I wake to knocking at the door. Groaning in irritation at someone interrupting my sleep, I push myself up in the bed. "Yes," I call with annoyance. The door swings open, revealing Marcel.
"Hey." He grins at me, shutting the door behind him. "Sorry to wake you, but I brought you clothes, and I wanted to see how you were doing. Josh told me that he took you to feed last night. That mean you feeling better?" He questions, throwing the clothes onto the armchair in the corner of the room before taking a seat at the end of the bed.
I shuffle so I'm sitting cross legged, looking at Marcel. "I guess." I sigh, truthfully not really knowing how I feel. "Thanks for the clothes. Hell, thanks for everything." I smile at him before dropping it, taking on a more serious tone. "You've done so much for me, I don't know what I could do in return."
"Hey," he pushes my arm lightly, "you don't owe me anything. You're still family to me, Lily. I'll always be here for you." I bite my lip as I meet his chocolate eyes. Our gazes lock and I can see the sincerity in his gaze. Reaching over, I take his hand and squeeze it.
"Still, thank you," I tell him. He smiles in return.
A moment passes as we enjoy the silence before he stands up. "Look I have a few things to do today, but I'll be back later, okay? Maybe we could go to a good bar I know, Rousseau's?" He asks as he heads toward the door. Placing his hand on the knob, he's about to open it when my voice stops him.
"Actually," I murmur, bowing my head and playing with the blanket on my lap, "I was thinking that I don't need to stay here anymore. I mean, I'm feeling better, and I'm sure that whatever happened to me was just a one time thing. I think I'm good enough to not be babysat by your night walker anymore." I laugh at my words, but Marcel doesn't follow suit.
Instead, he inhales sharply, drawing my attention. "Look Lily, I get it. It sucks being cooped up all day, but trust me, you're a lot safer here." His gaze meets mine pointedly, like a parent scolding a child. "You didn't see yourself the other night. It wasn't good. And it's been tense in the city. I don't want you to get mixed up in things. I don't want to see you get hurt-"
"I'm a big girl, Marcel!" I exclaim mockingly as I step out of the bed; the t-shirt from last night covering my body. "I know what I'm doing," I spit at him, hating how he's treating me like a child. "As for getting 'mixed up' in things, that's all my life has been lately. I can handle it. Don't pretend like I can't. You may have known me once a long time ago, but things have changed. So do not treat me like one of your vampire lackeys, like someone to order around, because I do not serve you or anyone. You may be this self-proclaimed King of New Orleans, but you are not my King!" I yell at him. My eyes narrow, piercing him like daggers.
He grits his teeth, seeming to try to calm his rage before addressing me. "I am just trying to protect you," he grits at me, clamping his hand on the door knob and twisting it open. "I will be back later." He states before leaving.
"Ugh," I scream, punching the wall beside me, leaving a gigantic hole in the plaster for him to fix. Serves him right.
Stomping into the bathroom, I decide to shower and change, ignoring Marcel's wishes and leaving after all. If he thinks he can boss me around than he has another thing coming for him.
...
Walking into Rousseau's, I hear familiar voices, causing me to freeze in my tracks and listen in. They seem to not have heard me as they continue speaking. "Where is she?" I hear Elijah's voice ask. Wait Elijah? I thought he was daggered. Damn, I must've missed a lot.
"If I tell you where Agnes is, you'll just kill her." A woman's voice replies, peaking my interest. What is going on?
"Isn't that obvious?" Klaus questions sarcastically. Klaus? I roll my eyes. It seems as though he's in a great mood.
"Look, I know she's a little...coo-coo, but she's our last living Elder. That might not mean a lot to you, but it means plenty to us. The Elders are the only ones who can do important spells," the woman argues. Her speaking of Elders and spells allows me to assume that she's a witch. Didn't Klaus say something about the witches threatening his unborn child when I arrived?
"Like completing the Harvest ritual?" Elijah adds on to the woman's sentence.
"You know about that?" The woman asks, a hint of confusion in her words.
"Oh, you'd be astounded by the things I know," Elijah replies, and I can only imagine the impassive stare on his face.
"Allow me to entertain you with today's list of priorities," Klaus speaks up. "One, unlink your friend Sophie so she no longer controls the fate of the woman carrying my child. Two," Klaus continues to list off, "convince my brother to accept my heartfelt apologies for some recently dodgy behavior," he throws toward Elijah. "Three...there is no three."
