The bonds of family

8

"Please don't tell me I made the wrong choice in leaving you in Rebekah's care? I want my house still standing when I get home."
"Firstly, when are you going to realise that I'm almost eighteen, which means I don't need a babysitter."
"Well almost eighteen means not yet eighteen and still in my care."
"Technically Xavier's my guardian."
"Yes, and technically he's off at college and unless you want to go live with your grandmother, I'm your guardian. Besides, the last time I left you home alone, you managed to flood the house."
"One time!"
"Last year."
"Okay, fine. But I'm a different person now. Besides, in a couple of months I'm going to have to live without you."
"Yeah, I'm still not so sure about that. Now, what's up?"
"Right, I had more. Secondly, it's a Friday evening, and I'm in my bedroom... studying."
"Good."
"Not good!" She groaned. "Very not good! What kind of dork stays in on a Friday night studying?"
"The kind of dork who has some exams coming up and wants to pass with good grades."
"Well, that's not me!"
"What are you getting at, Alexis?"
"There's a party tomorrow. I wanna go."
"Who's throwing it?"
"Lucy Decker. She's the new girl I was telling you about. She's having a bunch of us over- kind of an integration to society."
"How old is this Lucy?"
"She's a junior. Besides, Isabelle's coming. And you know she's, like, totally responsible."
"Fine. And I should be home by then, so you make sure you stick to your curfew."
"Thanks."
"Alright, get back to studying, and I'll try be back by tomorrow afternoon. Deal?"
"I was thinking, Isabelle and I can go shopping with Rebekah after school. Get some clothes for the party."
"Sure." Arkyn smiled. "Rebekah'll pay... or compel."
"By which you mean you'll go back and settle the tab that we should have paid for us."
"Goodbye, Alexis."
"Bye Arkyn."
"Sorry." He laughed. "Lex."
"Better, pops." She teased hanging up. Arkyn drank his glass of bourbon.
"Klaus mentioned you have a... ward."
"Yeah. I've known Lex and Xavier their entire lives."
"Cami!" A voice squealed. Arkyn turned to see a blonde rush to the bar and envelop Cami in a hug.
"Caitlyn?" Cami asked peeling the young girl off her.
"One and only."
"What are you doing here?"
"You didn't think I wouldn't come to uncle K's funeral, did you?" Cami looked at the younger girl.
"I guess I just didn't expect to see you here. It's good to see you."
"Yeah." She stood and looked at Arkyn and back at Cami. "Who's the hottie? Isn't he a little young for you?"
"I see you haven't lost your sense of humour. This is Arkyn-"
"Ark." He corrected.
"Right, Ark. He's- I know his brother. Ark, this is my sister, Caitlyn."
"I'm sorry." Arkyn said. "About your uncle."
"Me too." She stood between them and ordered a drink. "So you live around here?"
"Um, no. I was checking in on something. Uh, picking up some things I forgot the last time I was in town."
"Mysterious." Caitlyn smirked.
"I suppose some things my sister forgot would be more accurate. She used to live here, but moved in with me a couple of months ago, so I'm just picking up some things she apparently can't live without."
"That's sweet of you." Caitlyn put her hand on Arkyn's arm. Cami pulled her sister back.
"Hey, take one day off, would you?" She snapped.
"That's got to be some kind of record. It hasn't even been five minutes, and saint Cami's already judging."
"I should get going." Arkyn stood but the younger girl stopped him.
"No, stay." Caitlyn rolled her eyes and stormed off leaving Arkyn looking like a deer in the headlights. Arkyn took his seat.
"So you and your sister..?" He looked at her and she raised a brow. He shrugged. "I'm just paying back the favour."
"We grew up here in New Orleans. Then I left for college, and she was still in school. My brother, Sean, he stayed here too. When he died, I moved back here to figure out what happened to him, but Caitlyn... she left as soon as she graduated." Cami gulped the rest of her drink, and waved the bartender over. "I guess, knowing what I know, a part of me is now glad she left. Before she got sucked up in this whole supernatural world."
"Big sister instincts." Arkyn commented.
"I know you're not staying in town long, but however long you're here, please stay away from her."
"I'll be long gone by tonight, Cami. And I have no intention of dragging anyone into my family drama, trust me."
"Did your last girlfriend really plot with your mother to kill you?"
"She thought she was doing right by me."
"By killing you..?"
"Well, my mother is a master manipulator. She-" He sighed. "She convinced Bonnie it was the right thing for me."
"Killing you?" Arkyn shrugged.
"You know, the funny thing is that the summer before she did, Bonnie and I went on vacation. New Orleans was our last destination, and we... met a seer. She warned us, told us Bonnie was fated to bring about my downfall. I didn't believe her. But Bonnie was so afraid that it would come true, and that she'd end up killing me. She even broke up with me for a while, in an effort to push me away from her- to keep myself safe."
"How does one go from... that to thinking killing you is right?"
"My mother convinced her it was the only way I'd be at peace. Free of the horrors of this world."
"And she fell for that?"
"Yeah." Cami sighed and held out a glass to him. He smiled and took it, finishing off the drink.
"How long were you guys together?"
"A little over a year." He sighed.
"Why did Klaus say he's the reason you two broke up?"
"I honestly have no idea. Maybe he thought her motivation for going along with my mother's plans were more about killing him than about killing me."
"I take it they didn't get along?"
"No. Now is your curiosity satisfied, or have you more questions to ask?"
"I'd still like to know more about you and Klaus."
"I thought we'd already gone over the fact that I'm not talking about him."
"Yes, well, I don't give up."
"There isn't a single reason I hate Klaus. It's hundreds- thousands of reasons. You know my brother isn't a good person, but it's one thing to know he's bad and another to know what bad he's done."
"I think he's done bad things, but I don't think he's truly bad."
"And for that I envy you. You still see things innocently."
"I'm not naive. I know what's going on. I know your brother has done a lot of bad, but I've also seen him do good."
"That makes one of us."
"What is so bad you won't even talk about it? What could he have possibly done to you that you hate him so?"
"Some things are best left in the past, Cami. You see good in him? Then help him. Maybe he'll change. God knows he's going to have to if he's gonna have a child. But there's way too much history between my brothers and I and I don't think I'm capable of letting go of it so easily."
"There's no one more contradictory than you, little brother." Klaus's familiar voice cut into their conversation.
"And I've stayed much longer than I intended. Goodbye Cami." Arkyn stood.
"I talked to her, you know." Klaus called as Arkyn walked away. Arkyn stopped, visibly affected by the mention of his ex. "Yeah, she wouldn't fess up until I let her know you were suffering too." Arkyn stood still as he absorbed the information before he continued walking. Klaus watched until he was out of view.