TWENTY FIVE - Another reunion
"You look surprised to see me. So it wasn't you that removed the dagger from my chest?"Elijah spat as he stood in-front of Klaus, livid as he wiped blood off of his hands of the man he had just killed. Harlow rolled her eyes at the brothers, here we go again, and she thought her family was bad.
"You look like you could do with a drink. And we have a lot to discuss, so shall we?" Klaus tries to defuse the situation but Elijah attacks him pushing him making Klaus fly through the door but landing on his feet "Easy. I just finished renovating." Klaus scolds, as he stands back up to face his brother and Harlow goes to sit on the couch, she wasn't getting involved.
Klaus rushes at Elijah and Elijah crashes into a table, breaking it. "You know you have every right to be mad at me. But I kept my word, I reunited you with our family."
Elijah attacks him again, and Klaus is knocked against a coffin. Klaus ceases opportunity opening the one next to it, un-daggering Kol who is lying inside. Klaus rushes towards Elijah and holds him against a closed coffin by his throat. He holds the dagger up threateningly. "Don't make me do this to you again Elijah!" Klaus warns.
"Come on. Use it. I dare you. You'll have Kol to deal with." Elijah retorted staring in his brother's eyes with anger
Klaus lowers the dagger. "Mikael is dead." Klaus deadpanned letting go of his brother's shirt and Elijah stands up brushing himself off while looking at his brother in shock.
as all of this was happening Harlow stumbled onto the couch trying to be as quiet as she could. she gripped onto her head as the whole room spun, this wasn't good.
she had zoned out from the brother's conversation deciding not to intervene, this was a sibling thing and also the fact that her whole body felt like it was on fire, a light cover of sweat coated her body as she clung onto the couch for any stability, in hopes it would help the room stop spinning.
Harlow missed the rest of the conversation between the brothers but could see Klaus dagger Kol once again, Harlow was curious why they didn't like Kol so much but she would find out later.
"Always and forever. I need you to stand by my side. Be my brother. Help me destroy Stefan and I promise you our family will be whole again." she heard Klaus propose and there was no crashing of things after that so Elijah probably had agreed. As for the statement that Klaus spoke about Stefan, she didn't really mind. she didn't care for the man although she did recognise he didn't exactly have it easy, the girl he had just fallen in love with was brother-hopping.
the same brother who had made his life hell, or from what he had told her when on the road and Harlow had believed him from the small glimpse of Damon she had seen. He is exactly that type of selfish person that also thinks they are privilege to whatever, not like a Harlow selfish who would look out for her own ass above other but the type of selfish person that would drag everyone down with them and make peoples lives hell for nothing, Harlow could not withstand that type of selfish.
harlows breathing became faster and faster to the point where she couldn't talk as she hyperventilated, she didn't want to do any of this nor did she know where it came from but she has her suspicion it came from the fight she had gotten into earlier.
her arm that had been cut by the crazy blind was burning but she stayed silent her airways deciding not to let air in. she clutched on her chest nothing her breathing was slowing down. making Harlow lay down onto the couch as her breaths slowly evened, now making her breaths shallow.
after Elijah and Klaus resolved their small squabble, Klaus attention then turned to the couch where he noticed that Harlow had been awfully quiet, for well Harlow. he walked slowly to the couch "Harlow?" he spoke, as he got closer he now saw the sickly pale girl in full view making his eyebrows crease together. she was fine the minutes ago.
"I've been poisoned." Harlow rasped as she lazily turned her head to Klaus. who is crouched down beside her confusion written all over his face, Harlow was dying and she was clam?
Klaus wasted no time biting his writs holding it up to the girl "take it."
Harlow mustered up her best-unimpressed look, could this man not grasp the concept of guaranteed immortality "would you stop with this whole drinking your blood thing," she pushed his bloodied hand away, then turning her head up to the roof as her eyes slowly falling closed "I'm fine, I don't think I'm even going to pass out..." as trailed off as her eyes closed as she clung onto consciousness, she didn't think she was going to die because she would have seen white by now.
he was truly puzzled, all realistic thoughts had left his head as he saw the pale girl laying down, all his logic or thoughts gone. Klaus placed a hand on Harlows cheek, her whole body was radiating heat but she was shivering "Harlow?" Klaus frowned as he "what's happening?"
