Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 8

"The curse that plagued our family for seven years has taken its toll on all of us." Nik says from the head of the table. I sit to his right, across from Hope and diagonal from Bexley. I've been keeping a close eye on them since we woke up about an hour ago. Freya listens quietly from next to me. "On our city. On our family. The consequences of us being together were grave, but today, thanks to the two of you, we celebrate a new beginning. One in which we have the freedom to stand side by side. And whatever trials may come, we will face them together, as a family, always and forever." He raises his orange juice in a toast, and we all follow his lead.

"Would you please pass the beignets?" Hope asks Freya.

"Of course." Freya smiles and grabs the platter, passing it to Hope.

"So, Rebekah will be back in a few days." Nik informs us. "She's just tying up some loose ends overseas."

"It'll be awesome having her here." Bexley smiles, excitedly.

"It'll be good to have all of us under one roof again." Freya states.

"I have missed Rebekah." I smile. My smile falls as Elijah, back to being proper and clean with his perfectly placed suit, enters the dining room. His eyes fall on Hope and Bexley.

"Good morning." He breathes out, taking in how much they've grown. The girls tense and look away from him. "Obviously, there is a lot for us to discuss." I inhale deeply. "Kelsey, Bexley, Hope, let me begin by telling you how truly sorry..."

"Thanks for breakfast, guys, but we have homework to catch up on." Hope cuts him off, standing and pulling Bexley up with her. Bexley releases a breath of relief at the excuse to leave. Together they walk out.

"That's not normal." Nik sighs, gesturing to Hope's fork. I look across the table and see if bent in half. "They're not normal."

"They lost their aunt, Niklaus." Elijah says walking closer to us. I swallow thickly. "I shouldn't have come down here."

"At least you can claim amnesia, unlike our sister, who willingly aided children in ruining their lives." Nik points out and I sigh in relief that I'm not the only one pissed off at Freya.

"Bexley and Hope are not children." She counters.

"Yes, they are." I argue. "They're fifteen. I get that you had to grow up at an extremely accelerated rate, but I have done everything in my power to prevent them from having to go through that same burden. We are suppose to protect them, not help them infect themselves with dark magic. The worst we ever seen, by the way."

"Did you even consider what absorbing all that magic could do to them?" Nik questions.

"And what choice did I have?" Freya asks.

"Deny them." Nik exclaims. "Defy them. We had a plan to keep the dark magic away from them."

"A plan that wasn't working." Freya counters.

"Then, we talk about it and decide what to do together." I snap. "Instead, you have put mine and Nik's children at risk. And what plan exactly do you have now? That Hope keeps it inside her as it feeds on her and Bexley? Because that's not an option. I've already lost Hayley; all be damned if I lose my kids because of you."

"Kelsey..." She goes to try and defend herself again.

"They're hormonal fifteen-year-old girls. There's all kinds of shit going on inside of them." I cut her off. "They're highly emotional, they missed their father and their family, Hope got played by a boy that she liked and Bexley's blaming herself for not stopping it, they blame themselves for mine and Hayley's kidnapping and Hayley's death, their family was slipping through their fingers again, they're pissed off at the universe, and they're grieving. You were the adult. It was your job to shut them down or come to me and Nik with what they were planning."