little mikaelson ⚜️ the originals

21

And so the festivities continued, all of the Mikaelsons sharing stories and laughing at one another, listening to music and just sending time together for the first time as a proper family. They celebrated Darla's sixteenth year, all giving her gifts of which made every other lavish thing she owned look like absolute rubbish.

"Rebekah has told us all how much you love to read, so I could only hope that this peaks your interest." Elijah spoke, handing her a present wrapped in gold paper.

Opening it with care, Darla gasped at the sight before her.

"Is this...?"

"It is," Her uncle smiled proudly. "A first edition signed copy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice."

"This is so cool!" Darla laughed, clutching her newest book to her chest. "Elijah, I don't know what to say! Thank you so much!"

She laughed with happiness and placed the book down, hurling herself into his arms and wrapping him in a big hug.

"Happy birthday, Darla."

"Thank you."

"Alright, enough with the chit chat." Kol said with a roll of his eyes, smile creeping up on his face. "Time to give her something that she'll actually put to good use, not something that will put her to sleep."

"Kol..." All of the siblings said in a warning tone of voice.

"Don't worry, it isn't a car if that's what you're thinking," he rolled his eyes again. "Just something that will help her get out of that Rupunzel state of mind that she's been in for so long. It'll be good for her."

And with that, he handed her a box with pink wrapping paper all around it.

Opening it with caution, Darla gasped down at the sight.

"You did not."

Sitting in the box was a brand new phone, a luxury that Darla was never allowed.

"You can thank me whenever you feel needed be."

"Right now would be that time. Thank you, Kol. Thank you so much!"

"All of our numbers are already programmed in there, so we can skip that tedious task."

"You really didn't need to―"

"Of course I did! How else are we supposed to communicate with you whilst we're away or bored? Through a Jane Austen book?"

"Freya!" Klaus said loudly, ending their conversation. "You told me that you couldn't wait to give Darla her gift, so why don't you go on ahead?"

Freya nodded with a smile, handing Darla tiny box, urging her to open it.

Lifting the lid off of the box, she sighed in adoration. There lied a bracelet, a simple silver chain with a silver plate attached to it, reading Always and Forever.

"Freya... it's beautiful!"

"I figured you could use something a little more modern, but still had all the cloaking capabilities as the old stuff." She smiled with a shrug. "It'll protect you."

"Thank you," she said again sincerely. "I love it, honest. Do you mind...?"

"Of course!"

Freya reached over and took the bracelet out of Darla's small hands, fastening it around her wrist with ease.

"Well it's a good thing that it happens to match perfectly with my present." Rebekah spoke with a knowing smile, handing Darla a box wrapped up with a big bow. "Happy birthday, my little princess."

Inside the box was a gorgeous dress, one that Darla had recalled looking at in the window of some expensive boutique just outside their town. Bekah knew she had wanted the dress, despite her protests, so the night of Nik's surprise call, she was out buying it for her.

"You did not!" Darla laughed, throwing her head back in disbelief. "I told you I didn't want it!"

"After sixteen years, Darla Hope, you don't think I know when you're lying? Of course you wanted the dress."

Darla shook her head and placed everything to the side, practically leaping on her aunt.

"You're the best, Auntie Bex."

"I know, my little moon."

Klaus watched the girls interact in curiosity and adoration, yet with a hint of melancholy thrown in there. Bekah was the only parental force that Darla really had all her life, as much as he hated to admit it, and he was just a stranger.

"Niklaus?" Elijah asked, snapping him out of his daze. "And your gift?"

Klaus just nodded with a smile and stood from his sitting position, walking over to his daughter with caution, holding his hands behind his back.

"You probably won't remember this, but when you were just a baby, you clocked yourself right here with your favourite toy," He began with a soft, lopsided smile, using a free hand to trace over where the cut was on her forehead. "Out of your own personal safety, we had to take it away, because, well, thousand year old toys aren't exactly the best things for infants to play with. Especially if they're made of solid wood. And I know it's no Jane Austen novel or dress―"

"Or phone!" Kol interrupted.

"Shut up, brother!" Klaus said sharply, turning back to his daughter. "But I know it used to be your favourite, and hopefully it'll mean as much to you as it did all those yesrs ago when you clocked yourself in the head with it."

He pulled his other hand from behind his back, handing her the old wooden chess piece. Taking it in her hands, she looked at the craftsmanship in awe.

"Darla's always had a keen interest in art," Rebekah said to fill the silence. "She's always carving something out of the firewood, I swear."

Klaus just smiled and watched her in complete adoration, a gleam of pride in his eye.

"Thank you," she smiled, looking up at her father with a grin. "I love it, it's beautiful."