Klaus’s breath catches in his throat, and he isn’t sure what to say to that. At this rate, he may drop dead because Caroline is giving him more heart stopping revelations than he ever thought possible.

Caroline smiles at him, and he decides the best course of action is to kiss her again. He fully intends to remind her of the significance of the tree they’re under before it’s all said and done.

They both know this road will be difficult. They’re both not easy people, and the dangerous world they live doesn’t help that. But they crossed life and death to be together, and have found a love neither one of them felt possible. They both have suffered hurt, loss, and loneliness, feeling their hearts freeze over time. But here, now, they feel born anew like the spring, and no longer empty.

[tanjamikaelson]

LOVE FOR ETERNITY - PART 63

MASTERLIST

PART 63: | WE’LL BE BACK |

A party was held at Fangtasia, not a big party but only for friends of Kol and Natali who were in New Orleans. At a party music wasn’t too loud, most of them were chatting and feeding on humans, some compelled, some not compelled.

  - “I guess this is a goodbye party.” Rebekah remarks as she approaches booths were Natali and Kol were sitting.

  - “Yeah, it’s time to go somewhere else.” Natali tells her.

  - “Are you staying here, Bekah?” Kol asked.

  - “I don’t know, I haven’t decided yet.” Rebekah says and sits next to him.

  - “We’ll call you to Saint Tropez when we get there.” Natali tells her.

  - Rebekah smiles, “If I decide to come it’ll be a surprise.”

  - “Well Eric is also staying here, someone needs to take care of the club while we’re gone.” Natali tells her and points with her eyes at Eric who was on a dance floor feeding on some human girl.

  - Rebekah looks at him for a moment then back at Natali, “I know what you’re trying to do.” she says.

  - “I’m just saying.” Natali says.

  - Rebekah laughs, “Yeah, right.”

  - “My sister is still waiting on that muppet.” Kol remarks.

  - Natali sighs, “Oh please, all he ever did is hurt you.” she tells her.

  - “Yeah, we betrayed each other over the decades, but I still love him.” Rebekah told them honestly.

  - “Still, you deserve better.” Natali says.

Then Eric came and sat across from Rebekah, he licked the blood of off his lips while looking at her.

  - “Babe, I heard you’re staying here.” Eric says with a smirk on his lips.

  - “Don’t call me babe.” Rebekah replies.

  - “Eric you have competition.” Kol says, mocking him.

  - “Who? That Marcel guy?” Eric asks, “I’m four hundred years older than him.”

  - Rebekah raises her eyebrow, “So?” she questioned.

  - “So, he is not a treat to me.” Eric says, “If he wants to fight over you, I’m always ready.”

  - Kol laughs, “I doubt he would do that.”

  - “Kol!” Rebekah raises her voice.

  - “What? I’m right.” Kol says. He never liked Marcel for his sister or at all. He knew that she needs someone who will do anything for her and Marcel was never that guy.

  - “Well, I expect you two to come together to Saint Tropez.” Natali says and smiles, while Rebekah looks annoyed that they are trying to get her and Eric together.

  - “I expect that too.” Eric agrees with her.

  - “I’m sorry, but I’ll need to crash down your dreams.” Rebekah tells them.

  - “Never say never, Bekah.” Natali says.

  - “I charmed you once, I’ll do it again.” Eric says, giving her a wink and she rolls her eyes again.

  - “So Rebekah, we could share a meal before we go?” Natali asked her.

  - Rebekah smiles, “Sure.”

Then the two of them stood up from the table and went to the dance floor where one guy happily allowed them to feed on him.

Since the club was open there were more and more humans who enjoyed while vampires were feeding on them, they didn’t even have to compel them, but little did they know that none of them will come out of there alive and be able to talk about that experience with their friends.

A little while later night was already falling and Natali and Kol were saying goodbye to Freya, Elijah and Rebekah.

 - “So, you guys are leaving?” Freya asks, they could see that she was sad about it.

 - “We are, but we’ll be back.” Kol tells his sister as he hugs her.

 - “Something always brings us back here.” Natali says, before she also hugs Freya.

 - “Yeah, I’m interested to see what will happen next.” Rebekah tells them.

 - “Uh, don’t say it too soon.” Natali told her.

 - “See you soon, brother.” Elijah says.

Kol was the first one to sit in the car and right after him Natali sat next to him. They didn’t have plans to where they are going to go, but they will make them on their way.

⚜ ✡ ⚜ ✡ ⚜ ✡

DALLAS

Both of them had a few vampire friends in Dallas so they drove themselves there. They didn’t saw them since the 20th century and they hoped that they are still in the city. When they were close to Dallas, a beeping noise emanates from the car and Kol realizes that they are low on gas. He veers to the right way to exit the highway. He drives a few miles and finds a small gas station. This place didn’t look like much. The gas station was literally sitting in the middle of nowhere, on the one side there were woods and on the other side was a road from where they came.

  - “This place looks horrifying.” Natali remarks as she steps out of the car.

  - “You want something from inside?” Kol askes.

  - “Yeah, I want that human who works at the shop.” Natali replies as she heads towards the door.

When they were close to the store, they noticed it’s empty. Natali walked in and while she was looking around a man in his early 30s rushed out of the bathroom.

  - “Sorry you’ve been waiting, we don’t get a lot of customers these days, especially this late.” He says.

  - “Why?” Natali asks as he steps closer to him.

  - “Something weird has been happening around here, mostly at night. A few locals have gone missing.” he explained, “People claim that they’ve been killed by vampires.”

  - “Oh, really?” Natali says, “Do you believe them?”

  - “I’m not sure, but I’m not afraid.” He replies.

  - “Why not?” Natali questioned him.

  - “I’m a good shot.” The man replies with his right hand on the holster at his hip.

Natali chuckles and before she could reply anything, she hears Kol saying, “Are you quite done, darling?” he then opens the door of the shop and sees that she is talking with a man, “Since when do you speak with your victims?” he asks.

  - “What?” The man exclaimed and took out his gun, then pointed it at Natali.

  - Natali sighs and says, “I’m pretty sure our friends are still in town, Kol.” then she looks at the man, “And that gun won’t help you if you don’t have wooden bullets.” she says before vamping out and flashing towards him. She sank her fangs into his neck just as the man shot the gun, but his bullets went up into the ceiling.

