THEY HAD BEEN driving all night and to say Cullen couldn't wait any longer was an understatement. Klaus tried to get her to focus on something else so she didn't torture herself the entire way there, but Cullen couldn't help herself. Even when Klaus spoke to her about something Finn had mention, a curse on the first born in every Mikaelson generation. While it worried her, she would stress about it another day. All she could think about was her daughter.
As Klaus turned off the main road and onto a long dirt road he sped up, making Cullen's heart match knowing they must be close. Her breath catches in her throat when she sees two people standing in the distance, Rebekah and Elijah, and a third that makes her heart stop, Hope. Klaus has barely even stopped the car when Cullen unbuckles, jumping out. She runs the rest of the way to the house, stopping when she comes to stand in front of her daughter.
Elijah and Rebekah smile at her, moving closer to hand her the child. Gently, like she would break if Cullen wasn't careful, she takes Hope from Elijah. She's almost positive she does stop breathing as she holds Hope close to her chest, placing a kiss on her head as tears slip down her face. Smiling wide, she turns to Klaus. Not surprised when she sees a stoic look on his face. Slowly walking to him, eyes on one another, Cullen hands him their daughter, keeping a hand on her even in Klaus' grip.
In this moment Cullen is truly happy as she looks between Klaus and their daughter. The expression of awe on his face as he looks over their girl. This moment, she believes, she will remember forever. This moment is and will forever be vibrant.
-
After an hour or so Rebekah tells them Hope needs to be laid down for a nap, Cullen is hesitant to leave her after just getting to see her again, but she allows it. After, the four of them walk outside to talk and set up for some holiday tradition Rebekah wanted to do.
"What is this non-sense about a curse on the first-born? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Rebekah questions as her as they move to stand around a pile of logs.
"Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first-borns for eternity." Klaus explains.
"Is any of it true?" Cullen speaks up, now wishing she would have listened to Klaus in the car.
"It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth-- our mother." Elijah retorts, ruling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
"No wonder Finn hates us." Rebekah quips. "He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull."
"Great." Cullen mutters, tossing a log onto the already large pile. "So, is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia any time soon?"
"The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead." Elijah states.
"Like Esther?" Cullen exclaims.
"No one's going to hurt Hope." Klaus interrupts. "Because no one's going to find her. There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."
Rebekah arches an eyebrow, keeping his eyes on Klaus. "Well, we're just missing a key ingredient."
"No, we're not." Klaus shakes his head causing Elijah to smile.
"Yes, we are, Nik. Back me up, Elijah." Rebekah calls cheerfully.
Elijah laughs. "I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes."
"What are you all talking about?" Cullen finally asks.
"Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck." Rebekah explains. "It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids."
"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it." Klaus tries to get out of it, but he's unsuccessful.
"Hope's first bonfire season. I like it." Cullen nods. "We're doing it."
Having decided that they were going to write down their wishes Cullen and Rebekah go into the house to search for paper. "Here." Cullen smiles when she sees Klaus holding Hope, she must have woken up from her nap.
Klaus sighs, glancing down at the paper before looking back to Hope, an instant smile renewed on his face. "I'm holding a small child, Cullen. This silly wish game will have to wait."
"You'll write, I'll hold." Cullen responds.
"You do realize I am not the husband you can boss around?" Klaus questions, raising an eyebrow at her.
Cullen grins at his words, knowing the card she was going to play next would be the winner. "You do realize that I had to endure horrendous labor and actual death birthing the child that you're holding?"
"Fine." Klaus smirks, handing Hope to Cullen. "I wish Cullen would stop nagging me and I wish she would finally thank me for that glorious night we had together all those months ago." Cullen shakes her head at his words, though she can't help but smile at them. Rolling her eyes, she reaches forward, snatching the paper from Klaus as he gives her a wicked smirk in response.
With the paper in hand Cullen carries Hope outside as the rest of them gather around the bonfire. Just as Klaus throws the match onto the fire Rebekah walks outside. "Hey! Look what I found!" They all turn to see her holding up a Polaroid camera. "I wonder if it'll work."
"Oh, bloody hell." Klaus mutters.
"Come on, let's try it." Rebekah exclaims, walking over to her brother, knowing he did not want to participate. "Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?"
"Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces." Elijah speaks up causing Cullen to laugh at his joke.
"Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face." Klaus pouts.
"Oh, come on, just take the picture." Rebekah stresses, ignoring their banter. They all pack together, smiling as Klaus raises the camera, and when the flash goes off the smiles don't leave their faces. "Aw, see? I wish that it could always be like this."
"If wishes were horses..." Elijah begins.
"Beggars would ride." Klaus finishes. After a moment of silence Klaus sighs, looking at the rest of them. "You realize we'll have to burn it. You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does. We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands." The mood dampens a bit as they watch Klaus turn, throwing the picture into the fire.
"No." Rebekah suddenly speaks up. "This isn't right. We deserve this. We've earned this. I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther."
"Rebekah, no--" Elijah interrupts.
"I'm going to take her deal." Rebekah states. "And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me."
-
After deciding the Rebekah would go along with the plan; her and Elijah left, leaving Klaus and Cullen alone. "She's asleep." Cullen announces as she enters the living room. Klaus looked up as her voice pulled him from his thoughts. "It's so quiet, with Elijah and Rebekah gone."
"Peaceful, you mean?" Klaus jokes though Cullen could tell he was worried, she was worried too.
"Klaus." Cullen walks further into the room. "I spelled Rebekah's soul. Even if something happens to her body, she'll still be alive. We can find a way to save her."
"I just get tired of it." Klaus mutters, standing from his chair so he can look through the window into the empty night. "I wish Rebekah was right, I wish it didn't always have to be like this."
"I know." Cullen whispers. "This isn't exactly how I envisioned motherhood to be."
At her statement Klaus turns around to face her. He moves to stand in front of her, a genuine emotion crossing his face. "I am sorry, Cullen. That this the hand of cards you have been dealt."
Cullen shakes her head at his statement. "You miss my point, Klaus. Yes, this isn't how I expected motherhood to be, but I wouldn't change a thing. I wouldn't change the night we had together, I wouldn't change your family, and I definitely would not change Hope."
Klaus smiles at Cullen's words, grateful for her reassurance. "I wouldn't change a thing either, love." He places his hand on her cheek, rubbing his thumb back and forth against her skin. "Though I may change that bit about my family. You haven't had to deal with them for a millennium."
Cullen laughs lightly at Klaus' words, reaching up to wrap her hand around the wrist holding her cheek. There's a sudden shift in the room. Both of them can feel it. They are slow to act on it, but they get there. Leaning in for a kiss, Cullen feels her magic jolt through her as their lips meet. She forgot how much she enjoyed kissing him. They begin to become more urgent, clothes being torn off in the process and before Cullen knows it Klaus is whisking them away to one of the bedrooms upstairs.
And as they fall to the bed Cullen thinks to herself, another vibrant moment.