"When do we really know?" Harlow gave the man smirk, the one that he was so familiar with, it made him slightly calm that she wasn't in full panic mode. he could hear Harlows heartbeat light but it held a rhythm, that was good.
he had pieced together that she was poisoned. when she walked into the house at first with baggy clothes on and he also noticed how she constantly itched at her arm. meaning she probably did something making someone angry hence getting cut it a sharp-pointed object on the arm she was itching. he watched as the girl progressively let sleep incase her, he watering until she was fully asleep before he would figure out what to do with her.
after Harlows drama of passing out, Klaus had hauled her out of the room reassuring Elijah that the girl was okay. he knew she wasn't dead because she didn't have that weird glow she did that day when she was stabbed by that witch and died. The same witch had mysteriously disappeared that day, Klaus deniably knew nothing about that.
Klaus softly placed Harlow down on the couch in his study, he didn't want to leave her in his room just in case Harlow got worse and he wouldn't be there to help. however, they may have been the other element in that for some reason Klaus enjoyed listening to Harlows even breaths.
he needed to keep himself busy for now and for whatever reason he decided painting was the best option.
the only things he needed to pay attention to was the canvas, with the background noise of Harlows soft snores.
as night came he eventually fell asleep sitting on the floor, leaning on the side of the couch next to Harlows head. where he could feel her hot breath tickle his neck, it was reassurance for him.
Harlow awoke with a jolt feeling the morning sun hit her face, she sat up immediately ignoring the dull ache in her head as she looked around the unfamiliar room, it was painted a light brown with a big window on the back wall, on the other side of Harlow was two bookshelves and directly in-front of Harlow was an unfinished. she then looked down, he hand was on something soft. it was an awake Klaus, quietly inspecting the girl
"your a terrible nurse you know," Harlow grumbles as she massaged her neck, Klaus stood up going to closing the blinds to lighten the hit of the morning sun.
"well believe it or not I'm not exactly qualified. you could have died." Klaus gave the girl a disapproving look as he held out his hand for the girl to take as she wobbled trying to Stand on her feet, Klaus would argue that it was too soon to even sit up but he knew not to argue Harlow on these things.
"honestly thought I did..." Harlow rubbed her face looking down to see a slightly angry Klaus waiting for her to elaborate "but I didn't." she elaborated,
"Damon and Stefan are coming for dinner, you staying in this room." he changed the conversion while giving the girl a pointed look
"no, I'm not" Harlow deadpanned as Klaus left the room "I'll come down in twenty!" Harlow raised her voice as Klaus left the room
"I'm locking the door," Klaus yelled as he shut the door leaving Harlow in the office
"I swear to god I will burn down your newly renovated house if you do that." she yelled at the door, she knew he could hear her.
✧
Harlow lied it only took fifteen minutes until she got bored enough to walk down the stairs to where she could hear faint chatter, she did get slightly lost before hearing the talking of at least two egomaniac men get louder
as she made it to the bottom of the hallway there were four men at the dinner table Damon, Stefan and on the other side was Elijah and Klaus. Harlow was starting to regret coming down now but before she could sprint back up the stairs, Damon had spotted her
"Harlow!" Damon gave the girl a menacing smile waving at her "we've got a seat for you." he nodded to the head of the table on the side of both he and Klaus were on.
Harlow nodded, smiling through the mental pain of now having to have small talk with two brother who were banging her sister and two original brothers. she sat down at the table ignoring a certain originals eyes burn into her.
"Stefan. Where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Klaus asked as he took a sip of his wine. Making Harlow glare at him, she knew he said that to purposely agitate the two brothers. Klaus told Harlow this was a dinner to cause peace between the four, but knowing Klaus it was never that simple.
"I don't know. Ask Damon." Stefan grumbled, poking at his food.