When she was done she whipped his blood off of her lips and walked out of the store. Kol was already in the car waiting for her.

  - “So why do you think they are still here?” Kol asked her.

  - “That man said that some stories circle around here about vampires.” Natali told him.

  - “Then we’ll find them.” Kol says.

  - “Yeah, just follow the screams of their victims.” Natali says and gives him a smirk.

Just as she said that one girl who was screaming runs out of the woods and towards their car.

  - “Help me, please.” she begs them, “They killed my boyfriend and I managed to escape.”

  - Kol smiles, “Guess we found them.”

Natali comes out of the car again and grabs a girl from behind in a choke hold, “No one escapes from vampires.” she says and just as she wanted to bite her girl screams even louder and a vampire appears from the woods, “She is mine.” he yells.

  - “Not anymore, she is not.” Natali tells him.

  - “I could remember that voice anytime.” A woman's voice was heard and she appeared from behind a young vampire guy.

  - “You know her?” A guy asks.

  - “Of course I know her. She turned me.” A woman replies.

  - Natali smiles at her, “Helen, long time no see.”

  - “How long had it been? More than a hundred years?” Helen asked.

  - “You are right.” Natali told her.

  - “Sorry he yelled at you.” Helen says pointing at the guy who’s now behind her, “Isaak is newly turned vampire, hungry for the kill.”

  - “And how old are they?” Isaak asked.

  - “Kol is an original vampire and Natali is half witch-half vampire, they are thousand years old.” Helen informed him.

  - “Thousand years old? Wow.” Isaak remarked, “You’ve must seen everything.”

  - “Mostly everything.” Kol says, “Where is the rest of gang?”

  - “Some are home, some are out hunting.” Helen told him, “We could go there.”

  - “Yes, that’s why we came.” Natali replied.

⚜ ✡ ⚜ ✡ ⚜ ✡

They’ve parked their car in front of a big mansion where five of their friends lived. A mansion was an old building, but it was renovated so it looks nice and fresh.

  - “Guys, we are back and guess who we bumped into?” Helen yells as they enter their home.

  - “Natali and Kol.” One girl says as she appeared on the stairs, “What brings you here?”

  - “We came to see old friends.” Kol tells her.

  - “If we are still welcome here, Eva.” Natali says and smiles.

  - “Of course you’re welcome here. We thought you forgot about us.” Eva says as she comes downstairs to hug them.

  - “We didn’t, we just have a lot of places to go to.” Natali tells her.

  - “Where do you guys live now? Saint Tropez, New Orleans or some other place?” Eva asked.

 - “Little bit in Saint Tropez, little more in New Orleans and traveling.” Natali replied.

 - “Where is my mate Matthew?” Kol asks them.

 - “He is out hunting, they should be back by sunrise.” Eva told him.

 - Kol looks at Natali and tells her, “Maybe they could show us our room, we haven't slept for two days and I’ll see him tomorrow.”

 - “Of course, I’ll show you.” Helen says.

When Helen showed them their room, Natali had a shower first and when she finished Kol also took a quick shower. Natali was laying on the bed in her bathrobe and she was on her phone texting with Rebekah, when Kol came out of the bathroom.

 - He had a small towel wrapped around his hips, “Darling, you better look at my body than that phone.” he says.

Natali chuckles and ignores him while continuing to write messages to Rebekah. Rebekah just wrote to her that she asked Freya to put her into a human body and right after that she left New Orleans.

Kol then vamp-speeds towards her and takes a phone from her hands.

 - “Hey! I was just about to send Rebekah a message.” Natali tells him.

 - “Rebekah can wait.” Kol says and tosses her phone onto the sofa, away from the bed. Then he leans forward hovering over her body.

 - “I thought you are tired.” Natali says while looking into his eyes.

 - “I’m never tired for this.” Kol tells her and leans in and kisses her, she deepens the kiss.

Natali uses her vampire speed to switch places with him. She sits on top of him and slowly opens her bathrobe and let it fall down on the bed. As they continue to kiss passionately Kol moves from her mouth to kiss her exposed breasts. He pushes her down on her back and continues to kiss and lick in between her neck and shoulders. He felt lust for her blood and she could feel the tips of his fangs brushing against her skin with each kiss. He suckled the area before the tips of his fangs pressed gently against her skin.

Natali moaned and threaded her hands through his hair. His hardness pressed against the inside of her thigh. Kol took off the towel that was wrapped around him and tossed it onto the floor. As he thrust into her body, his fangs slid more into her neck. Kol set the pace, moving slowly in and out of her body in long thrusts.

Now she craved the taste of his blood. Kol lifted his head and his gaze fell to her face. She used one of her hands to turn his head to the side, allowing her better access to his neck. She bit him hard and fast and sucked his blood as Kol continued to move slowly, but his thrusts became stronger and deeper, the pleasure was euphoric.

Her lips lingered, then faintly moved away from his neck. Her head fell backwards onto the bed and she widened her legs urging Kol to thrust deeper and as he did he could hear her moans grow louder. She dug her nails into his shoulders as her orgasm threatened to rip her apart.

⚜ ✡ ⚜ ✡ ⚜ ✡

MASTERLIST

Tags: @mikaelsonsmagic   @p3nny4urth0ught5   @cute-freak27   @ias-born  @superhalsteads  @characterobsessed   @hinata7346   @luiza-4-ever  @huntress1428

[childoftimeandmagic]

Prompt! Klaus is returning a Christmas gift at the store where Caroline works and she feels the need to share her opinions.

Christy!!!!! Here you go and I hope you enjoy it. @misssophiachase

AO3

After the holidays was the most bizarre mix of slow and hectic that Caroline ever dealt with. Rolling her shoulders she glanced around her store front. She hadn’t seen a soul in hours, not since Elena Gilbert had walked in complaining about the status of men in the world. Flicking her wrist up to place the bill back on the door she sat back down. Opening a bookstore wasn’t considered a normal pursuit for a witch; but sitting in her store the candles lit and gently filling the air with sweet perfume of winter nights. Caroline couldn’t imagine something she’d like to do more.

