Chapter Six
sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴏʙsᴇssɪᴏɴs
Australia, 1720
A fifteen-year-old Nora was sharpening a knife. She found that holding so much power in the palm of her hand was comforting.
She sat alone, deep in the woods. The only light coming from the moon. Nora would come outside and just think, listening only to the blowing of the wind and her knife running along the sharpening block.
Suddenly hearing a noise, she paused, attempting to listen and determine what it was that she heard. Concluding that it was nothing, she continued sharpening her knife.
But then she heard something again. And this time she was sure of herself. She turned and threw the knife, surely halting whatever animal was approaching. Nora stood and approached the noises of struggling.
Imagine her surprise when she saw her father with a knife sticking out of his chest. "Father?" She gasped, tears immediately running down her face as she tried to stop the bleeding. "Oh my god."
Her father tried to speak, but only more blood came from his mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm- I didn't. You-" Nora couldn't even form a coherent sentence, for the grief and guilt were too strong. All she could do was watch as the life left his eyes, as his chest stopped rising and falling, as he died.
She had killed her own father.
Mystic falls, 2010
Nora groaned lightly as she woke. This is something she was used to; being plagued by her past. She quickly wiped her tears and exited her bedroom for something to drink.
The oven clock read 3:32 and internally sighed as she grabbed a blood bag from the fridge.
"Late-night snack?" Klaus asked as he walked into the kitchen. Nora snapped her head up locking eyes with him. He was shirtless and only wearing black sweat pants. His curly hair was ruffled as he had just woken up. She had only just now realized how hot he was.
Noticing that she had been looking a little too hard, she made her way over to the island, sitting atop it. "Couldn't sleep." She shrugged, refusing to meet his eyes just in case he had caught her staring.
He did.
Klaus was ecstatic at the tiny bit of attention he got from her, but he didn't show it. "May I ask why?" He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
"You did ask." She smirked, glancing at him to see his eyes roll. "But uh, nightmares," she mumbled looking down. Klaus grabbed a blood bag as well, moving to sit on the couch. He gestured for her to sit beside him.
"Human or Vampire?" He asked once she was propped next to him on the couch.
"What?"
"Your nightmare, was it from when you were human." Klaus elaborated.
"Umm, human. But I don't really want to talk about it." She took another sip from her blood bag. "I never really said it, but I'm sorry your hybrids didn't work. I know it meant a lot." She said looking him in the eye. She truly was sorry, even if she knew exactly why they were failing.
"It's not your fault, love," he whispered.
"Not to seem defiant or anything, but why do you want me here? I'm pretty odd company to keep." She questioned.
Klaus frowned at the sadness in her voice. That was something he could fix. All he had to do was try.
And here lays the problem. She didn't want him to try. Every time people got close to her they suffered. Rebekah. Father. She saw that not getting attached was actually protecting people and she wanted to protect Niklaus.
But immortal hybrids don't need protection.
"I find your company quite comforting, actually." He smiled, and Nora couldn't help but smile back. "So much so that I bought you-" He sped back to his bedroom and returned with a box in his hands, holding it out to her. "These."
Peanut butter cookies.
Her eyes widened and she instantly sped over to him. She grabbed the box glancing up at him, he nodded in encouragement. "Thank you!" She gasped as she excitedly opened the box to see six large cookies. She took a bite of one and practically moaned at the taste.
Meanwhile, Klaus was swooning at her smile. He had never seen her this happy before and he found himself wanting her to be this happy forever. He also found himself wanting to kiss her, but he wasn't sure how she felt about him. Yet.
"If I had known this was all it took to see you smile I would've done it a while ago." He laughed, sitting back down on the couch.
"Yes. Yes, you should have." She mumbled with a mouth still full of cookies. She sat the box down on the coffee table and jumped on top of him, squeezing him in a hug. He was definitely caught off guard but returned the hug nonetheless.
"You may have dragged me here, but I think the cookies make up for it." She said as she pulled back from the hug. Klaus noticed she had some crumbs on her face and wiped them away with the back of his hand.
Still seated on his lap, she leaned back and grabbed the box of cookies. Klaus reached for a one as well but she smacked his hand away, "I know you bought them and all but they're mine." She playfully glared at him, taking a bite of another cookie.
| Reputation |
After a long drive—which Nora had slept through because of not sleeping the previous night— the trio had ended up in Chicago. Apparently, Klaus knew a witch that was actually willing to help him.
"You've got to be kidding me," a dark-skinned woman said, appearing out of nowhere. Nora guessed she was the woman who owned the bar.
"So a hybrid walks into a bar," Klaus began, with a sly smile on his face. "Says to the bartender—"
"Stop." The woman says, cutting him off. Nora laughed a bit and Klaus sent her a semi glare. "You may be invincible but that doesn't make you funny."
"His facial expression just then was funny," Nora whispered to herself, but basically everybody heard it.
"I remember you." The witch had now walked closer, speaking to Stefan.
