Lucy's look for the chapter ≈
CHAPTER LXVIII
❝ And here I was thinking he was paying you for the therapy. ❞
"They have forsaken me. My siblings are as deceitful in disease just as my parents ever were. Accusing me of using my baby for my own gain. Trusting others before their own blood. And then there's this secret which has surfaced itself and it's destroying everything. . ."
Lucy zoned out Klaus' angry ranting, rather turning her focus onto the click of the typewriter as she sauntered into the small study, her heels clicking with each step.
"Hello, Camille." she smiled at the blonde sitting by the table, acquiring a seat opposite to hers as Klaus' pacing and words came to an abrupt stop.
"If someone would like to know, today's my doctor's appointment. First appointment. And I'm telling this just because I don't want to separate a father and child." Lucy spoke up loudly, looking up at the ceiling.
"Lucy-" Niklaus began, striding towards her.
"-I, who's not accusing the someone of using the baby, would like the someone to please not say anything to me."
Cami looked between two in slight alarm, contemplating her words as Klaus opened and closed his mouth, stuck between speaking or not. "Well, it appears things are not that good between you two."
"Good? Things are doomed." Lucy shrugged, not looking Niklaus' way. "The secret he talks about. That is 'destroying' everything, is nothing but a sin of his. Which he's hidden for quite too long now-"
"-Lucy, allow me to explain-"
"-I asked the someone to not talk to me." Lucy raised her voice up by a notch. "So, like I was saying, the secret which had surfaced itself is nothing but that he murdered a friend of mine and now I know of it. Cheers!"
"Camille, please tell her that I would like to apologise for all my indiscretions and explain my side of that wretched day-" Niklaus looked at Camille.
"-I thought I asked the someone to not talk to me." Lucy glared at the thin air.
"I'm talking to Camille."
"Very well then, " Lucy shrugged saracstically, "Camille, please if you may, inform him that apologies are granted to those who deserve it. They are earned."
"Camille, do let her know that I am ready to do anything to earn it-"
"-Camille, please tell him that-"
"-Oh my god!" Camille exclaimed, looking at the pair with wide eyes. "Excuse me. But, Klaus, you did something bad again and ultimately you've driven away the only person who didn't accuse you of seeing your child as just a weapon. And, Lucy, being totally unbiased, you may give him a chance of explanation-"
"-exactly!" Niklaus exclaimed, eliciting an eye roll from Lucy.
"-or, you may cut him off for ever." she finished with a deadpanned look as Lucy hollered with laughter.
"Fine. Fine." Klaus looked away from the female pair, rolling his eyes in annoyance and embarrassment alike.
"I like you Camille. You seem to be on the right side." Lucy mused. "My apologies for dragging you into this."
"Not your part to apologise for." Camille smiled awkwardly. "I'm compelled to be here."
"Seriously?" Lucy threw Klaus a look. "And here I was thinking he was paying you for the therapy. Brilliant."
"I'll free her." Niklaus offered immediately. "Camille, you may go. I release you of my compulsion but you may not remember all our meetings."
"How are you freeing her then?" Lucy rose a brow, snorting before her eyes fell onto the stack of papers Camille was collecting to leave.
"What's this?" she asked, pulling out a page containing some weird sort of symbol.
"It's an ancient mystical plot I'm using to destroy Klaus." she sighed, throwing Klaus a deadpanned look. "Relax. It's a tattoo design."
Lucy snorted at her words. "I keep liking you more and more, Camille. I hope we can meet somewhere you weren't forced to come to."
"Maybe soon." she smiled at her before exiting the study.
"Lucy-" Klaus began the moment Camille left.
"-come on, it's time." Lucy interjected him, getting up from the chair. "And please don't talk. Only drive."
◇◇◆◇◆◇◇
"So, am I not supposed to talk to you ever?" Klaus sighed as he turned the car down an alley.
"I don't know." Lucy sighed angrily, turning her face to look out of the window.
"Look, Lucy, I don't know how to make it up to you-"
"-can we please not talk about that." Lucy spoke over him.
"Alright." he sighed, shoulders sagging. "Then, at least tell me where were you last night? You weren't home."
"Oh, someone's worried that I was sneaking behind their back." Lucy snorted, sarcasm laced in her words. "Very well then, I was fucking Kol behind your back. Happy?"