Shrugging and reopening her book she leaned back in her chair. As she allowed her mind to be reabsorbed into the adventures of Nancy and Ned, the bell  above the door went completely unnoticed. Sighing happily into her book she refused to be pulled from the chapter for even a paying customer. After all what was a single customer who was probably just going to browse and leave to a good mystery.

As she turned the page she took the opportunity to sneak a peek at the person who’d entered her store from her vantage point by the counter. He was beautiful, tall, blonde and stylish. Something about him was dangerous though. A monster in human form. Now this wasn’t super helpful because he could just be one of a hundred supernatural creatures who called this town home. So it didn’t bother her.

Unlike Bonnie or Elena who were considered more powerful. Running one of the most popular supply and herbalist stores in the City of Mystic Falls, Caroline’s powers were more passive. Pointing out to her what someone desired most, or what they were hiding from themselves and the world. So the coven had left her to run her business without requiring a tax. Magic users were required to pay a percentage of their profits to the Coven which went to protecting and managing the local magic school.

Still her powers were passive enough that she was able to run a very nice business making sure that her customers got exactly the book that they needed. Not always the one they wanted, or thought they’d enjoy, but they trusted her and took the book that she found them. Hidden desires and empathy were her greatest assets in the store so she trusted them implicitly.

As the door closed quietly behind the man who had just entered a rather peculiar used book shop. The books were arranged alphabetically, by date, and genre. The oldest books were on display and honestly they were worth more. As he turned around the store opened up to reveal a grand room with a single counter in the far back with a fireplace and a ring of chairs next to it. The space was filled with even more shelves. No one seemed to be in the store except probably the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. Her hair hung in a way that almost belied what she’d look like laying in his bed. Clearing his throat he moved

His assistant had bought him a book from here about his least favorite artist. He could appreciate abstract art, but he was not about to read about Kandinsky. He liked obscure and odd focuses for his art work, but he liked people to be able to understand some part of it. he was hoping he could exchange it. With his siblings running a major city a piece, he’d grown bored and wanted to spend more time on his art.

So he’d left Marcel in charge of New Orleans, and he’d returned to the first home he’d ever known and opened up a small gallery. Going under a shortened version of his name Nik Michaels he’d thought that he would begin to enjoy life again. Occasionally committed a few murders. Instead he’d found himself irritable, museless, and in a city infested with magical and supernatural creatures which made for more challenging patience. Patience he wasn’t famous for having much of in the first place. Walking up to the counter he looked around and felt his anger rising. Who was this woman while beautiful to ignore him. Dropping the book onto the counter he growled, his eyes flashing gold.

“Excuse me, you have a customer,” he snarled, his voice low and rich.

“I also am at the climax of the book, so why don’t you take a walk around and I’ll be with you in a moment,” Caroline huffed, not looking up at the angry gentleman.

“I don’t want to purchase a book, I would like to exchange a book,” he said, his anger rising with each insistence of defiance.

“Sir, on the counter in front of you is a sign. If you can read well enough to be in a book store I assume you can read it as well.” She said waving her hand dismissively towards a small plaque on the counter next to him. In a delicate hand, and decorated with a gold painted frame stated.

                                      Welcome to Perfect Find Books                                Where you always find what you need.                                      No Returns or Exchanges.                                              No Exceptions.

Caroline for her credit, didn’t let the very attractive man distract her from finishing the chapter. When she heard a crash she flicked her wrist and the damage was reversed. While her powers might not be mighty and all powerful like many of the witches in the city, she could hold her own.

“That will cost you fifty dollars, each time you break something I’ll tack on another hundred, think of it like Yahtzee. First one is fifty and the rest are hundreds,” she said, chuckling to herself at the joke about the board game.

“Just take your shity book back, I didn’t even buy it. It was a gift from a coworker, who is unable to return it herself,” he sneered, slamming a vase to the ground again. Only to have to reform in front of him.

“You are the most impatient and entitled man I’ve ever met,” Caroline sighed, standing up from her comfy armchair by the fireplace. Placing her book on the seat, bookmark in place she looked at him arms akimbo.“I will not take the book back nor will I be bullied into changing my company policy. So please take it, your awful attitude and leave.”

No was not a word that Klaus was used to hearing, refusal or defiance. Who did this little witch think she was. Growling he flashed forward grabbing her by the neck slamming her into the stone and brick wall behind them. “Maybe to live you’ll change your policy.”

She for all her credit looked bored, her hands were holding his arm but made no move to push him off or cause an aneurysm. Instead she met him dead on and then blinked a few times. Growling he pressed her harder into the stone, causing gravel and dust to fall along the ground. Still no real fear, like she’d accepted that he’d kill her. Oddly her bravery and refusal to cower eased his anger.

Once he’d released her she stepped about six feet away and rubbed her neck. She then walked over to the counter and wrote something down on a business card. Klaus watched her, eyebrow raised when she took the book from the countertop and the business card.

“Take the book and bring it to this used bookstore across town. They’ll take it. I won’t break my company policy.” She offered him that odd look again. Eyes unblinking then two quick blinks and pursed lips. “When you’re ready to actually buy a book come back and I’ll find you the one. Till then my number’s on the back of the card. Now that’ll be $250 for the tantrum.”

“Are you asking me out?” he asked, eyes bulging. He almost kills her, threatens her life, and she gives him her number. What kind of witch was this. Most would be calling him undead, and abomination and yet she didn’t seem to really care.

“No I’m giving you my number so you can ask me out,” Caroline said, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards.

“Let me get this right,” he said, slowly taking the offered items. “I just tried to kill you, I threw a tantrum and broke your vases, and a picture frame. Instead of fighting me with magic, or banishing me from your store. You’re charging me for the broken items which you already fixed, and giving me your number.”

“I’m a witch who specializes in passive magic. I own a bookstore where the desires, wants, and needs of a customer bring me to their perfect option. You didn’t kill me Niklaus Mikaelson, which I am taking to mean you don’t want to, and since I’m still standing with a business and policies in place, it seems foolish to cower now.” She shrugged and looked around her bookstore then back to him. “Will that be cash or card? Oh and since I have to also fix my wall now, I’m adding an additional two hundred dollars.”

