Reacting to Elijah Mikaelson (and the Originals)

31

The Mikaelson household was quiet. Klaus and Elijah however, were both still awake and sitting in silence, reading.

They were not so engrossed though that they didn't hear the pitter patter of little footsteps from the moment they touched the floor.

"What's she doing awake?" Klaus questioned, his eyes on the ceiling as he tracked the sound of his daughter's footsteps.

"We'll soon know," Elijah murmured, the soft smile that only his niece elicited from him on his lips.

"Daddy? Uncle 'Lijah?" Hope Mikaelson sniffled, appearing in the living room doorway, her eyes liquid and huge in her tear streaked face.

"Is that who I think it is?" Klaus said and stared at the screen in shock. Hayley looked at the girl with tears in her eyes.

"What is it, littlest wolf?" Klaus asked, putting aside his book and opening his arms to her and immediately she snuggled into him.

"I had a bad dream," Hope whispered, her voice muffled in Klaus's shirt.

"A bad dream? What was it about?" Elijah questioned softly as Klaus stroked the little girl's hair.

"I don't remember," the four year old sniffled. "It was scary though and I woke up. Did you ever have bad dreams, Daddy?"

"Oh yes," Klaus murmured. "All the time."

"Did your daddy make you feel better?" Hope asked, her curiosity overcoming her lingering fear.

"Of course not."
People turned to stare at Mikael who gave them death glares back.

Klaus hesitated, unconsciously tensing, and over Hope's head he met his brother's gaze, the calm support he found there steadying him.

"No, I can't say that he did," Klaus forced himself to say after a moment and Hope titled her head, puzzled, hearing something in her father's voice that she didn't, couldn't, understand.

"Your mommy, then?" the little girl asked and Klaus couldn't stop his gaze from flickering to his older brother's again and this time Hope noticed and she too turned to her uncle, confused.

"Our mother was a sound sleeper," Elijah murmured and his eyes were full of the past but he smiled gently and reassuringly nonetheless.

"We all know that's a lie..." Kol whispered.

Klaus was unsure whether it was for the child's benefit or his own.

A sound sleeper. It was certainly a polite way of saying their father would never have allowed their mother to comfort the likes of him.

"So no one made you feel better?" Hope gasped, blessedly unable to imagine it, looking at her father with compassionate horror.

"Actually, Elijah bore the brunt of most of my nightmares," Klaus said lightly. "My big brother used to let me sleep with him."

"Did Daddy really sleep with you, Uncle Elijah?" the little girl asked, giggling at the sudden lightheartedness in her father's voice, unaware of the shadow of Mikael both of the brothers felt.

"Indeed he did," Elijah confirmed, smiling softly.

"I'm not even surprised anymore." Elena said. Klaus was nothing like the Klaus she met.
"So Mikael wouldn't let your mum comfort you but he let Elijah?" Stefan asked.
"Well we all slept in one room, apart from Finn of course he had a room to himself being the oldest and being mother's favourite. Rebekah was offered a bed of her own in Finn's room as she was a girl but she declined the offer. Anyways back to the point, we all slept in the same room so it wasn't much of a huge deal if someone rolled out of their own bed and into mine." Elijah explained.

"Oh yes. Poor Elijah had many sleepless nights because of me," Klaus told his daughter.

"They were, everyone of them, well worth it," Elijah murmured, meeting and holding Klaus's gaze, sensing his younger brother needed to hear it.

"Yes, well," Klaus said after a moment, clearing his throat and breaking eye contact, shifting his attention back to his daughter. "Do you want to know a secret?" he asked, lowering his voice to a theatrical whisper.

"What?" Hope asked eagerly.

"Your Uncle Elijah gives the very best hugs," Klaus whispered, raising his brows and gently nudging the girl, and, needing no further encouragement, she leapt into her uncle's lap to hug him.

"I can confirm that fact." Rebekah said while cuddled up to Elijah's side.

"And you," Klaus murmured, picking her up when she was finished to take her back to bed. "You will always have someone who loves you to make you feel better. Isn't that right, Elijah?"

"And I can confirm that one." Elijah replied.

"Yes, that's quite right, Niklaus. Always and forever," Elijah answered without hesitation, the old promise falling easily from his lips and over the child's head their eyes met once more.

"Could I make a request?" Elijah spoke up.
"Of course, what is it?"
"Could I see more of the- my child. Id like to know more about him. Maybe how it was possible?" Elijah asked, slightly nervous but extremely curious.

"Say no more."