Klaus laughs "I'm sorry, you've missed so much. Ah, trouble in paradise?" he questioned looking between the brothers
"One more word about Elena and this dinner over." Damon thew down his fork giving Klaus a pointed look. Klaus smirks and puts a finger to his lips as a promise to keep quiet about Elena, all while Harlow gave him a quick kick under the table to hims legs telling him to shut up.
"You know what, probably best just to keep Elena in the do-not-discuss pile." Damon retorted, which Harlow nodded she really didn't want to know Elenas love life.
Klaus nodded giving a dramatic sigh while smirking at Harlow after who looked at the man unimpressed "You're probably right."
"It's just the allure of the Petrova doppelgänger, still so strong." Elijah shook his head smiling. at this exact moment, Harlow was ready to be swallowed by the ground, this was a bad idea coming down here.
Harlow then noticed the many eyes on her, making her even more uncomfortable than she already was "why are you looking at me?" she mumbled.
"What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?" Elijah looked to his brother
Klaus shook his head as he took another sip of his wine "Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?" he gave his brother a slightly pointed look to stop while Harlow watched the two interact with a grin on her face, Klaus had never mentioned her.
"Well, given their shared affection for both Elena and Katerina, I think our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line."
" Well, we're not going anywhere Elijah. Please, do tell." Damon takes a sip of wine.
"agreed." Harlow nodded, as she ate more of the food on her plate that one of Klaus's minions had served her.
"When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia. She was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus." Elijah opined while Klaus was solely focused on his wine
"I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much." Klaus added, while he got a refill of his wine.
"Wait a minute. So you both loved the same girl?" Damon looked between the two original brothers shocked
"It must be a vampire brothers thing," Harlow added, trying to contain her smirk that Klaus had now caught onto. he wasn't sure if she was jealous or found this entering but either way he was ready for this conversion to stop.
"Our mother was a very powerful witch. She sought to end our feud over Tatia and so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we consumed in the wine on the night where our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires." Elijah contained to explain the story of the girl, while noticing his brother's sole attention on the Petrova in the room "Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, so for a time Niklaus and I...grew estranged. Harsh words were traded, we even came to blows, didn't we, brother?"
a man would be blind not to notice Klaus affection towards the girl, Elijah had never seen Klaus the man sought out to be heartless so wrapped up in someone. every one of his actions that Elijah had seen, had always included the element of Harlow. if it were the house near hers, the furniture he had gotten in from an apartment back in the Chicago into the new house, or the way he had seen him look at the girl with such pride.
Klaus snapped back into reality, when Elijah mentioned him and luckily Elijah was the only one to notice his stare, harlow was too preoccupied playing with her food "But in the end, we realized the sacred bond of family." he ended the story
"Family above all," Elijah spoke both he and Klaus raise their glasses followed by the two brothers while Harlow just sat there, being banned of wine by Klaus from what she could gather.
"Family above all" the two sets of brother clink their glasses together before the room went into silence.
"So, why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah asked, looking around the table.
"That's very simple. Klaus gets his coffin back, in exchange, he and the Original extended family leave Mystic Falls forever. me, Stefan, and Elena live happily ever after. No grudges." Damon deadpanned, as Harlow questioned this happily ever after business in his words.
"The deal sounds fair, brother." Elijah tried to defuse the situation and his frustrated brother
"I don't think you understand. Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. I will never leave her behind" Klaus gets up and starts to pace.
" Let's say I do leave her here, under your protection, what then? How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, how long before she dies caught between your feuding?" Klaus looked between the Salvatore brothers before he continued
"You see, each one of you truly believes that you're the one that can protect her, and that is simply a delusion. Gentlemen, the worst thing for Elena Gilbert is...the two of you." Klaus finished still looking between the brothers both now having a slightly insulted look on their faces. Harlow could partly agree with his words, ever since these two brothers had come into town Hell has ensued.
at that moment Harlows phone chimed, making her take it out of her pocket zoning out the rest of the conversation 'urgent, you're needed at Caroline's' she read the text from Elena, making her frown. it was odd for Elena to text her and it was even weirder for her to text so bluntly.