"Oh my god." he sighed in exasperation. "That is not how I meant it. I was just worried about where you were."
"I would have obviously not returned to your home after all that happened. I stayed at a hotel. Hayley stayed with Elijah and me and Vaishali returned. Kol's god knows where. Besides, if you weren't so absorbed in getting your memoir written down by compelling people, you would have noticed that I packed up my things and put them in my car even before entering that study."
"You're leaving?" he turned to look at her, "No. You-"
"Eyes on the road." she drawled out, avoiding his eyes, before muttering, "I will go once we're done with the checkup."
The car's tires screeched as Niklaus slammed into the breaks, the passengers jerking with the sudden stop.
"What the hell!" Lucy exclaimed, her hand moving to her stomach as she looked at him with wide eyes. "What is wrong with you!?"
"You are not leaving-"
"-I will do whatever the fuck I want!" Lucy hissed, her hand moving to grab at the handle to open the car's door.
Klaus stepped out of the car, speeding to her side and pressing the door close as Lucy glared up at him.
"Let go of the door, Klaus." Lucy gritted, her eyes throwing daggers at him.
"You cannot leave our home." he stated firmly. "You've got to hear my side of what happened first."
Lucy clenched her jaw looking up at him before pushing out the door with all her force making Niklaus stumble back as he hissed in pain.
"Don't even dare to behave like this with me." Lucy glared at him, slamming the door shut behind her. "Get it crystal clear, Klaus, you can't make everyone stay by force. You dagger your siblings when they try to leave, and now you're trying to force me to stay. This is a repetitive cycle in which you fail to see that it's your own actions which bring it upon you!"
"I tried," he sighed, stepping towards her as he raised his hand to caress her cheek. "I tried telling you the truth-"
"-don't." she said sharply, stepping back from him before his hand could touch her face. "Just keep your distance."
His face fell as he pinched the bridge of his nose looking to the side. "I just want to say things don't have to fall apart like this-"
"-see!" Lucy threw her hands in the air, exclaiming. "This is the problem. You think that things are falling apart because I'm not forgiving you. But no! Things are falling apart because you killed my friend. In your mind, it's me due to whom either things will fall apart or they will continue just the way it is. But in reality, it's you who's to be held responsible for everything."
Niklaus sighed, running a hand through his hair as he nodded to himself. "Alright then. If that's what you believe I'm thinking, then let it be. Go."
Lucy stared at him for a long moment, face stoic until she let out a scoff. "Easy for me."
And she walked away from him, jaw clenched as she harshly wiped her check, muttering, "Bloody pregnancy hormones.", not bothering to look back as Klaus slammed a fist into the car's bonnet, yelling out in frustration.
◇◇◆◇◆◇◇
"The baby's perfectly fine and healthy." the doctor smiled at her, wiping the cold gel off her belly and proceeding to jot down the vitals on the writing pad.
"May I ask, are you a single parent?" the doctor asked politely, turning to smile at her.
"Um. . ." Lucy trailed off, glancing down at the amount of missed calls on her phone. "No. Not exactly."
"Oh, the father must be busy then." she smiled apologetically at her, handing over her report.
"Thank you." Lucy smiled at her, carefully getting down the patient examination chair.
Lucy quietly shut the door behind her, crossing the corridor before clicking on the down button by the elevator as she waited for it to arrive.
The elevator arrived empty with the exception of the guard and Lucy scrolled open her phone as the doors closed behind her.
Nik ━ We need to talk.
Lucy, please.
Please don't go.
If you're not willing to talk to me, then at least read my messages.
Look, I tried telling you about Carol a lot of times-
Lucy rolled her eyes in annoyance, opting to not read the rest of the messages as the elevator's doors pinged open.
Exiting the building she was surprised to see a car waiting for her.
"Josh?" she asked, amusement lacing her voice as she knocked on his window.
"Oh, hi," he said, voice showing relief, "glad you're here. I've been waiting for you."
"Me?" her eyes narrowed.
"Klaus sent me." Josh explained, the car rumbling on.
"And where is he?" she raised a brow, crossing her arms.
"He is. . ." he trailed off, hesitating slightly, "off to see Marcel. At the Compound."