"How about three is you stop acting like a dick to everyone," I say, stepping out of my hiding spot in the shadows to make my presence known. The three of them turn to look at me. I smirk.
"Lily," Klaus breaths, his eyes wide as he ranks them over me.
"Surprise, surprise, I'm back. Now," I say, stepping up to the two brothers, "can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"
"I'm afraid we were about to ask Sabine that same question." Elijah nods at me before facing the woman, Sabine, whose voice I was hearing. She is gorgeous with a caramel complexion and black curly hair. She eyes me before Elijah draws her focus. "Now talk," he commands.
Sabine squirms under Elijah's intense gaze and tells us that they're probably holding this girl named Sophie, the woman who Hayley is linked to I find out, in this mausoleum in the cemetery. Elijah processes this information as he leads us out of the bar.
"So now what?" I throw my hands in the air, looking at the brothers with disbelief. "You two play go hero and rescue the witch that's been threatening your family?" I raise an eyebrow at the two Originals. Elijah turns to me, a hint of a smile on his lips.
"Your skepticism has surely been missed," he remarks, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, missed you too, you big dud," I tell him, wrapping an arm around him in a embrace. I feel Klaus's eyes burning into my back at the gesture. "Glad to see you out of a coffin for once," I say for Klaus's sake, turning around to see his eyes narrow at me, "no gray veins from someone you trust betraying you." I slit my eyes and glare at Klaus as I say this, spitting them at him. Klaus looks at me grimly, taking my insults as I throw them.
"Yes, Love, we've already established I'm a terrible person who is sorry," he glances at Elijah adamantly and then me, "but now can we get back to our current issue like I don't know, my child's life in danger."
"Of course Niklaus." Elijah nods at him. "This way." Elijah walks away, leaving Klaus and I behind. Klaus opens his mouth to say something, but I roll my eyes, skipping ahead to walk in step with Elijah instead. Klaus grunts behind us.
When we arrive to the mausoleum we find the girl, Sophie, tied up. Klaus leans against the wall, watching as Elijah casually breaks Sophie's chains. In return, Sophie immediately begins explaining. "Agnes stuck me with a needle." She grunts, rubbing her wrists where the chains bound her. "Cursed objects were created a long time ago. We use them so we don't get busted by Marcel for doing magic. The one she used is called the Needle of Sorrows. It was cursed in 1860 when..."
"Jump ahead a few decades and tell us what it does?" Klaus cuts her off, bitterness spewing from his tongue.
"It has only one purpose: to kill a child in utero by raising her blood temperature." Sophie's words cause my gaze to lock onto her. I feel Elijah and Klaus shift beside me. My stomach tangles at the thought as my mind flurries with old memories.
"It's for a miscarriage," Elijah mumbles. I flinch at the word. Sophie nods. "So, how much time do we have to fix this?"
"It will do what it's meant to by tonight's high tide. And believe me, it will work. I saw her use a similar object on a kid who went mad and killed a bunch of priests," Sophie tells us. My fists clench as I step toward her.
"And you witches claim to be Nature's do-gooders, but you destroy life instead of cherishing it!" I grit at her, anger filling my veins. The anger is like a beast, breathing through my body. My breath hastens as my fists clench. I move to step closer to Sophie, but Klaus steps to my side, a hand reaching to press against my back--a warning to calm down. I bite my lip, leaning into his hand. He's right, I can't let my emotions get the best of me right now. I feel Klaus's gaze on me, but I keep my eyes cast downwards. Elijah sends me a concerned look before Klaus speaks, drawing his attention.
"I'd like to have a chat with this Agnes. Where can I find her?"
"You won't," Sophie replies pathetically. "There are a thousand places she could hole up to wait it out."
"That's precisely why we need to unlink you from Hayley. No more danger toward her or the child," Elijah states. Sophie looks at him wide-eyed.
She begins to shake her head. "No, what? If I am not linked to Hayley, I lose my leverage on you. We had a deal!" She whines, standing up to face Elijah.
"We are not on the same side, Sophie Deveraux. Our deal no longer stands." Elijah tells her. Sophie looks between the three of us, exasperated.
...
With Elijah beside me and Sophie a step behind, we enter Hayley's bedroom to find Rebekah trying to keep her temperature down. Rebekah stands to greet us, our gazes connecting, hers in surprise to see me, before her sight falls on Sophie. "What the hell is she doing here?" She exclaims, appalled.