"what's the matter?" Klaus questioned seeing Harlow frown down at her phone
"don't know" Harlow answered mumbling as she once covered the text see if she had missed anything,
"who?" Klaus then asked as he neared Harlow to get a closer look at what she was so focused on.
"Daniel," Harlow lied standing up from the dinner table "I'm going." Harlow let out a sigh of relief heading to the door, Elena seemed to have saved her for whatever reason, she was thankful. Harlow didn't want to be stuck in that room any longer than she had to be
"Harlow, you almost died less than a day ago." Klaus lectured the girl while Damon listened to their conversation quietly.
"no." Harlow stopped in her tracks cutting the man off before he could fit in a scolding "the Testosterone in this room is suffocating, as of now that's my biggest life-threatening problem" she pointed in-between Damon and Klaus
"Harlow.." Klaus warned, it would have had to be a strong amount of poison to make Harlow pass out. Hell, Klaus didn't think she should even be standing right now let alone driving.
"did I hear a denial..." Klaus looked at the girl unimpressed as she grabbed her jumper off the couch "No? I'm going." she waved the two men off before leaving the house.
"she's like Elena, but feistier," Damon spoke in a suggestive tone as Harlow left the room
"don't go getting any ideas." Klaus gave the man a warning look, as he pointed at him wine glass in hand all playfulness had dropped from his voice
Damon held up his hands not liking the change in the atmosphere "too feisty for me." he reassured
✧
Harlow could almost feel it in the air when she entered the Forbes residence. When she saw Sherif Forbes sitting on the couch with tears in her eyes too busy crying to notice her at the door.
Harlow walked further into the house past Caroline's room, where surprisingly her dad was laying in the bed but as Harlow looks at him further from the doorway, how his face a sickly pale it made Harlow correct herself Carolines very much dead dad was laying in her bed.
making Harlows heart drop, not for the death of the man but her best friend and what she must be feeling.
Harlow walked further down the hall into the kitchen to where she could hear the sobs of no other than Caroline who was leaning up against the kitchen drawers tears streaking down her face. Harlow walked faster to the girl kneeling towards her
Harlow bent down, to Carolines level then moving the hair from the sobbing girls face "hey, what's the matter?" she asked, Harlow knew it was a stupid question, but it was a way to get the conversation going better then saying 'hey, I know yours dads dead. lets talk'
"How did you make it stop" Caroline spoke in-between sobs "when they died... how did you not feel like this?"
"it early on, blondie," Harlow sighed sitting down on the floor next to the girl "you just gotta wait it out, and although we both know that neither you nor I am very patient people, it only seems just we are just going to have to do it together" she gabbed the girls hand squeezing it
"did it help..." Caroline spoke while sniffling and hiccuping between words as she tried to calm herself slightly "going away?"
"depends on who's perspective," Harlow shook her head as she stoked the girls hand. Carolines crying ceased now only hiccuping, the tears would come to bake soon once she remembered what had happened "for me, maybe, in a short term but in the end im not sure" Harlow explained
Caroline ran her hands through her hair as she tried to find the words "but you have him and he... he..." her words bubbled at her chest
from Caroline's perspective a sad Harlow left for a while after her parents death, then came back, and back to being happier Harlow and now with a good man for her per se
"he kills my aunt," Harlow cut in "not making very good points here."
as bad as it sounded when Harlow first faced her parent's death all that she wanted to do was distract herself. which led her down to a road of slightly excessive drinking, because she couldnt wrap her head around how her sister was so unaffected by the whole thing, she felt alone.
It frustrated Harlow that her sister went back to normal after merely weeks, that when Elena closed her eyes she didn't see her parents last moments with them. when Harlows parents died, the girl had never felt more isolated.
"you get the idea" Caroline whined, in protest of wanting to make a point
"I mean you are dating a dog" Harlow grumbled as she stoked Caroline's hair, trying to get the girl to think about anything else for the time being.
Caroline let out a sad chuckle as she wiped her nose "so are you."
Harlow then paused,"fair, I forgot about that."