The New Evil

Morning

The next morning, the sun streamed through the windows of the compound, casting a warm glow over the room where Cami had fallen asleep the night before. She stirred awake, blinking sleepily as she stretched her limbs, feeling the stiffness from sleeping on the couch.

As she sat up, memories of the previous night's conversation flooded back to her. She remembered the wedding planning discussions, Hayley and Elijah's gratitude, and how she had fallen asleep.

Cami glanced around the room, noticing that she was the only one awake. The rest of the group must still be asleep, she thought to herself. Rising from the couch, she walked quietly across the house, careful not to wake anyone.

Making her way to the kitchen, Cami decided to start the day with a cup of coffee. As she brewed a fresh pot, she couldn't help but smile at the thought of the upcoming wedding festivities. Despite her initial reluctance to stay up late, she was glad she had been able to spend time with her friends and be a part of the celebration.

With her coffee in hand, Cami decided to stand outside, enjoying the peaceful morning air. She took a moment to savour the quiet solitude and the beauty of New Orleans.

The moment was interrupted when she heard footsteps approaching from behind. She turned around to see Klaus stepping out of the building.

"Morning."-K
Klaus greeted, his voice carrying a hint of warmth that Cami hadn't heard in a long time.

"Morning."-C
Cami replied, offering him a small smile. There was a brief pause as they stood there, the silence stretching between them.

"What brings you out here so early?"-K

"I just needed some fresh air."-C
Cami responded vaguely, her eyes averting his gaze.

"It is quite peaceful out here."-K Klaus remarked, also avoiding any direct mention of their past. Cami made a sound of agreement.

They stood there for a moment, the awkwardness palpable.

"Lexi's going to wake up soon. I should probably get going."-C
Cami said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, me too."-K
Klaus agreed, a hint of relief in his voice.

Cami sent him a weak smile before vanishing up the stairs to the room Lilly used to stay in. She opened the door, spotting Lilly and Lexi sleeping on the bed. The blonde watched the two peaceful sleeping and decided not to wake them up for a few more minutes. Cami climbed onto the bed and laid down on the opposite side to her two girls. She went on her phone and scrolled through her messages, stopping at a missed call from Derec.

Cami ignored it and thought about speaking to him later about it. For the time being, Cami scrolled through tiktok until finally Lexi had woken up to a sun ray hitting her in the face.

The blonde moved over to the toddler, who was rubbing at her eyes. She picked the little girl up into her arms and carried her to the bathroom, where she wiped her face and brushed her hair. Cami then quickly took out a change of clothes for Lexi and got her dressed into a cute dress with a bow on top. By the time Cami was done getting the toddler ready, Lilly woke up.

The teenager knocked on the bathroom door.
"Who's in there?"-L
"It's me and Lex. Come in."-C

Lilly opened the door and looked at Alexandria, who had her blonde hair in cute pigtails.
"Oh my god, she looks adorable."-L

Lilly walked over to her sister, kissing her on the cheek.
"You're so cute."-L
"Thank you!"-AR

Cami had taught Lexi manners a few months ago, and the toddler was fairly good at it. She was also quite good at putting words together, which Cami liked to credit herself for.