The bonds of family

7

Leaving the priest to simply die wasn't really Arkyn's style. He found himself studying through a collection of grimoires and diaries to search for an answer. Eventually he found something. Leaving Alexis in the care of his sister, he headed for New Orleans.

He went to find Klaus, but Klaus had found him first.
"Fancy seeing you here." Klaus fell into step with him. "Here for the wake?"
"Wake? Guess I'm a little late, then." Klaus looked at him, suddenly.
"You found a way to save him?"
"As much as you and I... don't get along, he was innocent. And it wasn't like I could get much sleep anyway." Klaus stopped in his tracks.
"Let me guess. Mikael?" Arkyn looked at him.
"How did you know?"
"I've been having nightmares too, and so has Elijah."
"If Mikael is going through all these lengths to communicate, there has to be something going on."
"Care to lay a wager the Mystic Falls group have something to do with it." Klaus smirked and Arkyn shrugged.
"What would I know? I haven't seen any of them since our mother tried to kill us."
"Have you talked to any of them?"
"Caroline, a couple of times. She kept me updated on the deaths of Finn and Kol... even you, for a while, it seemed."
"Not Bonnie?" Arkyn rolled his eyes.
"I guess not even the prospect of fatherhood can change you. You're still an ass."
"Come on, I have a call to make and you're obviously wrapped up in all this too."
"The priest is dead. Out of respect for the priest who obviously meant something to you, I'm going to try to keep my loathing towards you quiet. But this does not make us brothers or friends."
"Well, if you don't hate me... for now at least, what's stopping you from figuring out this Mikael thing together?"
"I might be keeping my... hatred towards you under wraps, but I still do hate you. And I don't care about whatever's causing Mikael to haunt us. I have no desire to be swept up in whatever drama is going on. I have less than a year left before Lex goes off to college and all I care about right now is her." Arkyn walked away from Klaus, afraid a second longer in his presence might make him snap. He walked into the nearest restaurant which just so happened to be Rousseau's. It had been his third time in that restaurant. He looked around the bar and noticed that the bartender, Cami, sat with a drink. He approached her.
"Arkyn." She realised and he nodded.
"Hey. It probably means nothing to you, but my condolences."
"What are you doing here?"
"Doesn't really matter, anyway." He shook his head. "I'm heading home, now."
"Is Rebekah here?"
"No, I'm alone."
"You came to this city where the two people you hate most in the world live for... what? Just a quick hello?"
"I left something the last time I was here. I was just grabbing it."
"How is Rebekah?"
"Oh, she's fine. Finding new ways to torture me. How much exactly did Klaus tell you about me?"
"Not much. Just that it's complicated between you two, and that he was one of the key reasons you broke up with your girlfriend?" Cami looked confused.
"He said that?"
"He said he never made things easy for you and that you have a point in resenting him."
"Bonnie and I didn't break up because of Klaus. We broke up because she conspired with my mother to kill my entire family."
"Oh." Cami frowned.
"Looking back, I realise our relationship was never healthy." He admitted. "And as for Klaus never making things easy for me- that's an understatement. Rebekah doesn't make things easy for me. She likes to tease and annoy me, but she does so in a somewhat normal way. Klaus flat out made life hell for me."
"Didn't he screw over all of your siblings at some point in their lives?"
"Well, they're content with living their lives in misery just to make him happy. Look, tomorrow's your uncle's funeral. The problems between Klaus and I aren't going anywhere. And if you're really curious, you can ask him all about it." He turned to leave.
"No wait-" she stopped him. "All day, all I've been getting are apologies and condolences and anecdotes about how my uncle was such a good guy. I welcome a change in subject. Please stay?"
"As long as we don't have to talk about Klaus."
"Fine." She waved to the bartender for more drinks. "What about you and Elijah?"
"That falls under the Klaus column."
"You and Mikael? Klaus mentioned that you were the one who called him into town, but then he said it was Rebekah?"
"It was Rebekah. Not long after Mikael chased them out of town, Klaus and I had a little... row. I didn't know what he'd do to Rebekah, so I implied that it was me."
"How did you know it was Rebekah?"
"Mikael let it slip."
"So you knew Mikael was coming to town?"
"Yeah."
"You didn't do anything?"
"I wasn't exactly in a position to." Seeing her curious look, Arkyn sighed. "You're too curious for your own good, you know that?"
"I get that a lot."
"You remind me of someone."
"The ex?"
"Her friend, actually. Look, the bottom line is, Mikael would have done anything to kill Klaus."
"Is that all I'm going to get?"
"It's more than I give most people." Arkyn's phone rang. It was Alexis. He let out a sigh, and picked up.