Klaus Mikaelson grinned for the first time since he’d opened his own gallery up. She was smart, quick-witted, and brave, all on top of being beautiful. He hadn’t met anyone with those qualities who also knew who he was, and didn’t care in…ever. He would be remiss if he let her just pass him by. “If I’m going to take you out miss, I should probably know your name.”

“Caroline Forbes, and I’m not joking, will you be paying cash or card for the damage?” she asked her cash register already queued up. Klaus laughed and handed her a black Amex. “Charge what you like, I have more money than I can spend in my entire life regardless.”

Caroline chuckled and handed him back his credit card, adding another two hundred for the bruises she could feel forming on her neck. In total she’d taken 650 dollars from the most dangerous man in the world. Winking she walked over to the wall and waved her hand over the body imprint. Klaus watched as it shimmered and then put itself back together, when it was finished there wasn’t even dust on the carpet.

“Come again, Mr. Mikaelson,” she said, picking her book back up from the chair. Without another look at him she reopened her book. As clear a dismissal as anything.

“Have a very nice day Caroline,” he said, his mood higher than it had been in centuries.

Caroline smiled as he walked out of her store, and if someone asked if she liked the view of the oldest most powerful man walking away from her, well she’d never tell. Though for being a person in his thousands, he had a great ass.

[calacuspr]

Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Hansle Parchment & CJ Ujah

Every Monday we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT - HANSLE PARCHMENT

It’s one of the biggest days of your life.

You’re going for gold at the Olympic Games.

But when you get off the bus, you realise you’ve gone to the wrong place and your medal hopes lie in tatters.

That’s exactly what happened to Hansle Parchment at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games when he somehow managed to get to an aquatics centre instead of the Olympic Stadium, some 11 miles away.

With all the official cars already booked and a return bus likely to take too long, he was in trouble.

“If I had done that, I wouldn’t get there in time to even warm up. I had to find another way. I was trying to get one of the branded cars for the Games to take me, but these people are very strict and adhering to the rules, and I would have to have to book the car from beforehand to get it to leave,” explained Parchment in a video recorded during the Games which has captured the attention of sports fans.

"I saw this volunteer and I had to beg... and she actually gave me some money to take one of the taxis. And that's how I was able to get to the warm-up track at the stadium and with enough time to warm up to compete.”

The story does not end there, of course.

Parchment stunned Team USA favourite Grant Holloway to win the gold medal, but he did not forget the kindness of the volunteer who helped him out.

It would have been so easy for Parchment to put the travel mix-up down to experience and never mention it again.

But he showed humility and kindness by tracking down the volunteer, whom he called Tiana.

He documented his journey as he tracked her down: "I'm going to find her and show her my gold medal that I was able to get because she helped me.”

She is in more or less the same place where she had helped him a few days beforehand, giving him the chance to thank her, show her the gold medal, give her a Jamaican Olympic shirt and repay the money she had lent him.

The volunteer was praised by Jamaica's Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, who shared the video on Twitter and wrote: "Every Jamaican knows that gratitude is a must. @ParchmentHansle demonstrates that perfectly here."

The country's Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has invited the woman to visit Jamaica, he told local newspaper The Gleaner.

"It is selfless what she did; one would not know what the outcome would have been.

“No matter where in the world she is, we want to reciprocate the kindness shown to one of our own.”

MISS – CJ UJAH

Team GB was rocked last week when sprinter CJ Ujah was provisionally banned after testing positive for a banned substance.

Ujah was part of Team GB men's 4x100m relay team that also included Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, which won silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games earlier this month.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said: “The sample was collected by the ITA under the Testing Authority of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during an in-competition anti-doping control on 6 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, following the final of the Men’s 4 x 100m Relay Final. The result was reported by the WADA-accredited laboratory of Tokyo on 8 August 2021.

“The athlete has the right to request the analysis of the B sample. If requested by the athlete and if the B sample analysis confirms the Adverse Analytical Finding, or alternatively if the athlete does not wish to have the B sample analysis undertaken, the case will be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport for adjudication under the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

“The CAS ADD will consider the matter of the finding of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation and the disqualification of the Men’s 4 x 100m Relay results of the British team.”

It’s understandable that UK Athletics did not comment given that the case is now ongoing and Ujah remains innocent until the investigation is complete.

And while Ujah requires guidance and caution in what he says, the silence in the immediate aftermath of the news was deafening.

Particularly in this era of social media, Ujah should have made a statement explaining his position, expressing regret or confusion and addressing the investigation head-on.

When a crisis strikes, saying nothing simply gives room for others to fill the void, and misses the opportunity to take advantage of the right to reply.

It was not until Saturday afternoon that Ujah issues a response, via the Press Association news wire.

He said: “To be absolutely clear, I am not a cheat. I have never and would never knowingly take a banned substance.

“It's taken me a few days to process the information I received on Thursday, shortly before it was made public. I am completely shocked and devastated by this news.

"I love my sport and I know my responsibilities both as an athlete and as a team-mate. I am respecting the formal processes and will not be making any further comment until it is appropriate to do so."

While PA is a good channel to distribute news or statements, it was surprising that Ujah did not use his social media channels to also communicate the news, given the more targeted benefits of reaching his followers and fans.

Meanwhile, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, who shocked the world by winning the 100m sprint, has raised eyebrows when he also announced this week that he would not compete again this season.

With his stock high after becoming the Olympic Champion, Jacobs, who was the seen as an underdog before he raced to victory, has had his integrity brought into question given his lack of success at world level in the past.

But Jacobs lacked a bit of class when he scoffed at Ujah’s predicament according to a report in Italian newspaper Tuttosport: “Having seen the investigation into Ujah I would say that perhaps it’s better [for the British] to look closer to home before attacking others. It made me smile.”

It was left to Hugh Robertson, Chairman of the British Olympic Association, to show Ujah some support while the investigation continues.

"It's absolutely tragic for the other members of the relay team," Sir Hugh told The Times. "It is very disappointing news but he remains innocent until proven guilty and we will absolutely respect the process."

Ujah can request analysis of his B sample. Should that confirm the adverse analytical finding, the case will be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

[himbowelsh]

Since you share my big love for Blanche Nixon, would you like to write something about Winnix interacting with Blanche or just Nix and Blanche? Modern or canon, whichever you like more. I would love to read something about her and what kind of brother would Nix be.

