Chapter Text
She was trying not to pace, but she couldn't help it. Niklaus would be here any minute. As she forced herself to pause near the window of the upstairs study, Elena rested a hand on the slight bump of her abdomen. She forced herself to take a deep breath, well aware that her nerves were probably being broadcasted to the entire pack.
"Lena?" Caroline's soft voice drew her attention away from the window and she turned to find her friend standing in the doorway. The blonde gave her a knowing smile then, and Elena managed a breathy chuckle.
"I know, I know," she muttered with a slight roll of her eyes.
"It's okay to be nervous, sweetie. But just remember we're all here for you, okay?" Care murmured warmly.
"I know. Thanks, Care," Elena nodded, taking another slow, deep breath.
"Are you sure you don't want us to stay?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Go, enjoy your night. Most of the pack will be here, and so will Finn and Sage. I don't want him to feel too cornered, though," she told her friend with a shake of her head.
Caroline and Elijah were supposed to go out into Richmond for the evening tonight, but her friend had offered several times now to stay home. Elena refused her, though. This was already going to be stressful, but she had a feeling it would be worse if Niklaus felt like he was being cornered by his brother. Finn, thankfully, was not a threat to Klaus, and Elena knew the eldest brother's presence wouldn't cause too much trouble. Elijah was a different story though.
"Okay, as long as you're sure," Caroline replied slowly.
"I'm sure, Care. But thank you," Elena crossed the room to pull her friend into a hug and smiled when Caroline hugged her back tightly.
As soon as Caroline was gone, Elena finally made her way down the stairs. If she listened carefully, she could hear her pack throughout the house—another perk of her matebond, she suspected. Molly was in the kitchen with the newest batch of hybrids, Harvey was in the library with Travis, Cassie and Wren, and Thomas, Asher and Ari were out back in the pool. James and Amy were out for the evening, Faolan was at the Grill, and Damian was on shift at the hospital.
She headed for the kitchen first, wanting to check on the newest group of hybrids. All four of the new pack members looked up when she walked into the room. Molly kept her focus on whatever she had on the stove, though.
"Alpha," Adrian dipped his head as he greeted her and Elena smiled even as she rolled her eyes.
"It's just Elena, Adrian," she reminded him gently. He nodded quietly in answer, but Elena knew it would probably take a few more reminders.
"How are you doing, hon?" Molly asked, glancing up briefly before looking back down at what she was cooking.
"Alright," Elena replied simply.
"And the sickness?"
"Better than it has been," she answered, rolling her eyes at the other woman's gentle interrogation.
"It should keep getting better from here on out," Molly told her.
"I hope so," Elena sighed softly.
"You're still frettin' about his return," it wasn't a question.
"Why are you so worried, again?" Hayley asked curiously as she leaned against the counter, and Elena gave her a look.
"Niklaus isn't exactly going to just believe that he can suddenly father children," she told the hybrid woman.
"Yeah, but I mean, you're his mate, a super powerful witch, and he's like, the Original Hybrid. Besides, we can all smell it, he will too," Hayley shrugged and the other three fresh hybrids nodded in agreement. Elena managed a small chuckle.
"Well, I'm glad you all see it that way. And I hope he will too, eventually. But at first? He won't," she told them firmly. "I'm gonna go check in with everyone else before he gets here, but just remember that he's your Alpha, too. I know that because you've been here with me, your instincts are going to tell you to back me if he reacts…poorly. But I need all of you to do your best to stay out of it, okay?"
"Of course," Molly nodded in agreement, giving each of the others a pointed look until they all agreed as well. Elena nodded thankfully, then headed outside.
"Hey Lena!" Ari greeted her the moment she stepped into the afternoon sun, and Elena smiled. The hybrid woman was lounging on a floaty in the middle of the pool while Thomas and Asher were actually swimming. The guys looked up when they heard Ari greet her, and Elena moved over to the edge of the pool, her hybrids automatically moving closer.
