BEFORE YOU READ:
So, I've been curious if any of you guys would like to know more about Harper that I didn't state already in this story. Or maybe you have some general questions about specific things. I don't know, but let me know if you have specific questions you'd like answered and if I should update a chapter specifically addressing them or just addressing them in the comments.
Thanks!
_________
I couldn't breathe, and my eyesight began to slowly come back.
It's been this way for a few months. It was dark, like it normally is. The only light was the brightness of the full moon. I coughed and coughed till finally a rock appeared in my palm, bloody and from my throat.
When Klaus placed the curse on the Crescents and I, he had a truly malicious plan. Since I, being a Feeler, Klaus made Dahlia curse me to forever of becoming a statue, rock filling every part of my body. The only time of freedom I was allowed was the full moon.
Elijah had made sure to keep my body safe in the bayou in a locked cabin. Only him, Freya, and Eden could enter. When I awoke Elijah was usually outside, waiting for me to be ready to greet my beautiful baby girl.
She was growing up, and I missed every minute of it.
After the full moon left, I would go back into the cabin to endure the pain again. My heart would fill, then my lungs, and would ever so slowly fill my veins, muscles, skin, and then, lastly, my electric eyes.
Elijah would tell me what had been going on the whole month, telling me of Klaus's traitorous deeds, of Eden's many toddler accomplishments, and of the family squabbles. I hated Klaus, and that wasn't going to change any century soon.
Elijah usually set out a new outfit for me since my old ones are always covered in a layer of dust. I always stayed with either Elijah or Freya during my only night of the month of freedom with my daughter.
But tonight, I had other plans.
I told Elijah that I didn't intend to see Eden tonight, although I wished with my entire heart to. I was going to face the man who cursed me himself. Hoping for him to drink my in, realize the pain he had caused me.
And honey, I wanted him to burn.
__________
I had seen multiple fliers on my walk down bourbon street advertising and art showing of Klaus's art at the St. James Infirmary. But before my venture there, I stopped by the compound, leading all the way to my room.
Once I opened the door, it hit something. I turned on the light to see the entire room trashed. Clothes strewn about, furniture thrown everywhere, and a hole in the far wall. It looks like Klaus found quite the temper of his awakening a few months ago.
I found a bright red dress lying on a flipped over couch. I grabbed it and put it on, dressing myself up. After I finished my time there, I headed to the art show.
When I arrived, there were quite a few people looking around. I stood in the doorway and looked around the room, seeing dozens of familiar paintings. My vampire hearing could his voice, drifting elegantly through the air like velvet, his tongue laced with scotch.
"Have you spoken to her?"
"Who?" Another man asked, sitting beside him. "Oh, you mean her. As you well know, Aurora and I parted ways centuries ago." The man continued.
"Champaign?" A woman asked me, bringing me from their conversation.
"No, thank you." I tell her, my eyes bring me to Klaus and the man sitting next to him.
"Please, excuse me. There's someone I need to speak to." Klaus told him, his eyes glaring at mine.
"Hm? Anyone tasty?" He asks.
"Stay here. Behave yourself." Klaus smirks.
"Always."
"I suppose now is better than never. Though, did you have to do it here? Also, you look ravishing as always, love. Even as a pile of rock you look exquisite." Klaus smirked, stalking towards me.
"Trying to impress your lapdog over there? Also, can you compel him to rip his pervert eyes out of his skull?" I ask sweetly.
"He's an old acquaintance." Klaus smiled.
"Old acquaintance? You wound me." The man calls.
"Classy." I scoff.
"Even though I love seeing you, what are you doing here?" Klaus asks.
"Ah, well, I'm here to see your art. You know, I think I've read somewhere that every single artist paints through their memory. Every stroke can be interpreted into someone's feelings. I think if I look hard enough I can find your unremorseful black soul poured onto each canvas." I tell him with a graceful smile.
"That's why you're here. To attempt to tear open the scar of the wound that was never there. I never loved you, you know? I just pretended to, to manipulate you." Klaus told me, the words spilling out.