Sophie sighs. "I'm trying to help."
"Help? You're the reason we're in this bloody mess! Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?" Rebekah turns to her brother in frustration.
"Rebekah, let her do what she can," Elijah tells his sister. His eyes hold a certain desperation as his stare falls onto Hayley. Interesting.
"I may know a way to slow the fever down. But I'm gonna need some special herbs," Sophie says, turning to Rebekah. "I'll text you a list."
Rebekah glares at Sophie before glancing to Elijah, who nods encouragingly. Rebekah scoffs, pissed at being ordered around, before smiling at Elijah and Sophie patronizingly. "Fine. Happy to play the fetch girl." She slips past us, a stomp in her step. Sophie moves to go to Hayley's side. Elijah follows, but I hang back, leaning against the wall. While I followed Elijah and Sophie to check on Hayley, Klaus went to Father Kieran to find Agnes and get a cure for Hayley. I can only imagine all the threats he's making.
Once Rebekah returns with the herbs, Sophie leads us outside to the pool. Hayley sits on the side wrapped up in a towel as Sophie prepares the herbs. Rebekah goes to check on Hayley's temperature with Elijah while I stand off to the side, observing. "She's burning up!" Elijah exclaims, shrugging off his jacket as Hayley groans in pain. "We need to do this now."
"Get her in the water!" Sophie yells. Elijah jumps in the pool, helping Hayley in. Curious, I step up to where Sophie's working to see what she's concocting.
"I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help," Rebekah remarks.
Sophie begins mixing the herbs into a cup as she explains to Rebekah. "Her temperature is sky-high. The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down." Sophie walks into the pool, handing Hayley the cup. "Drink this!" She orders Hayley before turning to Elijah. "You're going to have to get her heart rate down."
"How do you suggest I do that?" Elijah asks as Hayley downs the concoction.
"Hold her. It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure," Sophie tells him, the stress of the situation straining her voice.
"This is never gonna work," Rebekah mumbles next to me, worry filling her tone.
"Hey," I say, grabbing her attention as I take her hand and squeeze it. "Have faith." Rebekah stares at me for a second before nodding, yet my own nerves for the baby's survival chokes me into silence as I watch with worry.
Elijah picks up Hayley, holding her bridal-style, as he carries her further into the pool. "Davina will break the link," Elijah assures us, "we just need time." Wait, I frown at this, Davina? Marcel's witch? Hayley gasps for breath in Elijah's arms. My stomach clenches at the sight, scared that Hayley and the child won't make it after all--that Klaus's child won't survive.
"I can't breathe," Hayley cries, continuing to gasp for air.
"Okay, long deep breaths, Hayley! Look at me," Elijah says as he makes eye contact with Hayley. "Long deep breaths, just focus on the sound of my voice." He whispers assurances to her. "You'll be okay. You'll be okay."
Suddenly, Hayley shutters in pain, screaming as she clutches her stomach.
Sophie breathes deeply from the pool. "I just felt it lift," she mutters, looking to the sky. Davina must have done it then, she unlinked them. Rebekah sighs in relief beside me, and I feel a weight ease off my shoulders. Hayley starts to calm down, drifting out of Elijah's arms to stand by herself. Elijah looks to Sophie as she takes off one of her earrings, pricking herself. Taking Hayley's hand, Elijah checks it to find no prick mark. So they truly are unlinked. Hayley and Elijah stare at each other for a moment before he urges her out of the pool.
"Come on, let's go."
"Elijah," Sophie calls weakly as he passes her in the water. "As soon as your brother finds out that the link is broken, he'll kill Agnes. I know you don't owe me anything, but please, don't let him kill her." Sophie's voice is pleading. Elijah studies her for a second before vamp speeding out of the pool, picking up his jacket. "Elijah! She's our only access to the power we need to survive. Promise me that you'll stop him!" Sophie yells after him. Elijah doesn't respond, but instead pulls out his phone, dialing a number, presumably Klaus's.
"It's me, where are you?" He asks. A beat passes as I hear the whisper of Klaus's reply. "Don't hurt her. I'll be there shortly." He hangs up the phone, facing Sophie. "I'll make you one last promise," he tells her. "I won't let my brother kill Agnes." Sophie nods gratefully as Elijah leaves to go inside. As she begins to wade out of the pool, Hayley grabs her arm, stopping her.
