Everlasting- N.M {2}

33: i love you, goodbye

Camille and Elijah walked into the courtyard, Hope in the blonde's arms, having returned to New Orleans after Elijah had set the Arkansas safe house on fire with Finn inside after the altercation between the two brothers. He had managed to find Camille and Hope before making their quick way home to the child's parents.

When Astrid recognised who had entered their home, she rushed down the stairs and made her way towards the two before instantly taking her daughter from the blonde. Astrid held Hope close to her body, making sure her hold wasn't overly tight. The Original sighed with a smile. "Thank Merlin."

Klaus then walked down the staircase, not that far behind Astrid's fast pace and cuddled his family with a smile nearly identical to his wife's. He allowed his eyes to close, taking in the fact that his daughter was now home with her parents.

Elijah took joy at the sight of his brother and his sister-in-law content with their child and gestured for Camille to leave them to soak in the time with their daughter. As he moved to leave the room, Astrid looked up and smiled at Elijah mouthing grateful words to him, "Thank you." Elijah nodded, smiling back at her before leaving the couple alone.

Hope looked up at her parents before latching her mouth onto the ear of a teddy bear in her grasp, causing the couple to laugh at their baby daughter.

Klaus & Astrid were getting themselves ready for the wedding of Hayley & Jackson. Astrid was applying mascara on her eyelashes and Klaus was putting on his tie, while Elijah began to berate them on what he expected on their behalf tonight.

Astrid sighed, putting the mascara wand into the tube that it came in, turning to face Elijah. "Elijah, I can assure you that we will behave accordingly. Now, are you finished with lecturing us as if we are children?" Astrid smiled patronisingly along with her comment.

The smile fell when Elijah gave her a look that signified disbelief. She rolled her eyes and spoke once more. "Your distrust hurts me, Elijah." She spoke sarcastically as she continued with a groan. "Elijah, I promise that I will behave accordingly. Cross my heart." She remarked jokingly before muttering loudly. "Shame I can't say the same for Nik. There's just no telling what he'll do." She smirked over at her husband, who rolled his eyes at her.

"I'm being serious. The both of you shall do nothing to ruin this wedding." Elijah spoke in a stern tone, turning and leaving the couple's room.

"It's too bad. If this was anyone else, the wedding would be getting ruined." Astrid remarked, her eyebrows raised at Elijah's behaviour towards the supposedly happy occasion.

"Unfortunately, that isn't who Elijah is." Klaus replied to the comment with his lips down turned and he walked over to Astrid, his expression changing to a smile. "I know it is frowned upon to say at such an occasion...but you are the most gorgeous woman at this wedding, my darling."

She rolled her eyes at her husband, who pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her with a wide smile. "I'm being serious."

"We're married, you have no choice." Astrid told him as she straightened out his tie, a wide smirk on her face this time.

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean I wasn't being serious. I know that you'll probably deny it-" He taunted his wife with a genuine smile. "-but, even after being married for over a thousand years, I still believe that you're the most beautiful woman in the entire world."

She made direct eye contact with Klaus, searching for any sign of dishonesty or fabrication, and when she found none, she smiled up at her husband, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck. "I love you so much."

"Well, I think I love you even more." Klaus replied in a romantic manner, kissing her on the lips.

The invited guests, whether they were vampires or werewolves, all began to gather in the ballroom minutes before the ceremony was going to commence. Hayley slowly walked to the doorway of the ballroom and stilled as everyone rose from their seats to greet the bride. She greeted others with a gestured nod when she noticed them and then waited for Jackson, who was then behind her a mere minute later. Hayley and Jackson intertwined their hands as they walked side-by-side down the aisle.