"I figured that after you cursed me. I just wanted to tell you that I'm done with being in your family anymore, the only reason I will ever make contact is to see the one person that I care about. Oh, and I think someone spilled champagne all over your "Sheets Wrapped Around A Ginger Whore"." I smiled at him.
Klaus frowned, but soon replaced it with a smirk. "Goodbye, love."
"As I told you a million times before, don't call me "love", puppy."
___________
I soon arrived back in the bayou and slammed on my breaks. I looked out the windshield, to the cabin where I've spent my months. I saw Freya sitting by Eden's stroller, waiting for me to come to them.
Klaus always ended with the last word, or the last meaningful word. Even though my love for him is gone, he still hurt me. He only cared for Eden and stopped caring for me a long time ago and he wasn't afraid to show it.
I exited the car and walked toward Freya and my baby. I sighed and leaned against one of the poles. Freya looked up at me, concerned. I looked down and didn't speak for five minutes.
"Are you going to tell me, or?" She asked.
"I went to see Klaus." I told her.
Freya's eyes widened in surprise. "What'd you say? What happened?" She questioned.
"I went to his art show, told him that I don't want anything to do with him, and the only reason we'd ever see each other is because of Eden. Then, he continued to tell me that he never loved me and I was wasting my time anyway. So, I left." I explained, shrugging.
"Harper-" Freya started.
"Please, all I want to do right now is be with my daughter." I sighed, sitting down next to her stroller, seeing her asleep. Freya kept the distance after that. An hour later, Elijah came to us with his arm around Jackson.
"What the hell?" I stand, grabbing Jackson's other arm and sitting him down. I told Freya to take Eden inside, to stop her from waking up. "What happened?"
"A company ordered a hunt to kill all of the wolves. We can't find Hayley." Elijah explained.
"Fuck." I growl. Elijah dug out the pieces of metal in his leg and I started on the ones in his chest. I placed pressure on the last one of Jackson's wounds, using a knife to increase the size of the hole and dug my fingers into his rich scented flesh to dig out a jagged piece of metal. I scrunched up my nose at the sight.
That's gotta hurt.
Jackson panted irregularly and Elijah held out his bare forearm. "Take my blood." Elijah ordered. I gave him a look. No way was Jackson going to take his blood. They hated each other, even if Elijah just saved his ass, it was for Hayley.
"I'm good. We need to find Hayley." Jackson stated.
Elijah lowered his arm. "There's still no sign of her. I've seen the bodies." Elijah looked away.
"Hunters set up traps all over the bayou, mowed us all down with gunfire. Any wolf that wasn't taken out, scattered. Elijah, how many bodies?" Jackson asked, his face twisted with the readiness of the pain he was about to endure.
Elijah looked down and said nothing. Jackson huffed and grit his teeth. "A trap wouldn't hold Hayley after she'd turned back. Nothing would stop her from being free. Something's wrong." Jackson sighed.
Elijah grabbed his coat and started for the cabin. "Where're you going?" Jackson asked.
"I'm taking my niece home. Then I'll continue the search. You stay here, you tend to your dead." Elijah stated. I knew that he wanted me to help and no matter if I wanted to stay with Eden tonight, Hayley might be in trouble or dead. We have to search.
"No. No. We've got five hours till we're under our curse again. Elijah, she's my wife." Jackson urged.
I looked down. He's right.
________
The three of us left to the compound. Elijah and Jackson faced Klaus while I put my little girl to sleep. I sat in the rocking chair and rocked her in my arms. I hummed a small little lullaby, and God did I miss this.
I love her with my entire being and I can only see her eight hours every month.
It wasn't fair.
I was robbed of my family for the thousandth time in my life.
I noticed tears forming in my eyes and dripping down my cheeks. I quickly wiped them away and continued with the lullaby before looking down to see that my darling daughter was already sound asleep.
I felt so peaceful in this moment my eyes began to flutter closed.
I woke up sometime later, realizing that I wasted valuable time. I saw that Eden was gone from my arms and speed downstairs to see Klaus holding Eden, Freya, and Jackson standing together.