"If you're here to remind us to stand down, we could hear you talking to the others. We'll stay out here unless you call for us, Elena," Thomas told her easily, making Elena sigh softly in relief.
"Thank you, Thomas. I'm not really worried about you three, but I wanted to check in anyways," she explained with a small smile. "Your brother, however…" Elena trailed off, watching Thomas wince and nod in understanding. Travis had been a handful when they first arrived, but over time, his attitude had shifted, and the young hybrid was now very protective and defensive when it came to Elena.
"Harv can keep him out of the way, Lena. Don't worry too much," Thomas said with a half smile.
"I'm headed to the library next," she told him. "If I have to, I'll ask Finn and Sage to come down to the library," she added, her three hybrids all nodding.
"That's not a bad idea," Asher commented.
"I know," Elena shot back playfully, rolling her eyes fondly and stepping back away from the edge of the water.
She was halfway through her talk with the hybrids in the library when she felt it. His closeness flooded her senses and Elena knew that Niklaus had just crossed the town line. The rest of the pack felt it too, she knew. It was almost like there was a collective breath they took together, and the ache of missing him for the last three and a half months finally eased. With one last shared look with Harvey to make sure he kept Travis under control, Elena headed for the front room.
It was only a few minutes later that she heard tires on the driveway, and suddenly those pesky nerves flooded her once again. She tried to take a slow, deep breath, but as soon as she touched her hand to her slightly rounded belly, the anxiety returned. Another feeling lanced through her a moment later, though, and Elena sucked in a breath. Fear and paranoia, but not her own. Standing alone in the front room, Elena closed her eyes and sent her mate her love and warmth, focusing on attempting to comfort him for a moment. She didn't know what he was afraid of, but she had a few guesses.
It felt like an eternity passed as she waited for the front door to open. But as soon as she could see him in front of her, instinct took over.
"Niklaus!" Elena grinned as she practically ran the short distance, throwing her arms around his neck. He caught her instantly, strong arms wrapping around her firmly and holding her tight. She tucked her face into his neck as he held her, and felt his lips on her hair.
"Hello, love," he murmured into her hair, and she clung to him a little tighter as she breathed him in.
"What am I, chopped liver?" The sound of Tyler's playful voice had her laughing into Klaus' neck. She pulled back just enough to kiss her mate soundly before she glanced over his shoulder at Tyler standing on the porch.
But before she could even manage a greeting, she felt Niklaus go still against her. She could still see Tyler over her mate's shoulder though, so she saw the moment he noticed the shift, too. Her friend's brow furrowed in confusion, and Elena felt her anxiety spike.
Klaus set her back down on her feet then, tension rolling off of him in waves all of the sudden. Taking a slow breath, Elena forced herself to step back, though she made sure to catch one of Klaus's hands in her own so he couldn't bolt on her. Risking taking her focus from her mate to glance at Tyler again, she gave her friend a strained smile.
"Could you, um, could you give us a few minutes, Ty? Pack is in the kitchen and out back, mostly," she told him quietly, trying her best to keep her voice steady. It was obvious by the look Tyler gave her that she didn't really succeed, but he still nodded, stepping around them into the house. He paused to hug her quickly, making her smile brighten for a moment, then left them alone.
As soon as Tyler disappeared, Klaus tried to wrench his hand from her grip. But Elena held tight, swallowing thickly. She could feel the confusion, anger and betrayal roiling within her mate.
"Please, Niklaus. It's not what you think," she pleaded for him to listen to her.
"Please do enlighten me, then, Elena," his voice was cold, dripping with venom, making her flinch. "I can smell the level of your betrayal, sweetheart," he continued sharply, his tone twisting the endearment and making her flinch again. But Elena stood her ground.
"I haven't betrayed you, Niklaus. I would never, you know that!" She countered, lifting her chin and meeting his gaze. But the Original Hybrid just sneered at her, blue eyes flashing gold.