AN: okay i’m really sorry and i didn’t intend for this to get as angsty as it did, but one of my favorite tropes to explore in post-canon winnix is how nix’s home life puts distance between the two of them. also blanche is my baby, and i really wanted to explore both sides of her, so i hope this satisfies your blanche craving!

Someone is waiting for them when they get off the train.There is a woman standing on the platform, cutting a striking figure amidst the bustle of working class women and worn down parents. The short sleeves of a fitted silk dress, legs clothed in flawless stockings. Her skirt hugs her waist, billowing out around her knees like a crimson cloud. Dark hair falls nearly to her shoulders in a loose wave, rounding out in curls at the ends. Her face is almost a mirror-image of the man standing next to Dick, with a few small discrepancies that manage to set her apart. Her forehead is broader, her skin a touch paler, her cheeks rogued and lips painted a bright red. She has the same eyes though – dark, sharp, and intelligent. She is striking at first glance; at second, she could easily be called beautiful.

It’s clear exactly who she’s looking for. As the train screeches to a halt, her rapt gaze is locked on their compartment; more specifically, on Nix’s face.

“I take it that’s not your driver,” Dick comments. He glances over at Nix, and finds himself taken aback. There is a new light in his friend’s eyes, one that Dick hasn’t seen for a long time. The spark of recognition – relief, like returning home after a long journey – is an ember kindled anew. Dick hadn’t been certain he’d ever see Nix look this way again. Now, standing in the middle of the train compartment and gazing out the window, he sees years melt from his friend’s face in an instant. He looks boyish, more energized than he has since they first jumped into war. That expression makes Dick’s heart soar.

“Not my driver,” Nix replies, a smile already on his lips. “Someone even better, believe it or not.”

He follows Nix off the train, trailing two steps behind. The woman’s entire posture is tense as they step onto the platform, like a bird ready to take flight. Nix heads straight for her, spreading his arms wide, and she goes loose like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

“Well, look who it is!” Nix exclaims. A peal of laughter escapes the woman as she rushes forwards, burying herself in his arms. He spins her around. Her heeled feet leaving the ground for just a moment before she is set back down, breathless and grinning. The unbridled smile on her pretty face is a perfect echo of Nix’s own.

“What, you thought I’d hang you out to dry?” Her voice is smooth, but the edge of laughter to her tone makes her words pop like bubblegum. “You said you were coming in, someone had to meet you here. I figured you’d rather it be me than Marcel.”

The woman brandishes a set of keys, face glowing with pride. Nix takes a step back, surveying her.

"Surprised you’re still around here. I could have sworn you’d be settled in Hollywood by now. Don’t tell me – they sent you back. No use for a knockoff Joan Crawford, huh?”The woman aims a punch that connects soundly with Nix’s shoulder. He doesn’t flinch; Dick does it for them.

“As if Mama and Papa Nixon would really let their baby girl run off to join the movie business. Just for that, I’m not driving you home.”

“I’m terrified of you driving me anywhere.” Despite his words, fondness still curls Nix’s lips, and his hand finds the her shoulder almost as if by instinct. When he turns to Dick, the woman’s attention moves with him. “Dick, allow me to introduce my one and only sister. Blanche, this is Richard Winters.”

“The one you spoke to Dad about,” Blanche says. It isn’t a question. Her eyes scan Dick for one long moment, taking in every detail about him in a single second. A beat later, the full force of her smile is trained on him.

(Dick knows that smile. It’s the same one that Nix, when putting his best effort into being affable and mostly sober, employs to great effect. It doesn’t lose any of its magnetic charm on her sharper features.)

“So you’re Dick, then,” she says, seizing his hand almost before he can offer it. “It’s nice to meet you! Lewis spoke a lot about you when he called. It’s great to finally meet the myth in person.”

“I hope he didn’t talk me up that much.” Dick feels inexplicably flustered beneath Blanche’s attention. He’s never had a way with women, never manipulated Nix’s charm or Talbert’s ease. He also cringes under the light of praise.

“Nothing that isn’t true,” Nix replies. Dick’s eyes flicker up to him, and the look on his friend’s face does wonders to soothe his nerves. He trusts Nix; they share the same disdain for excessive praise, especially when it’s unearned. Nix would never inflate his reputation to his family just to give Dick a good name.

“Relax,” Blanche drawls, still smiling as she releases Dick’s hand. “You’ll be welcome here. The both of you. You’ve still got to meet Stan, of course, and he’ll be the real one you want to impress. I’m just the welcoming committee.”

“And the chauffeur,” Nix adds, nodding to the keys still gripped between her fingers. She throws a wink over her shoulder at him.

“The most exciting chauffeur in the country. Not to mention the best looking!”

Blanche is a step up from the drivers of their military jeeps, that’s for sure. As she turns and begins to make her way off the platform, Dick doesn’t hesitate to follow in her footsteps. He only pauses once it dawns on him that Nix isn’t right behind him.

He looks back at his friend, eyebrows raised in question, only to find Nix still standing on the platform. He wears an odd look now, not like the relief from earlier. This is more melancholy, a sort of shock that stands out all the more on Nix’s usually intelligent face. It’s not often that he’ll admit to being thrown off guard, but this is clearly one of those moments.

“Nix?” Dick asks. The question doesn’t jar his friend from his trance. Rather, Nix shakes his head, taking a step forward, his eyes still fixed on a point over Dick’s shoulder.

“She’s grown up,” Nix mutters, like he’s puzzled and impressed at the same time. “I guess she really has grown up.”

The realization that the Nixon siblings aren’t all that different after all comes over Dick like a rolling tide – slowly, then all at once.

The entire family is cut out of the same cloth. He recognizes that the moment he sees them together. Nix, for all his professed disdain for his father, is an echo of him in so many ways. They bear the same physique, the same mercurial temperament, right down to the wicked gleam in their eyes and love of the bottle. Lewis is truly Stanhope Nixon’s son.

Blanche is made of the same stuff, just as worn, just as quick to tear. She keeps the frays at her edges well-hidden, but she shares more with Lewis and her father besides their dark coloring. She loves the bite of alcohol just as much. She can be flippant, callous, venomous when pushed to it. There is a streak of wild, uncontrollable emotion in her too, one that Dick has never sensed in Nix, but that he can certainly see in their father.