"No. No. You need to find her." Jackson demanded.
A crack of a bone and a sudden familiar pain growing in my chest began to arise. I screamed, the pain spreading through my chest as I fell to the ground. I could hear Eden's crying, but it was so distant from my screams.
I opened my eyes and looked up at Klaus.
"P-Please, s-she can't see me like this." I struggle, before I began to choke on the feeling of cement being poured down my throat. I could hear Jackson's groans and then it stopped. The groans.
Then soon, my pain faded.
I sat up on my knees and clutched my throat, feeling the rock come up my throat. I began to cough violently. One rock, five rocks, twelve. They came and came before finally they stopped. I panted and felt all eyes on me.
I looked up, seeing everyone's face twisted in horror.
Especially Klaus's
_________
I was finally morning and I sat on the sofa, looking at the blood and pile of rock. I was getting angrier and angrier by the second. Dahlia did this to me. Even more memorable, Klaus did this to me.
I sped to Freya and knocked her out, looking at Jackson.
"I'm going to kill the son of a bitch who did this to us." I hiss.
"You can sure try, love." Klaus said from behind me.
"You know I thought about it. Do you have any idea what you have taken from me?" I angrily speed towards him and attempt to throw a punch, but he brings it behind my back, causing me to yelp in pain.
I turn and roundhouse kick him in the face, bringing him to the ground. He stood after a moment. "The very thing you sought to take from me, the chance to raise our daughter. Your punishment fits your crime." Klaus stalks towards me.
"Your family was ruining her life. Her chance at a loving home." I growled.
Klaus sped towards me, holding me against a wall by my throat. "My family saved her life, while you were off playing hide and seek with a bunch of dogs!" Klaus sneered. I head butted him, drawing him aback.
"There's a very short list of people who've tried to take Eden away from me, and you're the only one left breathing." Klaus threatened, blood trailing from his nose.
"Are you that delusional, Klaus? You cursed us all! Every wolf that stood beside our family to protect our daughter, you took all of them away from their families!" I sneered.
"Yes, yes, the precious wolf pack that you go on about. "That "family" you chose over us, and in doing so, you chose over Eden!" Klaus pointed upstairs.
"Is that what you were planning on telling her when she grew up and began wondering where I was? That I left her?" I hissed. I grabbed a wooden pike from behind me and threw it a Klaus, he caught it with ease and I jumped up two stories, Klaus following close behind, arriving in front of me.
I attempted to punch him, but he dodged every single one. "My parents are done. Yours turned their backs on you. Look at us now, Klaus!" I growled, grabbing fistfuls of his jacket and pushing him back.
"She deserves better than us!" I punched him. "I've wanted that since day one!" I threw another punch. "But all she has left is a cursed mother!" Punch. "And a broken father!" Punch.
I shoved him. "Fight back!" Shove. "Fight back!" I scratched him across the face and he slowly looked back at me, his eyes full of some feeling I've never seen him experience before. He looked behind me and I turned around.
There Eden was.
Standing at the end of the hallway, sucking on her fingers, and looking at her parents, bloody and angry. I felt a tear fall from my eye and put my hand to my mouth as I walked towards her, sorrow ached through my body.
"She's walking." I state. "When did she start walking?" I asked, my voice cracking. I knelt down to my knees as she walked into my lap. I held her tightly in my arms as sobs racked through my chest. "I missed it. I missed everything." I sob, placing a kiss to her cheek.
I soon stood with my child in my arms and began walking downstairs to Elijah, Jackson, Hayley, and Freya. I took note that Hayley was safe and stopped beside everyone. "I see you're safe." I tell her and she nods. "And I see that we're not cursed at the moment." I state.
"Long story. I'll tell you later." She told me.
"Good for you. I'll have your bedroom made up." Klaus huffed from behind me.
"The only way I'll ever stay under your roof again is as if I'm dead." I growl.
"If you think I'll allow Eden out of my protection for a second-" Klaus started.