Lucy bit her tongue, thinking for a moment before she got into the car.
"Okay, but drop me at this hotel." Lucy muttered, setting the location in the GPS.
"Klaus said to drop you at the plantation house-"
"-I don't care what he said, Josh. Drop me at that hotel." Lucy spoke over him, reclining her seat back as she closed her eyes.
"He also asked me to convey a message to you." Josh said slowly. "He said and I quote 'I would like to rediscuss today afternoon's affairs over a cup of coffee if you're up to it.'"
"I say and you must quote it to him," Lucy replied, her eyes still closed, "'fuck off.'"
◇◇◆◇◆◇◇
Harsh winds blew through the empty forest clearing as sun rays barely reached the ground past the thick tree layers.
Despite that, the sky looked perfectly black in colour.
Lucy looked up in confusion, her hand moving to her belly.
Her eyes instantly snapped down, widening on registering the enormous size, almost nine months already.
Alarm buzzed through her veins as she realised that her body was covered in a white flowy gown even though she had never seen the piece of clothing before, let alone remember purchasing it.
A sudden snap of branch makes her head snap towards the source of the noise, goosebumps appearing onto her arms as suddenly a child's giggle fills the air.
"Mom!" the child's voice called out in ecstasy.
Lucy's breath wavered as she instantly recognised the voice. Brie.
"Br-Brie?" she called out hesitantly, eyes glossy.
A sudden movement catches her eyes as Lucy instantly runs after it.
This time she reaches another clearing, breath heaving by all the running.
"Brie?" she whispered, reaching out to touch the shoulder of the girl standing in the middle of the empty patch, her back turned to Lucy.
The child turned, smiling up at her as tears began pooling out of Lucy's eyes followed by her pulling the girl into a bone-crushing hug.
"No!" the child screamed, pushing her away as Lucy stumbled back in shock.
"Wh-What's wrong, princess? Why are you-?"
"Stay away from me!" the girl yelled with determination, stomping a foot as her eyes fell on Lucy's enlarged stomach. "You're replacing me!"
Lucy looked at her in disbelief, stumbling on her words. "No, no. That's- I'm not replacing you. I-I- that's you, Brie. You're coming back to me."
"That's not me." she said firmly. "Not me."
"Brie, no-" Lucy rushed forward, stumbling as the child suddenly disappeared, turning into dazzling white mist which spread out into the air with the blowing wind.
Lucy woke up with a start, gasping.
"Are you okay?" Josh asked worriedly, eyes wide as the car pulled into the driveway.
"Yeah." she nodded absentmindedly, wiping her tear-stained cheeks with the back of her hand as she straightented up in her car seat, before her eyes fell onto the location they've reached.
"Why are we here?" she murmured, willing herself to focus on her surroundings rather than on the nightmare as her hand gripped the sides of her seat.
It was just a dream. Not real.
Her Brie is still with her.
"I'm sorry." he murmured sheepishly, the car coming to a stop in front of the plantation house. "I can't cross Klaus."
Lucy turned to look at the young vampire in disbelief as someone opened the door for her, her breathing continuously becoming more laboured curtsey of her mind jumping back to the contents of the nightmare.
"Brilliant timing." Niklaus passed a sarcastic smile, looking at Josh. "I was just leaving for my new home."
"And you're coming with me, Lucy." he turned his gaze to Lucy.
"What?" she looked up at him with a dazed look as the image of Brie pushing her away flashed before her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Niklaus frowned, turning his gaze to Josh. "Did something happen, Josh?"
"No." Josh hurried to explain, eyes wide in fear.
Brie's words ringed in Lucy's ears as she blinked back tears.
'That's not me. Not me.'
"Lucy, are you okay?" he asked worriedly, reaching out for her.
"No. . ." she whispered, her gaze blurring as she blindly reached out for something, grabbing a hold of his hand, before the world seemed to spin around her.
And she barely felt Niklaus catch her before darkness engulfed her.
━━━━━━✰━━━━━━
A/n :
Well, well, well, girl's gotta know someday or the other that that baby ain't Brie.
And, ofc, not her not even letting Klaus explain 😭😭
Until then,
Ripahhhhhhhhhh.
Word Count : 2380