Blanche is every inch the Nixon daughter. She’s simply more attuned to softening her blunt edges, covering up her sharper ones. She is clever, she is charming, she banters and brags. When all is said and done, she drinks. A true Nixon, through and through.

Dick doesn’t know how he’s wound up here, alone in a drawing room, opposite a very drunk Blanche sprawled out on the divan. If he’d had his way, he would have left this party long before everyone else. Nix had insisted he stick around, however, and now Dick has no clue where he’s gone. In his home territory, Nix can either move like a ghost or a king; he is masterful at both. He often vanishes, leaving Dick alone and with no idea how to find him.

“You look like a little lost puppy,” Blanche pipes up suddenly. When Dick startles, she laughs.

Dick knows he should reply, but can’t think of what to say. Blanche turns on her side, narrow glass balanced between her fingers, and narrows her eyes as she studies him. The purse of her lips make him uncomfortable. She doesn’t say anything, but he feels as if his thoughts are loud enough for the whole house to hear.

“You don’t know why you’re here, do you?” she finally says.

Her words give Dick pause. He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t a question he’s asked himself on occasion. In the handful of months since he took the job at Nixon Nitration, it has become blatantly obvious that he does not fit in with their cavalier, hard-partying lifestyle.

He reminds himself that he’s here for the job, but that’s not really true. He could just as easily have gone back to Lancaster and found work there. If he’s here for any one reason, it’s for the man who brought him here in the first place.

Somehow he’s sure that Blanche already knows this, so he allows himself the honesty. “I’m here for Lewis.”

Blanche’s lips turn up – a sad, joyless echo of a smile that Dick has seen too many times on her brother’s face. She exhales a sigh from deep in her chest. Her hair falls over the arm of the wine-colored divan in a raven cascade. “I haven’t wanted to be an actress since I was eighteen.”

For a second, her words make little sense. Then Dick remembers the day at the train station, hears Nix’s words in her mind, and understands. Once again, he finds himself at a loss for words. “I’m sure he didn’t know,” he manages after a moment.

“That’s the point. He didn’t know. It’s been three years since he enlisted, and in that time, he never wrote. Not one letter. No a birthday card, no holiday well-wishes. Nothing.” Blanche’s laugh crackles through the air like static. She takes another sip from her glass. “He visited Kathy a few times. He had a kid with her. In all that time, he could just be bothered to respond to her letters. But he never wrote me.”

Dick folds his hands in his lap and frowns down at them. He feels like a child being lectured by a disappointed parent, even though Blanche’s demeanor couldn’t be farther from that. There is a guilt that weighs on his own shoulders. He remembers Nix scoffing on his bunk at Toccoa, tossing aside letters from family unread. He avoided the topic of the ones he left behind as much as he could. Any letter he wrote in reply was like a labor to him, one he tried to shirk as much as possible.

Dick was always writing – to his sister, his parents, friends, his host family in England. He can count on one hand the letters he saw Nix pen.

Should he have asked more questions? Should he have encouraged Nix to keep in better contact those three years?

Blanche’s face makes it clear that she doesn’t blame him. She just looks sad – and bitter, a bit, not that Dick can blame him. She takes another drink, and her gaze drops to the glass. “He runs from things, you know. Because he’s afraid – because he’s a coward. Because he doesn’t want to face them. Because he’s smarter than all of us. Who knows? He runs and he never stops running, but it’s all the same. In the end, it’s all the same old racetrack, going round and round without an end. We’re just going in circles.”

Dick opens his mouth, unsure of what to say, but closes it again when he suddenly finds her looking at him. Her gaze is sharp and sober, like a pistol trained at his chest.

“If you have to run,” she says, “run. This isn’t your place. Don’t force yourself to be anything for him. It’s not worth it, believe me.”

“I - I won’t –” Dick stammers. His mind flashes through countless parties he’s sat in on just because Nix asked him to, and he can’t help wondering if that’s just what he’s been doing.

Blanche sighs. “This world is small. It spins around, and around, and there’s no getting off for either of us. Don’t trap yourself here if you can help it.”

They don’t say anything more after that. Dick is captured by her thoughts; Blanche is captured by her drink. Nix does not return to the room, but Dick stays and waits until he hears Blanche’s empty glass thud against the carpeted floor. When he looks up, her head is bowed towards her chest. She is asleep.

She is petite, so that makes carrying her to her room easily. Dick lays her on her bed and fails to shake her awake. In the end, he removes her shoes and tucks her in before slipping out of the Nixon mansion, unseen and unnoticed.

The gilded carousel that is life in Nixon, New Jersey swirls through his mind throughout the dark drive home. He cannot unhear Blanche’s words. He cannot escape the itch in his own skin, which has risen to prominence in his consciousness after too long being ignored.

Early that morning, Nix stumbles into bed reeking of liquor, and Dick hears his sister’s warning echo in his head.

[supernaturalghostwriter]

Here For You! (Delitoonz)(CartoonzxDelirious)(yaoi)