"I don't give a single shit about what you'll "allow", Klaus. If this is a custody battle, let's weigh the odds, shall we? You are a raging homicidal maniac that turned me into stone, killed a whole lot of people, and cursed an entire species to damnation." I start.
"You attempted to take her away from me!" Her sneers.
"Case and point." I hiss.
"If I may." Elijah interrupts. "The apartments across the street have been renovated. I might pay a visit to the management. The fact that Eden will never be out of earshot should assuage your incessant paranoia." Elijah persuades Klaus.
"So we are to listen as my daughter is raised by a savage." Klaus smirked at me.
"Better than raised by a monster." I scoff, Klaus frowning at me.
"Brother, you created the problem. This might well be the solution." Elijah told Klaus.
"And if you think you can just steal her back, I will be placing a boundary spell on the place so Klaus can't enter unless invited." I state to him. Klaus looked down at me in shock.
"Surprised? If I were you, I wouldn't be." I turned on my heel, and out of the compound gates.
__________
Jackson and Hayley left to protect their pack, while Freya babysat at my new apartment. I came back to the compound to pack some of the things I had left. Some necessary essentials, entailing clothes and some few personal items that I had to weave through my trashed room.
I allowed my mind to wander, to go to the place that scared me the most. I was trapped inside my own head for months at a time, playing over memories that I love and that I hated. I mostly played over the last tormenting one.
A recurring nightmare.
Pain, a bloody red smile filled with fangs, a witch, and stone.
A knock brought me from my nightmare and I realized I had stopped packing. "Are you okay?" Elijah questioned, walking into the room and around the furniture.
"I'm fine." I tell him, continuing packing. "What happened here?" I asked him.
"Klaus's anger-" Elijah started.
"Say no more." I scoff. "What a child." I huff.
I felt Elijah hold something out for me and I turned around to see a gold key dangling on his index finger. I smile and take the key from him. "Thank you for all you've done, Elijah. I feel alive again." I tell him.
"How do you feel after being free."
"That I'll never be happy again. Last year, I was with Klaus, Eden, and you guys. I was happy with the love of my life in one hand and the reason I'm alive in another. But now, my life is just resorted to empty feelings and lost causes." I tell him with a sigh. "I hate Klaus for tearing the thing in life that made me have a reason to live."
"You won't always feel like this, Harper." Elijah promised me.
"Then why does it feel like you're lying."
"I fought for your return, you were not forgotten." Elijah told me, before turning and leaving.
"I'm sorry, Elijah, but you're still lying."
________
I walked into the apartment that had a golden three on the crisp white door. I was faced with loads of boxes Elijah gifted me. The only piece of furniture that was built was Eden's crib, courtesy to Elijah.
I set her down in it and gave her a few toys to hopefully stay entertained while I set up her room quickly so she could soon go to sleep. I sped to finish it, and being the most well behaved little girl she was, she didn't fuss.
I picked her up and layed a blanket on the floor, setting her down while I moved her crib in her bedroom. I then picked her up from the blanket and put her to sleep in her new room that was sloppily put together.
I silently closed her bedroom door and sighed, looking around at the boxes. Elijah was giving me the freedom to decorate how I wanted and I appreciated it. He did buy kitchen supplies, a sofa, a king size bed, and moved most of things from my old room.
This was going to be a long night.
_________
Third POV
Klaus watched from his bedroom window into Harper's new apartment. She closed the door to Eden's nursery and looked at all the boxes presented to her.She chose a box and began to unpack it.
Klaus realized his mistakes he made against the love of his life long ago. It angered him that he did so, but it also angered him that Harper attempted to steal away with his child, tear apart his family, and leave him alone. Always and Forever.
Klaus turned away from the window, walking a few steps forward.
He knew he didn't have anyone to blame anymore but himself.
The glass he held shattered in a million pieces in his fist.
Klaus looked down.
He was alone, always and forever.
_________
This is surprising. Two chapters in a week? At least it isn't once a month this time. Thank you for reading this long guys.
Questions?
What will happen between Klaus's and Harper's new families?
How is Harper going to handle being a single mother?
How can Klaus take watching someone he loves slip through his fingers?
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