Eternal ➳ N. Mikaelson [COMPLETED]

➳ 41: alive and kicking

ELIJAH returned home to find a puddle of blood on the floor of the courtyard. When he walked toward it to take a closer look, he noticed a trail of blood splatter leading to a dead woman's body, which was propped up against the fountain. Elijah followed another stream of blood that trailed up the stairs and down the hall toward the couple's bedroom. He walked in with a disapproving facial expression to see Ingrid covered in blood.

Ingrid turned to him with a wide smirk and walked into the bathroom. "Hello, Elijah." She greeted warmly while turning the knobs to start the water in the shower.

Elijah gave her a face and she realized what he was looking at. Laughing, she waved a hand and pulled her hair up. "Oh! Yes... Niklaus took me out to the Cauldron and we just so happened to have a run in with some witches. I think we all know how that went."

"So, would you like me to remove your leftovers?" Elijah questioned in sarcasm, motioning to the dead bodies in the hallway. "Or were you planning on doing that?"

"Is that vexation I sense in your tone?" Ingrid asked him with a mocking smirk. "Save the lecture. Now, if you'll please give me some privacy so I may wash up." She remarked with a hinting look on her face, gesturing for him to leave the room.

Scoffing, Elijah rolled his eyes and stormed out of their bedroom while Ingrid chuckled and closed the door behind him.

Elijah walked straight into Klaus' study without permission and stopped in front of him. "You took her on a witch hunt?" He questioned incredulously, holding his hands up.

"I simply wanted to persuade those witches to locate the white oak stake for me." Klaus responded with a small smile on his face. "When they proved unable to do so, I let Ingrid have her fun."

"She grows more savage by the day! Can you not see that she is falling apart?" Elijah asked him in disbelief and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Perhaps the problem is your high standards?" Klaus remarked in aggravation then gave him a pointed look. "Ingrid has always been this way. You simply got used to her being cooperative and tranquil during her pregnancy." He reminded him, an amused smirk crawling across his face. "Your hope that she may have changed will only hurt you."

Elijah took a deep breath and closed his eye for a second before speaking through gritted teeth. "I am trying to help her. I thought you were trying to help her, brother."

Klaus angrily rose to his feet and glared at him. "I am helping! You should have seen her last night! Covered in witches' blood and smiling from ear to ear! She is embracing herself again. A little less criticism from you and Ingrid would be fine."

"Niklaus! The mother of your child deserves much better than just fine!" Elijah yelled at him in exasperation and the two glared at each other. "Now, more than ever, she needs a connection to something, some of her humanity, some degree of dignity."

"Yes, please continue to speak about me as though I cannot hear you." Ingrid commented sarcastically as she walked into the room, joining them. She then threw herself down on one of the couches and smirked over at her brother-in-law. "You're disappointed."

Elijah folded his arms over his chest and glanced over at her, matching her observation. "Well, I'm not exactly pleased."

"Oh, my apologies, I was not aware that we had to run our decisions through you." Ingrid snarkily remarked and pointed a finger at him. "I'll try to remember that for next time." She condescendingly added with narrowed eyes and a bitter smile. "So I do that two business days prior or just when I feel like doing it?"