On My Own | Hale - TVD/TO/TW [4]

33 | Is That Good Enough?

Classical music fills the air as Lexi flips through her mother's grimoire. Her brothers' presences are painfully noticeable in the corner of her eye: Klaus reads "A Poison Tree" by William Blake while Elijah reads an old journal of his. A dead woman is splayed over the coffee table with her neck barely bleeding.

Lexi does not look up at Rebekah walks in. "So this is what you do the first time we're back together as a family?" Rebekah arches an eyebrow. "Vampire book club?"

"Reading edifies the mind, sister. Isn't that right, Elijah?" Klaus looks up with a smirk.

Elijah nods. "Yes, that's quite right, Niklaus."

Rebekah motions to the dead woman. "And what's this business?"

"This is a..." Elijah waves his hand. "peace offering."

Sighing, Klaus says, "I presumed, after so much time desiccating in a coffin, that my big brother might be a bit peckish."

"And I explained to my little brother that forgiveness cannot be bought." Lexi glances up, her gaze landing on Klaus as Elijah continues. "I'd simply prefer to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition and personal growth. Not this nonsense."

With a grin, Klaus looks at the dead girl. "Well, I couldn't very well let her go to waste, could I?"

Rebekah huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, I came here for our unusually quiet sister."

Lexi lifts her head, looking between her siblings. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Do you need me to clean the rug, perhaps? It is 200 years old, and now stained with the poor dear's blood."

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah shakes her head. "I want to know why you are so grouchy."

Lexi clenches her jaw as she glances at Klaus. "Ask him." She puts her grimoire down and leaves her siblings in silence.

She walks into the kitchen, opening up the cabinets in search of whiskey. She sends Hayley a nod as the werewolf walks opens the fridge. "Would it kill you to add milk to the grocery list?" Hayley asks.

"I have no say about what goes on that list," Lexi replies as she glares at the empty cabinets. "Any idea where my brother hid the alcohol?"

"Where you cannot find it," Elijah says from the threshold. Lexi shakes her head and avoids his gaze as he steps into the room. "I do hope my siblings were hospitable to you in my absence, Hayley."

Hayley presses her lips together. "In your absence, as you like to call it—which is a way too polite way of saying that your brother put a dagger in your heart—I have been attacked by French Quarter vampires, I've had to live in a house with a secret dungeon full of coffins," Lexi frowns. "and I was nearly murdered by witches who are convinced my baby is Lucifer."

Elijah smiles as he retrieves two cartons from the fridge: one orange juice and one milk. When Hayley sees it, she turns bright red.

"Alexis, why don't you take one of these instead of whiskey at ten in the morning?" Elijah asks innocently.

"I'd rather die of thirst," she replies. She glances at Hayley who has gone very quiet. "If Klaus or Rebekah give you any trouble, just tell me."

The wolf shakes her head. "They've been fine. Your siblings are weirdly protective. I know I have you to thank for that." She sends Elijah a smile.

"I'm just happy to see that you're in one piece." He hands her the bowl of cereal. "So, back to the murderous witches. I have some concerns."

"They're evil, and my life is still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting."