Forgiven (Completed)

Chapter 35: Final Respects

Klaus touched the rim of Naya's throat then stared at her. "How?"

Naya took his hand and held it. "I guess Martin is a true hero." She grunted as she tried to sit up, and Klaus placed his hand on her back supporting her.

She turned and frowned. "Matt..." before he threw in and gave her a bear hug.

"I'm so glad to see you're ok," Matt spoke and clung tightly to her. 

"I'm so glad to see you're not mince meat either," Naya took a step back then turned to face Klaus, who was bloody and his eyes staring straight at her. 

"Martin spelled the knife to ensure that it wouldn't kill me...not permanently, anyways," Naya spoke and smiled at Klaus. Klaus nodded still in shock, but Naya focused her attention on her dead father.

She walked and knelt down at his body.

"Naya..."

"I'm not judging you Klaus, this is for me..." Naya placed her hand on her dead father's back. "You took Martin from me...and you tortured him. Multiple times you tried to have me killed, and you succeeded once...you were a tyrant before you were a vampire, but you still had some honour at that time. That is how I will remember you father...I forgive you..." she turned around to see Klaus staring blankly at her. He stared grimly at the corpse then shook his head.

"You never cease to amaze me..."

"What can I say? I can't hold on to my past forever...there is just one more thing I've got to do...care to join me?" Naya asked.

"Sure, after I clean up..."

"Just lick yourself up, you'll be fine..."

"I think you're mistaking hybrids for the feline specimen, love," Klaus retorted and Naya laughed. She could barely believe just a few minutes ago, she was actually dead.

                                                                                   ***

Naya placed a bouquet of red roses at Martin's grave. She knelt down and touched the stone.

"You will always be in my heart, Martin...and in my memories..." Naya kissed her fingers and placed it on the headstone. She took a step back and glanced at Klaus, who was waiting quietly.

"To think that a man with an appearance of mine was such a great hero astounds me..." Klaus spoke. He glanced at Naya, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm looking at one too..."

"I'm hardly a hero, love, and I'm not scared to admit it," Klaus said. "I may look like an angel, but I'm the devil in disguise."

"Maybe...but there's always hope for you...Niklaus..."

"So you think, it is possible...to cling to, what is between us?"

Naya glanced the ground. "I still don't know." Klaus grimaced, but Naya leaned forward and kissed him. Klaus kissed her back, hard. Naya pulled back.

"I care about you...Niklaus, which should not even be possible, but I need to think things through...away from here..."

"You're leaving?"

"But I promise I'll come back...hopefully, with answers..."

"And I'll be waiting," Klaus spoke. "What do you intend to do?"

"Martin mentioned about a mage in the Northen Cove...I've never heard about it before..."

"Are you saying you might not be the last mage?"