Rue | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 18

"If you need any further support... please do tell me. And, if, at any point, you find yourself fully free of him and wishing to be with anyone else... someone who will take care of your child as if it were their own... I will be here."

She blushed. "Lucien—"

"I know, it is forward," he acknowledged. "But I mean every word of it. You are... special, Ibeth. You matter to me."

This time, it seemed he was the one tempted to kiss her. And the worst part, in Ibeth's mind, was knowing that she might have let him if he hadn't pulled away.

This is wrong. I shouldn't be thinking this. I shouldn't be here.

"I need to get going," she said in a small voice. "Thank you for everything. Please let me know if you have any news on Rebekah."

"Of course, love. Let me know when you reach the Mikaelsons safely. If you'd like me to escort you back—"

"No, it's okay. I drove here. But... thank you."

She took her sweet time getting back to the St. Louis Cathedral. She kept making random turns, trying to have as much alone time as possible to let the information sink in.

I'm pregnant. I'm carrying Klaus Mikaelson's child.

This child was made with affection. In a brief moment where my husband and I were happy together.

But that's not the case now.

I want to keep this baby. I want to be a mother. But is it selfish to do that right now, with the way things are?

I have people looking out for me. Looking out for this baby. Maybe it's okay to be selfish.

But I can't let myself be too selfish. I can't keep thinking about Lucien.

I shouldn't be seeing Lucien at all.

This is wrong. I'm a bad person.

I shouldn't be a mother.

She wasn't sure how many times she cried before she actually parked her car outside the cathedral and rushed upstairs to find that the Locator Spells were still unsuccessful.

"Wait," said Ibeth, confused why not everyone of relevance was there. "Where's Klaus? His sister is missing. I thought he'd be here."

"He said he is pursuing another lead," explained Freya. "Whatever that means. Damn it.... It's not working. I assumed they'd cloaked her, but I didn't expect a spell this strong."

"No doubt conjured by the very witch who lured Rebekah into this trap," said Elijah worriedly.

"What if you use this?" asked Ibeth, holding out the Serratura. "Lucien found it and gave it to me. It's a dark object. Maybe channeling this would help?"

Elijah raised a brow. "You were with Lucien?"

"I went to ask him if he could help us find Rebekah. He says some of his vampire associates are on it. I also wanted to check on the Serratura-finding progress. And..." she bit her lip anxiously, "in the process, I learned... I'm pregnant."

The cathedral was dead silent. Ibeth figured they were excited, surely, because a baby was almost always something to celebrate. But she knew the time wasn't right to be making such an announcement. Still, she needed to get it off of her chest.

"Hey." Marcel spoke first. She blinked, and he was in front of her, pulling her into a hug. She relaxed in his arms. "Anything you need, I got your back, okay?"