"I know you were just using me to save your people, but try it again, and I'll kill you," Hayley tells Sophie before stepping away. My lips twitch, wanting to smile at the werewolf's threat, but I resist.
...
I enter with Elijah into St. Anne's Catholic Church. It's been awhile since I've been in a church. When we enter, we find Klaus clasping Agnes's neck, his voice a growl. "Don't touch my family!"
"Leave her," Elijah calls, as we approach. Klaus turns Agnes into a headlock as he faces us. "I gave my word."
"You tend to give your word at the most inopportune times, brother," Klaus snarls at Elijah. "We've been doing things your way all day. Come on! Just one little snap and it's 'Toodle-loo, Agnes', She deserves it!"
"Klaus," I warn, stepping closer to him.
"Oh don't start with me, Lily. You yourself said the witches were in the wrong here." His gaze locks with mine. I glare at him in return. He parts his lips to say more, but Elijah pulls his focus.
"Niklaus, don't make another move." Elijah orders him, taking steps to approach his brother. "You have asked for my forgiveness. I will grant you that forgiveness, but do not make me break my word." Elijah stops in front of Klaus, and the two stare at each other. I can see the debate in Klaus's head as he thinks it over.
"Nik," I mutter, causing his eyes to fleet to mine. We keep our eyes locked for a second as I nod toward Elijah in front of me, silently telling him to listen to his brother.
Klaus thins his lips, letting Agnes go, while he steps away dramatically with his arms in the air. "My noble brother, how was that for personal growth, eh?" He drops his arms. "Still, it is just like you to spoil all of my fun."
Elijah shifts his gaze from Klaus to Agnes, mumbling, "Oh, not necessarily." Klaus looks at him confused, as do I, but before either of us can react, Elijah zooms to one of the men who helped Agnes in hurting Hayley and rips his heart out. He then moves on to the next guy, throwing him in the air, then to the third, ripping his heart out too. Am I surprised by Elijah's actions? Yes. But I don't blink once at the violence. They deserved it.
Turning to face Agnes and Klaus, Elijah stands with a heart in each outstretched hand. As he looks to them, he drops the hearts, rather theatrically might I say, as he pulls out his pocket square and cleans his hands. "I swore you would not die by my brother's hand," Elijah starts, causing Agnes to stare at him in horror. Klaus merely smiles behind her. "I said nothing of my own," he says, grabbing her by the throat. He walks her back in his choke-hold. "Nobody hurts my family and lives-"
"Wait!" I call, stopping Elijah before he could kill her. Klaus and Elijah both turn to me in surprise, but I ignore them as I stomp up to Agnes. Elijah releases her as I get in her face. My voice is low and cold as I scowl at her. "You are a disgrace to your kind," I spit at her. "Attempting to end life instead of preserving it is a sin that you will pay for in hell. It's monsters like you that gives witches a bad rap." I step back from her. "You call us vampires abominations, but you aren't any better. Trying to kill an innocent child, and for what? Some ridiculous prophecy?" I scoff at the thought. "You preach acceptance and good will, yet you practice evil and malice. You're a cruel hypocrite that will burn in flames of misery!" I pause, leaning in once more. "You better hope the devil is forgiving."
Turning on my heel, I brush by Elijah as I head toward the exit of the church. As I reach it, I hear the sharp crack of a neck breaking and smirk to myself.
...
I sit on a bench in the Quarter far enough away from all the bars that it's silent. Leaning back, I glance up at the stars, feeling myself relax. The cool night air feels nice against my skin. My hair sways softly in the light breeze, and I feel my mind finding peace. Closing my eyes, I take a second to breathe.
The shift in the air next to me alerts me to his presence before his voice does. "That was quite a scene you made there," he comments, leaning back against the bench as well.
Sighing, I open my eyes, turning my head to meet his gaze. His bright blue eyes meet mine and I feel the argumentative words I've saved for him fade from my lips. After everything, I'm just so tired. "Yeah well...what they did, what Agnes did, was wrong. No child deserves to die when it's wanted," I tell him, never breaking our locked gazes. He keeps the contact too as he places an arm on the bench behind me, scooting closer to me. I pretend not to notice.
