Vulnerable / Klaus Mikaelson {Book 1} (EDITING)

Chapter 26: New Threat

The ride to the unknown place was silent but it was a comfortable silence. Klaus always checked on Scarlett by looking in the rearview mirror of the car. Scarlett sensed his stolen stares but kept looking out the window.

Finally, the black SUV speeded down the driveway of the place. Klaus didn't even park before Hayley rushed out of the car and sprinted towards Rebekah, Elijah and her daughter. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she sees Hope as though she couldn't believe her eyes. Rebekah and Elijah both smiled at her as Klaus and Scarlett caught up with them. Elijah slowly handed the smiling child to Hayley.

Hayley hugged Hope tightly and let out a sigh of relief. Behind her, Klaus was in near tears and was too overwhelmed to move. Scarlett left the parents to see the young girl and stood beside Rebekah as the two watched the scene in awe.

Hayley turned to Klaus and approached him with Hope in her hands. Klaus slowly took Hope out of Hayley's grasp and held her tightly. Hope cooed happily at the two before they both laughed and smothered her with delicate kisses.

...

The group sat outside as they all discussed the newest revelations they had just learned. Klaus, Hayley, Rebekah and Elijah built a bonfire out in the front yard while Scarlett sat on a blanket in the grass. She sat down with baby Hope sitting across from her as she played peekaboo with the young child.

Scarlett could've gotten bored of the game quickly but she didn't. Hope's laugh was the cutest thing ever.

"Curse on the first-born?" Rebekah repeated what she heard. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first-borns for eternity." Klaus explained to the blonde.

"Well, I'll kill the old witch before she gets to this adorable human." Scarlett joked, earning a slight smile from all of them.

"Is any of this true?"

"It is if we are to believe Finn, who learned it from the bastion of truth- our mother." Elijah answered Hayley.

"Well, no wonder Finn hates us." Rebekah commented. "He lost the sister he adored, and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull."

"Great." Hayley said sarcastically. "So, is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia any time soon?"

"The fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia is long dead." Elijah claimed as he placed more sticks on the bonfire.

"Like Esther?"

"No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her." Klaus assured Hayley. "There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."

Rebekah rubbed her hands together excitedly as she returned to where her siblings are standing. "Well, we're just missing a key ingredient!"

"No, we're not." Klaus denied.