"And yet," he snarled lowly, his eyes dropping to her abdomen. She caught the slight widening of his eyes when he saw her tiny bump, but he was still too far out of reach to put all the clues together correctly. "How soon after I was gone did you find yourself someone else?" Klaus growled, and Elena shivered at the rage that seeped through their bond.
"I wouldn't do that to you, Niklaus," she repeated. "Please, just listen to me!" Her voice rose as she pushed as much love and desperation through their bond as she could. "I didn't believe it at first, either," Elena admitted slowly, squeezing his hand in hers. He flinched, his gaze still hard and cold, but he remained silent this time. "I know it doesn't make sense, Niklaus, I know. But I am yours and yours alone, and it happened, because we're special—you are special!" Elena thought for a second that he was softening, but as soon as she said he was special, he tore his hand from hers with a harsh scoff.
Klaus scowled dangerously at her as he put some space between them, but he didn't disappear. "Special!" He sneered with his back to her. "I am the Original Hybrid! I have been soaked in the blood of my enemies time and time again over the centuries, Elena. I am many things, but special is not one of them!" He snarled at her, turning to face her again, Hybrid face on full display. Elena knew he was trying to push her now, trying to get her to slip up and give him some reason to feed the rage in his chest.
She met his gaze though, feeling the slightest shift that told her that her own eyes had flashed in response. That caught his attention. Elena felt his shock and confusion through the bond, and took a breath.
"You are special, Niklaus," she told him again, her voice soft but sure. "You have survived ten kinds of hell and come out the other side every time. Do you really think I could hurt you in such a way?"
"Yes," the word was quiet, filled with all of his pain, fear and anger, and Elena felt her heart crack dangerously in her chest. But there was something else there too, that made her heart hurt for another reason entirely.
"Why?" Elena asked, ignoring the way her voice broke on the word.
"Because it is what I deserve!!!" Klaus yelled, voice nearly echoing in the room as he grabbed a chair from the corner and threw it across the room. Elena flinched at the volume, but moved forward, unafraid. He may have been angry and hurt, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her.
"No." She grabbed one of his hands before he could throw something else, then grabbed the other, forcing him to face her. He still looked murderous, but she squeezed his hands anyways. "Listen to me, Niklaus Mikaelson," she continued slowly. "You have done terrible things. You have. But you have also had terrible things done to you," his gaze dropped at that, and she ached for him. "Look at me, Niklaus," she murmured, waiting for him to meet her gaze again. "You had every opportunity to ruin my life. There are a dozen different ways you could have destroyed me when you came to town. But you didn't. Those horrible things that you have done and survived, those don't define you, Niklaus," she told him firmly.
"How are you so sure?" He scoffed at her, expression darkening again.
"Because I know you, and I love you," the words came without hesitation, quiet but sure; steady. Elena felt the sharp zing of his shock through their bond, and his gaze snapped back to hers.
Slowly, tentatively, she pulled one of his hands closer, towards her belly. He resisted at first, flinching back when his fingertips brushed her bump, but Elena was patient and moved slow. She continued pulling his hand closer until she could press it against her little bump, her hand atop his. His gaze locked onto their hands for a long moment and Elena wondered if he was listening to the heartbeat.
"I know she'll love you, too, Niklaus," she whispered softly. Her words brought his gaze back to hers like she expected, and she gave him a soft, tentative smile. She could see the pure terror in his eyes as he stared at her, just as she could feel it through the bond, but this feeling, she knew well.
"She?" The word barely made it past his lips in a whisper, and Elena's smile grew as she nodded slowly.
"Yeah, she," Elena whispered back. "I don't know how I know, but I do," she added quietly.
She could see the way it finally settled over him—that this was real and true. There was awe, then terror and shock, followed by awe again, and hope. She could feel it cycling through their bond, too. It was obvious that there was plenty of processing left to go through, but the acceptance she felt through their bond was what finally settled her own anxieties and warmed her heart. Elena had no doubt that they had quite the road ahead of them, but at least they would be facing it together. That much, she knew.