Running a hand through my hair, I break our gaze as I sit up, staring out at the lit up street. "Why do we always find ourselves in this situation?" I ask, my voice quiet and calm. I feel him lean toward me, but I don't turn to look at him. "We're always fighting, people are always trying to kill us or harm the ones we love, and you are always running around threatening everyone. Why can't we just have a moment of peace, a moment to be happy?" I sigh, glancing back at him. "I mean sometimes I question if this can even work," I gesture between us, "if we can even work? Because somehow something always comes up that seems to divide us, and I don't want that. I'm sick of that. I want us to be on the same side, to stand together against everything else. But maybe we can't, maybe we're just not meant to be-"
"Don't say that," he cuts me off, turning my face toward his as he caresses my cheek with his hand. His blue eyes are a blaze of passion as he stares at me widely. "I love you. And though I may make mistakes, you help bring me back onto the right path. You are the one who reminds me why it's worth living each day, why it's important to love and to care. You, Liliana, are my redemption," he breathes. A shiver runs down my back at his words as he gazes at me intensely. "I need you," he whispers, placing his other hand on my other cheek. His fingers graze my skin as he inches closer. "And I realize that you would be better off without me, but I'm too selfish to ever let you go. So you can hate me all you want, but as long as you are in my life, I know that I will be happy." He rests his forehead against mine. "So please, please don't say that we're not meant to be. Because in the chaos of this life, my paranoia, and the wrongs I do, you are the only thing that feels right. You are the only thing I'm sure of." His breath is hot against my face. Our lips are centimeters away. The love in his eyes makes my heart pound. Tilting my head forward, I connect our mouths.
The kiss is soft and gentle. Our lips seem to move in a rhythm made just for us. His hands drop from my face to my hips, pulling me closer to him. His rich cologne intoxicates my senses. Bringing my hands up, I place one on his chest right above his heart. I can feel it pounding just as wild as mine. My other hand goes to the back of his neck, pressing him closer. My fingers tug on his hair, causing him to moan. I smile. Klaus feels my smile and grins, kissing me harder, more passionately.
After a few more seconds, our bodies break apart, but not our eyes. I take his face in my hands. "I could never hate you, no matter how much I try, and we both know I did." I grin at him, and he flashes me his brilliant smile. "I love you Niklaus. I always will. And no matter how many times you piss me off, I will still love you. Because you, Niklaus Mikaelson," I whisper to him, "are the only sure thing in my life. You, us, it feels right." As the words fall from my mouth, he connects our lips once more, pushing all his love for me into the kiss. I kiss him back harder before we both pull away again.
We sit for a moment just staring at each other and taking each other in.
Eventually he speaks, "So does this mean I'm forgiven for Elijah and the Hayley thing?" A crooked half-hearted grin plasters itself on his face. His eyes twinkle with nerves.
"The Elijah thing, sure," I tell him. "But only because he seems to be making you pay for that himself." We share a smile at that. "The Hayley thing..." I trail off. Klaus frowns beside me.
His hand falls onto my shoulder, rubbing it as he urges me to hear him. "I am sorry--terribly, terribly sorry. It was a mistake. If I could take it back I would." His eyes gleam with sincerity, guilt, and pain.
I return his frown. "I know." A sigh falls from my lips as I know it's time to fully address the Hayley situation. I'm afraid I can't run from it anymore, and the truth is, I'm too tired to run anymore. I'm not sure how much time I have left, but whatever time it is, I don't want to spend it mad at Klaus. "I'll admit, it hurt. It hurt that night, and it hurts now. Knowing that yes, we may not have been together, but that you not only slept with her after sleeping with me and got her pregnant..." I shake my head.
"Lily," he murmurs as he notes the sorrow in my voice, but I raise a hand stopping him before he could start.
"I'm not saying I'm okay with what you did. It's upsetting, and I'm going to need time to process it still."
"But?" He picks up on the tone of my sentence.
"But I meant it when I said I'm sick of fighting with you all the time. I want to be there for you, and I want you to be there for me. Though, you're going to have to understand that having her around as a constant reminder is going to be hard. It may take awhile before I'm fully okay with it." My fingers fiddle together as I think about how to construe my feelings. "I'm not angry, Nik. I'm..." I shake my head "...it just really hurt." My voice cracks, and Klaus's hand drops to clasp onto my own.
His eyes shine with emotion as he studies me. "I know, Love. I'm sorry--so, so sorry. Take all the time you need. You deserve that. And if you ever need to talk about it, or yell at me about it, I'll be there for you. I promise." He leans in to give me a quick peck on the cheek. I offer him a small smile in exchange. "If it wasn't for her condition-"
"You mean, if she wasn't pregnant with your child," I correct him. Just because I'm not sure how I feel about Hayley doesn't mean I'm going to allow Klaus to refer to her pregnancy as a 'condition'.
