Savior | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 79

The house was comfortable.

"This needs some sprucing up," said Maddy. "But aside from that... it's cute. Not too big, not too small."

"Perhaps this would not be the worst thing, if it had to be long term," said Klaus, noticing the glare Maddy shot at the nearest wall, as if this was not something she wanted long term. "Which is not the goal, of course."

"Country living is not my style. As nice as this little house is in... Willoughby Lake of all places... I don't know about living out in the ass-end of nowhere for more than a few weeks. Besides, this is hardly a farm. There are no animals."

"Not yet. We could bring some horses if we wished."

"I don't know how safe horses are when Hope can't even walk yet."

Klaus made a face. "We're vampires, love, I'm sure we can handle a horse or two."

She shrugged. "If you want a horse, you're taking care of it. I... don't actually know how to take care of horses. I never really had one to myself."

"I'll teach you."

"As soon as we fix this place up."

That first day was spent cleaning the house and fixing a few bits of broken furniture. They'd take turns holding Hope while the other parent did some of the repairs. In between, they took breaks to drink from blood bags and give Hope her bottle. By evening, they were comfortable in one of the upstairs rooms, with Hope laying between them, fast asleep. Apparently, she'd gotten very tired just watching them work all day long.

"You used to do this often, didn't you?" whispered Maddy as she caressed Hope's arm. "Disappear for long periods of time."

"Where were you?" she'd asked him in Chicago, after they reunited. "From 1953 to 1958?"

"In another body. After 1933, Elijah and I parted ways on a bad note. He learned I'd daggered Rebekah in the twenties and he... was not pleased to know that the letters he'd been receiving from her were actually from me. I disappeared after that. Had my body locked away with a dozen spells so that I could conduct my business covertly. Tell me more about where you were. After we parted ways."

"Several times, yes," he said, staring up at the ceiling for a moment before turning to her. "In those times, I wished more than anything to go and see you. To find you, speak to you, even though you would not know who I was. I had many different faces, I could have risked it... but I did not. I always feared Mikael would find me."

"I don't think it would have gone well for you if you came to me in those times," said Maddy. "I wasn't in a good place. Dealing with Damon having his humanity off between a few years of just being... lost. Unsure of what I wanted to do to make myself happy." She smiled as Hope grabbed her hand in her sleep. "And now I have you two. There's nothing more I could want in this world."

"Would you want another?"

"Another baby?" She shrugged. "I don't know. I sort of feel happy with just Hope. We're going to be surrounded by kids in the near future. Rebekah will take the cure soon, and she and Matt are going to be popping out kids nonstop, just wait. Then Kol is mortal now, so he and Bonnie will likely want kids. We have Anita. My brothers might adopt kids since they can't procreate with their partners. If Finn becomes human maybe he'll find someone who makes him happy and boom, more babies. That's not even counting the kids Caroline, Jo, Davina, and their partners might have."

"I like having only one little wolf," said Klaus, grinning when Hope whined, stretching her legs. "Do your legs hurt?"

Hope, of course, didn't answer. Only yawned and continued to sleep, gurgling a bit.