𝐖𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 ⎯⎯ 𝘯.𝘮²

XXI. AT GUNPOINT

She didn't know if she was ready for it, but she knew for certain that she'd try her damn hardest to be the best mom she could be. And even though she and Klaus weren't on the best terms at the minute, she knew that Klaus would make the best father to their child. Together, they would love their child with every ounce of their being and never let any harm come to her, even if they weren't in love themselves.

♥♕♥♕♥

As Thea walked into the compound, her eyes filtered around all the different workmen as she held her hands up to her ears in an attempt to block out the loud noise. "Loud enough for you, Lijah?" the wolf commented teasingly as she found the moral Mikaelson stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking over all of the renovations with a calculating stare.

Elijah smiled at the wolf as he saw her – their little disagreement at the party being water under the bridge as he walked up towards her. Before he was able to reply, however, Klaus descended down the stairs with one hand to his own ear, "enough with all the racket!" the hybrid exclaimed loud enough to be heard over the top of the workers. At the sight of Klaus' tired, rugged appearance, Thea had to physically stop herself from running up and kissing him.

Her heart was telling her to forgive him and move on – wanting nothing more than to be back in his arms. But how are you supposed to follow your heart when it's broken and bleeding?

"Is there a problem, brother?" Elijah asked innocently, glancing at his brother before turning to the workers, "gentleman, please." As the workers stopped and left the compound, Klaus turned back to his brother with an annoyed expression on his face, "I agreed to a general sprucing up, not a bloody three-ring circus," the hybrid snapped before his gaze landed on Thea.

As he looked at her, he felt as if all the oxygen had been knocked out of him. She looked well enough, which is more than he could say for himself, but the light that previously shone brightly in her eyes had flickered out. He knew he needed to talk to her, to plead his case and tell her it had all been a misunderstanding and nothing had happened – but Genevieve's words rang clear in his head.

If he told her the truth, the witch had the potential to hurt their child. And whilst Klaus Mikaelson would never usually sand to be blackmailed, the circumstances were much too high to risk. After all, the safety of Thea and their child was his main priority – if he had to paint himself as the bad guy to do that, then so be it. But that didn't mean he was going to be unfaithful to Thea to do it.

Though she believed he had started up a semi-relationship with Genevieve, the truth couldn't have been further from it. Klaus loved Thea endlessly and he would never risk what they had for the sake of some red-headed two cent psychowitch – and though the idea of her thinking that he would physically hurt him, he would much rather have her and their child safe than learn the truth and be in danger.

He only hoped that once this was all over, she would understand and forgive him. And he would wait as long as it took for that to happen – because she was all he would ever want and need. "Marcel and his minions abused our home for the better part of a century. Now, you might be content to live in squalor. I'm not," Elijah remarked as Klaus reluctantly drew his eyes away from the brunette that seemed completely unfazed by his presence.

"I agree with Lijah. I won't have our child growing up in a dusty pit," Thea commented as she looked around the compound with slight distaste causing the older original to chuckle as Klaus stared at her in wonderment. "You're coming back?" the hybrid asked with a hopeful tone, his eyes bright as he smiled at the wolf who simply rolled her eyes at him in response.

"Well I can't go hopping from couch to couch with a baby now can I? As much as Cami likes to tell me I'm always welcome at her house, I'm almost certain she won't enjoy a screaming baby waking her up at all hours of the morning," Thea responded with a teasing smile. Whilst she hadn't forgiven Klaus for breaking her heart, she was willing to be civil with him for the sake of their child.