His lips lift briefly as he nods his head. "Yes. If she wasn't pregnant, I wouldn't allow her to stay around. I hate that you have to suffer through seeing her and being reminded of my failed resolve."
I nod, accepting his words. "I know. Though, how do you feel about having a child?" I ask him. "We haven't talked about it yet."
Klaus sighs deeply, turning to face the street as he rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. "Scared, especially at first. Then, I spoke with Elijah...and I don't know...if I'm honest, I think a part of me is excited," he whispers the word as he faces me with wide eyes. I smile at him in encouragement. "But mostly scared." Klaus looks away again. I squeeze his hand that's wrapped around mine. A shaky breath falls from his lips as guilt soaks into his words. "What if I am not a good father, Lily? What if I end up like him?"
It doesn't take me being a genius to know he's talking about Mikael. "Hey," I whisper, clasping onto his chin gently with my other hand, turning his head to face me. "You'll never be like him! You're better than him."
"And how can you be so sure of that?" His voice is quiet and vulnerable. It's rare that I see him like this, so open. There are no walls surrounding him right now. No barriers between us.
"Because I know you. And I've seen it. Honestly Nik, you don't give yourself enough credit. You are so passionate, and yes, that may come out in more negative ways, but you can channel it for good too. You already channel it into beautiful art. And I fully believe that you will channel it with your child as well. Because if your child grows up to be half as strong, resilient, loving, fearless, and willful as you are, then I know they will succeed in life-" Klaus cuts me off with a kiss. My fingers clasp on to his shirt as I return it.
After a moment, he pulls away. "I love you." I smile at him.
"You can do this, Nik." Klaus squeezes our interlocked hands in response as we take a moment to sit together in contentment. Side by side. Shoulder to shoulder. But speaking of Klaus's child only reminds me of the past. The area around us is deserted and the pitch black sky feels like a good comfort for the words that are begging to come out from within. The words that have been present in my mind ever since I found out what the witches had planned for Hayley. The night is good at holding secrets after all.
"Nik," I whisper, my voice soft and weak. He looks to me with concern. I don't meet his eyes. Instead they remain downcast as I speak again, "There's something I need to tell you. Something I've never told you." The words are heavy on my tongue as my stomach twists.
"Okay," he says, reaching for my other hand, but I pull back and untangle my fingers from his. I can feel his hurt as he leans away from me, but I need to tell him this without him touching me. "Whatever it is Lily, I'm here for you," he murmurs, sensing my dread to speak my secret.
I inhale sharply as I build my courage to speak the words that have been haunting me all day. "In 1864, a boy in Mystic Falls, Jacob Fell...." the words get lost in my throat, and I cough. "He...he forced himself on me," I whisper the truth, the power of them strangling my breath. Klaus tenses beside me, but I continue on. "Soon afterwards, the town rounded up all the vampires, my brothers died, and Katherine escaped. That night, after seeing my own father kill my brothers for helping Katherine, I ran away. And as you know I stumbled upon Henry." I take a moment to pause, allowing myself to breathe in and out. I can feel the tears trying to break through, but I push them away. "Well, it was during my stay with Henry that I began to notice things were different. Suddenly, I always felt nauseous in the mornings, I began to grow hungry for certain things, and my ankles were swelling." I inhale, "I realized I was pregnant."
As the words fall from my mouth, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders. Too long I have kept it a secret, too long I have bound myself to my shame, and finally releasing it is a blessing I'll never be able to describe.
Nervous to see Klaus's reaction, I ramble on. "I kept the pregnancy a secret, too scared at the time to know what to do. I mean, you know how wrong it was to have a baby out of wedlock then. I hid the symptoms and it was all going well until...until Henry lost it." I take a deep breath, feeling my heart race. I know Klaus must hear how loud it's thundering.
"You know the story of Henry forcing me into vampirism. Well, the next day following my transition is when I felt it. The nausea was intense, more than it had ever been, and I ran toward the bathroom. I threw up before I began to feel pain...pain from my stomach. Next thing I knew, there was a lot of blood." I bring my hand up to my mouth to cover my silent sobs that escape me. "I had lost the baby." I choke on my words as tears pour rapidly down my cheeks. "Turning into a vampire had killed it. I-" but my sobs cut off my words.
