The Originals One-Shots

A Father-Daughter Conversation

 Young Hope Mikaelson sat quietly on the bed, watching her father as he painted.

 "What are you painting?" she asked, looking at the unfamiliar landscape.

 "An old home," he answered, mixing colors together.

 "Which home?"

 He paused before answering shortly, "Where I grew up. My siblings and I used to run around those lands and through the woods."

 "Is it still there?"

 Klaus sighed. "No. Sadly, it's been replaced by a rather unpleasant little town called Mystic Falls."

 "Is it that bad?" Hope asked.

 "Well, it isn't completely terrible. I prefer New Orleans now. This is our family home, though I do own a house in the Mystic Falls area."

 "Really? Can we visit?"

 "We'll see," Klaus answered, and it was obvious in his tone that he didn't particularly like the idea.

 "I asked Uncle Elijah about when you guys were kids one time last week," Hope said. "I don't think he wanted to talk about it. He said there's been 'a lot of unpleasantness' in your lives."

 "Oh, Elijah just has to go and be a real stick in the mud, doesn't he?" Klaus groaned.

 "But Uncle Elijah is smart, and he knows a lot of stuff. That's why I asked him."

 Klaus spun around. "You asked Elijah about our family history rather than coming to me?"

 Her eyes widened. "Did I do something wrong?"

 "No, no of course not," he said quickly. "It's just that I thought you would have come asking me about that, not your Uncle Elijah. I could easily provide you with answers."

 "So you're saying I should ask you about stuff instead?"

 "Exactly."

 "But Uncle Elijah said-"

 "Sweetheart," Klaus sat down next to her, "Uncle Elijah is a fop. Simple as that. You don't need to go asking him things when you can just as easily ask me."

 "What about everyone else?" she asked.

 "Hmm." Klaus thought that over. "Well, your Uncle Kol is close enough to being a lunatic. Your aunts aren't that bad, but they can be rather annoying when they feel like it. You Uncle Finn is just an old grouch. And don't even get me started on your grandparents."

 "What was wrong with them?"

 "What wasn't wrong with those two?" he sighed.

~~~~~~

 The next day, Hope asked, "Uncle Elijah, do you know what a fop is?"

 Elijah gave her a surprised look, but answered, "A fop is a man who is usually very overly concerned with clothes and outward appearance, but is usually an idiot. Did you read it in a book?"

 "No. Dad called you a fop yesterday."