((this is my first delitoonz story i have ever wrote about for them, so hopefully you like the story, enjoy ;__; i tried)) Jonathan was laying on his bed, relaxing. he was under his sheets, watching the ceiling. it was 2 am, he wanted to sleep but he couldn't. he couldn't stop thinking. its times like these he wants his brain to shut up. but it was also showing him images, of everything. he turns. "fuck" he groans, sitting up. he wasn't going to get any sleep, any time soon. he was now sitting, bringing his blanket cover knees to his chest, hugging them. thoughts ran through his head. of his family. of his friends. of him. who's him? it was his best friend Luke. they've been friends for so long. he smiles softly, but then he frowns. he misses him. he misses him a lot. but then again, they lived very far away. then he remember the moment before he had got off his computer to sleep. a moment he wished never happened. something that made his heart numb thinking about. -flashback- "alright, today we're going to be playing some death-run!" Evan stated, getting a remark from Tyler. "and then the owl-boy falls and dies" everyone was giggling, Evan was also chuckling. "whatever piggy" Jonathan giggles, he was there with Evan, Tyler, Marcel, and Luke. "alright ladies, let's go" Luke grins. Jonathan blushes, he was glad to hear that voice, that beautiful voice. then Tyler said a remark that made Jonathan stopped. "you're just saying that because you're too busy probably sucking Delirious off" Tyler stated. Jonathan was blushing, good thing nobody can see it. "oh fuck off, i ain't gay" Luke stated, everyone laughed. everyone except for Jonathan. Jonathan was now silent. he was silent to hearing Luke say that. he was feeling for the older male and now hearing this shattered him completely. "Delirious, you okay man?" Marcel asked. "i have to go" Jonathan stated. "why?" Evan asked, "i just have to go i'm sorry" he shuts off his computer, not even caring about saving it right now. -end of flashback- tears slid down his cheeks, sitting there. he had gotten some texts from Marcel and Evan, but he mainly got texts from Luke even calls. but he answered to none. then he jumps, hearing a crash of thunder outside. he watches from his window as rain fell heavily. he frowns. he got out of bed, slipping on a tank-top, jeans, sneakers and his famous blue hoodie. he didn't bother with his mask, slipping his phone in his pocket as he left. Jonathan steps outside after locking the door. he then turn, stepping in the rain. he signs, the rain hitting him with hard drops. but then he starts walking, his hands in his pockets. he walks, the rain was helping him relax. as soon as he had started walking, he was already soaked. he felt very cold but he continues walking for a bit. as he walks, he noticed some headlights coming to him. then the car slowly came to a shrieking halt. "Jonathan what the fucking hell are you doing out here?!?" Luke stated, he was on his way to see him to see if he was okay but then he saw him walking soaked. Jonathan was quite surprised by this. he didn't expect Luke to drive all the way from his house to see him. then he remembered again the whole chat thing and gave a fake smile. "o-oh well um, just, going for a friendly walk?" Luke wasn't buying it. he knew him too well. "bullshit, get in the car, i'm taking you home-" Luke stated, looking at his friend but froze when he saw, even in the pouring rain, Jonathan was crying. "a-are you crying?" Jonathan looked taken back. like it surprised him. then he shook his head but as he looks down, a broken sob let him. "n-no, i'm fine" he turns, walking off, wanting to get away from Luke, to get away from anything. he walks quickly, hugging himself. "Jonathan!" a hand gripped his wrist. Luke had gotten out of his car after parking and locking it, rushed out to chase his friend, he was also soaked to the bone now. "look, talk to me, fuck i'm worried about you" Jonathan was trying not to bring, but more tears fell to blend in the rain on his face. "i-i'm fine-" but the other cut the younger male off. "fucking hell, Jon, talk to me, what's wrong?" Luke asked, worried and frustrated that he wasn't answering him. Jonathan couldn't take it, the burning in his chest. the pain, it was too much. he turns, shuts his eyes tightly as he shouted. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?" Luke snapped, he grabs the other's wrists pinning him to a huge tree near him. "WHAT I WANT IS YOU JON!" Jonathan's eyes shot open, shocked, a dark blush painted his cheeks to his ears. "w...what?" he manages to speak, feeling like his throat is very dry. Luke didn't say a word. he instead, leaned in and captures his lips in a kiss. Jonathan was shocked, blushing darker to this. he felt like he was melting, melting in this. he slowly close his eyes, letting his lips move with his. Luke slowly free his wrists. Jonathan slowly slid his arms around the taller male's neck as he places his hands on the smaller male's waist, holding him close but still against the tree. Jonathan felt like he was on cloud 9. Luke broke the kiss slowly, breathless a bit. Jonathan pants softly, blushing mess, shaking a bit. "w-why did you...." Luke signed. "look about what happened on the chat, about what i said, none of that was true, i only said it to make Tyler shut up" the smaller male was shocked by this. "b-but you sounded convincing to me Luke" the taller male frowns, seeing the sadness in his eyes. "look, i'm sorry. i didn't mean for that to hurt you, i really didn't" Luke held him close to his warm body. "please forgive me Jon" Jonathan blushes hard, flushed against his body. slowly he hugs back, nuzzles his head against his chest. "prove it" "heh?" Luke looked down at the man in his arms. Jonathan didn't look up but it was clear, he wasn't sad anymore. "prove it, prove you're sorry" the other raise a eyebrow but then he smirks darkly. "come with me" then they slowly went to Luke's car. slowly they got into the back of the car after locking it again. Luke had Jonathan pinned in the back, kissing him which the smaller male was kissing him back, his hands cupping his face. Luke's hands were in his soft brown hair as Jonathan held the other's face, kissing him. they kissed, making out for a bit. Jonathan opened his mouth, letting Luke's tongue explore his entire mouth, their tongues wrestle together. Jonathan made some cute moaning noises, hoping the other didn't hear him. but no luck as the taller male smirks, kissing him more, both holding each other close. slowly they broke the kissing, panting against each other's mouths, blushing. "does that prove it?" Luke asked, which Jonathan nods, kisses his forehead. "yes" he pulls back to sit up. Jonathan then started trembling bad from the cold, wanting to keep the other's warm body against his. Luke then took his hand, kisses it. 'i love you Jonathan" Luke stated. Jonathan blushes and smiles. "i love you too Luke" Luke pulls him to sit up. "lets get you home and dried off, mind if i spend the night?" he asked. the other smiles, nodding. "sure" the older male grins. "maybe if you give me some cuddles and more kisses" the younger male stated. he nods. "always" they adjust, getting into the front. Luke starts the car, driving slowly, Jonathan's head on his shoulder, hands holding hands tightly as they got back to Jonathan's place.

[kiwi-muses]

Empty Gold

I loathe the TO finale. It was awful. Horrible writing. A million plot holes. So this is my fix it. Might’ve been better in my head but I want to write it down and throw it out there while it’s fresh. So here is my personal giant middle finger to Julie Plec. Sorry not sorry. 

It takes her 15 years, and it only takes that long because between her own kids and the school, she’s a little busy. Truthfully, she started the minute it became clear he planned to sacrifice himself. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t watch him die… she was hoping to stop it. But sometimes the timing is off, so she adjusts and searches for a way to bring him back instead.

She doesn’t tell Hope – she doesn’t want her to become too optimistic, just in case. But Caroline is, well, Caroline, and she doesn’t half ass anything. She talks to dozens of witches, conducts thousands of hours of research. If she’s learned anything in her immortal life, it’s that the impossible is always possible. And it’s that determination that helps her find the witch who tells her it can be done.