Two arms surround me, pulling me into a body. I continue to cry, burying my face into Klaus's chest. He clasps onto me tight as he lays his head on mine. He holds me as I break from painful memories held captive for too long. After a while, I relax in his arms as he whispers assurances in my ears. With a sniffle, I pull away, needing to finish.
Glancing up at Klaus, I find tears in his own eyes, which makes my heart hurt even more. "So when I found out what the witches were planning to do to Hayley, I just...I got so angry. It wasn't right, what they were trying to do. I know what it feels like to lose a child, and though I don't know Hayley, I didn't want her to suffer my same fate. I didn't want the child to die. I didn't want your child to die." I sniffle again, watching Klaus with wide eyes. He brings a thumb to my face, wiping my tears away. Leaning down, he places a kiss to my forehead. Then a kiss on my cheek, the other cheek, one on my nose, and finally a kiss on my lips.
"You are the strongest and most amazing woman I have ever known," he says before kissing me again. "And I hope to remind you of that everyday. I am utterly sorry you went through that. I wish-"
"I know," I murmur.
Klaus sighs, staring at me with affection. "I love you, Liliana."
I lean into him as he hugs me. "I love you."
...
Klaus and I stroll down the Quarter hand in hand, taking in the night after our stressful evening. His thumb rubs the top of my hand, and I smile meekly at him, leaning my head against his arm. My body feels drained after my emotional outpour. Klaus held me for a long time before I decided I was okay enough to head home with him.
"Hey!" A voice calls out to us. Stopping and turning, I see Marcel approach us. Klaus tightens his grip on my hand as I straighten up. Marcel glances down at our interlocked fingers before looking back at us. "Where you been?" He asks Klaus. "Not still mad about our tiff the other night, are you?"
Klaus smiles at him, though I can tell it's fake. I raise an eyebrow at the mention of a tiff. "Water under the bridge," Klaus assures him. Marcel smiles in return, though I can tell he doesn't believe Klaus.
"And you Lily?" Marcel turns his attention onto me. "I haven't seen you since this morning, where have you been all day?"
At his words, I feel Klaus's eyes flag to me. I shoot Marcel a glare. He knows exactly what he's doing. He's trying to get in the middle of Klaus and I. Dick move. "I thought I made it clear already, I'm a big girl, Marcel. What I do is none of your business." I stare at him blankly. "I thank you for your hospitality, but I won't be needing it anymore." I quip my lips at him. If he wants to play this game then I will too.
"Hmm, I'm sure by now Klaus has made up for his mistakes. It always took him a couple of days, didn't it?" He grins, but it doesn't reach his eyes as his bitterness peeks through. "Mommy and Daddy fight, but everything always works itself out at the end, doesn't it?"
Klaus thins his lips at his words. "Can we help you with something?" He asks, trying to hide his anger.
"Oh, well, I had swung by your house earlier to commiserate over a drink, but I must have just missed you," Marcel tells us, and the way he says it sets off an unsettling feeling in my stomach.
Klaus drops my hand, taking a step closer to Marcel, a grin on his face. "Oh, the Palace Royale didn't suit me, I moved on weeks ago."
Marcel smirks at him, shaking his head knowingly, "Nooo, I mean your other place." Klaus's smile drops. "Interesting location to put down your roots, the same plantation where I was a slave. I guess that's why you never invited me over," Marcel comments calmly.
Klaus regains his composure and smirks at him. "Well, how rude of me. I'll speak to Elijah. I'm sure he'll be pleased to host you and Davina for the evening. Especially after you were so hospitable to him."
The two stare at each other. The tension thick in the air between them.
Marcel breaks it by chuckling, grinning at Klaus. "Good! I look forward to it." Klaus grins back as Marcel passes us and continues walking down the street. With Marcel's back turned, Klaus's grin drop as he glances at me. We share a look and rush to the Manor.
Walking inside, we find find Elijah on the phone. Elijah drops it when he sees us, and Klaus delivers the news.
"Marcel was here."
(A/N: I hope you enjoyed this extra holiday bonus chapter, which was a longer one too! A lovely reader, Klaus_m1, created a playlist for Secrets and Salvation. I think it's so cool and fun, so if you want to check it out, here's the link: https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/salvation-of-a-salvatore-sister/pl.u-6mo4z5et882PXr; it's called Secrets of a Salvatore sister by lu_cyx!)