"Yeah, you're Gloria," Stefan remembered, but then his face contorted into confusion. "Shouldn't you be..." he trailed off.
"Old and dead?" Gloria finished for him, giving a smile. "Now if I die, who's gone run this place, huh?"
"Can I go to the bar? I've just got an odd craving to not be a part of this conversation." Nora asked, but before anyone could answer her question, she started to walk off.
"Wait," Gloria called, making Nora halt her steps and turn back around with a pissed odd expression. Very unlike the one she had held just hours ago. "You're the Huntress."
Nora curled her lips and looked around sarcastically. "I love meeting fans, but are you going somewhere with this or..."
"What did I tell you about being feisty?" Klaus slightly growled. He didn't want to give Gloria a reason to say no to his requests. Nora only rolled her eyes and continued her walk to the bar. "Stefan, go with her."
Nora was sitting on a bar stool eavesdropping on Klaus' conversation. She had her head down as she focused, lightly biting her lip.
"Well, that would be the original witch. She's very dead."
"I know. And for me to contact her I'll need help. Bring me, Rebekah." Once Gloria said Rebekah, Nora's head snapped up. But it couldn't be the Rebekah she knew, for she was long dead.
"Rebekah. Rebekah is a bit preoccupied."
"What is this?" Stefan asked, holding up a picture. Nora couldn't see it from the angle he was flashing it.
Klaus looked, over at it and smirked, standing from his chair. "Well, I told you, Stefan. Chicago's a magical place."
"But this is me. With you."
| Reputation |
Klaus had brought them back to the warehouse, where he told them—more precisely Stefan— about his sister, Rebekah. Nora was only halfway listening for she was trying to recall anything that could further confirm that he wasn't talking about her Rebekah. She knew her best friend had a brother, but his name was Nik, right?
Spain, 1728
Rebekah was very amused at the year-old vampire as she vamp sped around the clearing. "This will cease to ever get old, Rebekah." Nora gasped, sliding down a tree to sit in the grass. "I will forever owe you."
"Oh hush, Naomi." Rebekah waved her off. It had been almost a year since Nora had turned and she still went on about how amazing it was. Rebekah walked over and sat beside her friend, not caring how muddied her dress would become.
They were in a clearing, not too far from Rebekah's home. Nora knew of many siblings she had; Nik, Kol, Elijah, and poor Finn. The eldest brother, who had been put to sleep, unwillingly. Apparently, Nik has a paranoia issue.
Nora thought the most intriguing to be Kol. Although she had never met him, he seemed rather eventful from Rebekah's stories. He had been a wild one, as had Nora, and she thought they would get along very well.
Elijah seemed to be a bore, more so than Finn. Nobility was honorable but boring, and Nora Naomi Taylor liked the action. Whether it be running through the wilderness or simply watching others fight.
As soon as Rebekah sat Nora darted up again, hearing a sound. She turned around only to be met by a boyish-looking man. He had messy brown hair and a handsome face. Smirking devilishly at Nora, he spoke, "Now, what is going on here?" He gestured between a Rebekah, who now looked frightened, and Nora, who had a blank expression.
"We were just enjoying the scenery, trees, and whatnot," Nora said, giving a glance to Rebekah, she assumed this was one of her brothers. The female Mikaelson moved to stand protectively in front of Nora. "Who are you?" Nora peered over Rebekah's shoulder.
"I knew my sister had been sneaking around. I assumed it'd be a man but you are certainly not a man." He mused, looking her up and down. "Why haven't I met pretty curls here yet, Rebekah?" He tilted his head to the side in mockery, clearly, this situation was hilarious to him. His sister was hiding a girl.
"I haven't got the faintest clue as to what you're talking about, Kol." Rebekah gritted. Her day was going great until Kol had stumbled upon them. "Naomi doesn't want to meet you."
"Yes, I do." Nora corrected smugly. She gently pushed Rebekah aside to greet Kol. "Hello, I'm Nora." She stuck out her hand for him to shake but the grabbed it and kissed her knuckles.
"Pleasure is all mine. Kol." He released her hand and slightly frowned when she wasn't blushing. Rebekah was watching the encounter carefully, only stepping in when needed. From what she learned, Nora had a way with words. "Although that doesn't explain why dear sister is keeping you stashed away."
"Yeah, it doesn't," she agreed. Nora gave a small smile as she explained. "Apparently Nik is a narcissistic and controlling older brother and wouldn't be pleased to find Rebekah had turned me into a vampire."
Kol huffed a laugh at the description of Klaus, she was spot on. "Yes, Nik is rather conniving."
Nora gave him a real smile, she liked him. "I suppose you won't tell, considering you haven't run and babbled yet. So... care to join?" Nora asked.
"I like you, Pretty Curls."
Mystic Falls, 2010
"If you can't handle it, then don't ask," Klaus smirked, walking over to one of the many coffins that were laid out. He opened it and there laid one desiccated original.
Rebekah.