Caroline was expecting to find her deep in some jungle or on some nondescript island. But life never ceases to throw Caroline for a loop, and she finds the witch in Oxford. She’s powerful, but not incredibly well known so she’s been able to hide herself well. Her skill comes from her profession – she’s a physics professor and researcher, and uses it to add layers to the magic. After all, even magic has to obey some laws.

The first person she calls is Rebekah. Thanks to Hope, they’ve kept in touch. After all, someone needed to come to parent teacher conferences, and it turns out they can get along pretty well when they’re on the same side.

Rebekah picks up after the first ring. “This has better be good, because I’m about to indulge in my favorite Italian and I hate interruptions.”

“I found it. I can bring him back.” She hears Rebekah take a sharp breath, and her voice has the slightest shake to it when she responds.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Caroline is confident, voice assured. “How soon can you be in Mystic Falls?”

“I’m leaving now,” Rebekah replies, and Caroline can hear her moving quickly. “Where are you?”

“England.”

“We’ll pick you up on the way. See you soon.”

----

It takes a couple of hours, and Rebekah, Marcel, and Caroline are on their way back across the pond. Even with advancements in technology, the flight will still take a few hours, so Rebekah asks Caroline to explain how this is possible and how to do it.

Caroline thoughtfully sips her red wine. “I found the witch at Oxford, teaching physics. She’s also a part time researcher.” Rebekah raises her eyebrows. “Yeah, I was surprised, too. Anyway, everyone I had talked to said she was capable of unique pieces of magic, things that aren’t normally done. She’s got a skill to craft the spells. Basically, she said it’s possible to bring him back by weaving the magic with the elements of physics.”

Marcel raised an eyebrow. “What in the world does that mean? I mean, if there’s no Other Side, where can they bring him back from?”

Caroline replied, “That’s what I asked. She said it comes back to one of the most basic laws of physics – energy is neither created nor destroyed. And the entire universe is made of energy. We as individuals are unique combinations of that energy, so by honing in on it, you can essentially rebuild the person you are reviving. We can capture their energy from the universe.”

Marcel and Rebekah were silent, trying to make sense of what Caroline was saying. “If that’s possible, how come we haven’t heard of it before?” Rebekah asked. “Surely someone would have done it.”

Caroline smiled. “As always with practically anything connected with Klaus, it takes unique circumstances.” Rebekah smiled at that – Caroline wasn’t exactly wrong. “You need a blood relative, which is where you come in, and a direct descendant. The direct descendant shares the most genetic material with the individual – exactly half. Really, half their energy is that of their parent. The blood relative helps fill in the gaps. How many vampires do you know of with direct descendants? That’s why it hasn’t been done often. Really, I think it’s mostly theory, but it seems sound to me. After all, what is there to lose?”

“Indeed,” Rebekah quietly mused.

The rest of the flight is silent, each lost in their own thoughts. No one wants to get too optimistic. During the drive from the airport to Mystic Falls, they hash out the details.

“So when is this all gonna go down?” Marcel asks.

“Full moon, as always.” Caroline laughs.

“Ah yes, so original!” Marcel comments. “My apologies for thinking we were going for something unique.” His smile is contagious, and soon Caroline and Rebekah are both laughing with him, but they soon quiet.

“Hope will be the one to do the spell. The witch wrote it out for her. I think we should do it at the old Mikaelson mansion. We don’t know what he’ll be like when he wakes up.”

Rebekah glances at Caroline, who is laser focused on the road. “When? You’re awfully confident.”

Caroline gives her a rare moment of heartfelt honesty. “I have to be Rebekah. I refuse to believe that I’ll never get him back. However long it takes.”

Rebekah recognizes the words she’s seen on some of Nik’s drawings and paintings of Caroline, and she puts her hand on Caroline’s shoulder, trying to convey that she understands. Caroline gives her a small smile.

Marcel is quiet when he speaks. “This will work. I can feel it.”

----

They pull up to the mansion where Hope is waiting for them. Rebekah had called her during the drive, explaining that they needed to speak with her urgently. As they climb out of the car, Hope is surprised to see Caroline.

“Ms. Forbes, what’re you doing here? I thought you were traveling looking for new students.”

Caroline walks around the car and stands in front of Hope. She smiles. “Not quite. Once upon a time, your dad promised to be my last love. I found a way to make sure he keeps his promise.” Caroline can see the confusion in Hope’s eyes slowly morph into a shaky optimism.

“You mean?” Caroline nods. “You can really bring him back?”

“You can. You and Rebekah. I found a witch who wrote it all out, and Rebekah will be able to explain it to you. If you need anything, you can call me.”

Hope looks puzzled. “Where are you going?” Rebekah and Marcel come to stand beside Hope.

“I’m going to go see my girls, and a few other people. Besides, you should be the first person he sees when he wakes up. He and I will talk eventually.” Caroline turns to Rebekah. “You have my cell if you need anything.”

Rebekah reaches out to her, and gives her a rare hug. “Thank you,” she whispers. They separate, and Caroline gets in the car and drives away.

Hope turns to her aunt. “Why won’t she stay?”

“She’s right – your dad will want to see you first. But, Caroline’s also nervous.” They begin to walk up the steps into the house. “I don’t think she ever told Nik how much she truly cared for him. And I don’t think she ever truly grieved his loss.” The came to the door, and Hope was silent.

“She was searching for a way to bring him back all this time?” Her aunt nodded and Hope looked thoughtful. “Well, what are we waiting for?”

----

It doesn’t take long to perform the spell. Something about energy and the four winds, Rebekah hears. Hope is strong, and this was a big spell, but she does well. It took 18 hours for the energy to slowly stitch Klaus back together. It’s another five before he begins to stir. Tears gather in Hope and Rebekah’s eyes, and Marcel is holding Rebekah’s hand so hard she thinks her bones are probably cracking.

Klaus’s eyes slowly open. Hope lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and grasps his hand even tighter, sobbing when the hand squeezes back. It worked. Somehow, it worked.

“Dad?” Her voice is watery and shaky and this isn’t how she imagine she’d meet him again, but she doesn’t care.

Her dad smiles. “Hello, sweetheart.”