Enigmatic Fears: A Klaus Mikaelson Story {7}

Chapter 12: Grateful For You

"Grace, we went to the St. Ann's church to get Hayley." Klaus began whilst I sat at the bar, a glass of rum in my hand. "She wasn't there."

"No, no, no, no! No!" Grace denied. "I protected her. She was cloaked, she was cloaked practically ten times over, that spell was perfect. I kept her safe. I don't understand, the coffin was just empty?"

"The coffin was destroyed." I told her bluntly. "Whatever happened to Hayley...it didn't happen without a fight."

"I know it wasn't your intention for someone to get hurt." Klaus told her as she began to panic. "I know you did this because I left you no choice. Look at me sweetheart, please." Klaus said as he tilted her head up in her direction. "This...this is my fault. And I'll fix it. I've already spoken to Alaric, you'll go back to Mystic Falls tonight, because I need to know you're safe."

Grace began to cough and in my panic, I scrambled over to her as she hit at her chest. "What is it baby?"

She collapsed to the floor in my arms and began to cough out a genuine snake, to the horror of myself and I her father.

"Klaus, you have to go." I told him, but he was stricken with fear. "I SAID GO!"

"I will find Hayley." Klaus promised. "And I swear I'll return her to you. I love you."

And as Klaus left, Grace sobbed in my arms and I comforted her as best as I could. But I was not naïve enough to think that this was the end. I knew that this was only the beginning.

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I lay on my bed, my eyes closed as I tried to keep my brain from spontaneously combusting. Everything had been going my way and just to bring back Klaus, I was sprung into the midst of chaos.

"Pause."

I chuckled at something I hadn't heard in a long time. Grace and I used to call a pause for whenever we were in a fight, but we wanted to talk about something else. She had seen it in some TV show she was probably too young to be watching.

"Sure." I patted to the space beside me and Grace climbed into bed beside me.

"I really like this boy." Grace confessed, causing me to turn to her.

"Is this Vampire Adonis Roman?" I questioned with a grin.

"The very one." She confirmed with a wide grin also. "He knows the truth about me. Everything. And he didn't run away screaming, so that's a good sign."

"Bad boys are usually lacking in fear." I told her. "Like mother, like daughter."

"Any tips?"

"Know your weaknesses." I said with a shrug. "And when you should get out."

"Mm." She said with a nod.

"Have you kissed him?" I asked her to which she shook her head. "But you want to."

"Mom!" Grace said, putting her hands over her face as she giggled uncontrollably.

"Look at you! You are positively smitten!" I teased. "I should hope he meets your father's standards. He once warned he would compel any unlucky bloke into the priesthood."

"Like I've always said, Dad is an over compensator." She said with a giggle. "What about your standards?"

"Well, does he make you happy?" I asked her.

"He makes me happier. But he's not the ultimate source of my happiness, no." She answered.

"You couldn't have given me a better response." I said with a happy sigh. "I know I did something right with you."

"Unpause." She murmured. "Mom, I am so sorry I made you feel like you were a bad mom. You're a great mom. The best mom. Because I don't know anyone else's mom who could have put up with all you did. Without you, I don't know where I'd be right now, but I need you to know that you haven't even close to failed me. There is no mom I would ever want but you. I love you so much and I am sorry. I am so so sorry."

"Thank you." I told her. "I love you too. It's just—I had a hard life growing up, as did your father and we promised ourselves is that we would never let that happen to you. And with everything going on...And Hayley going now I just...I am trying so hard."

"I know you are." Grace told me, kissing my cheek. "And I am so grateful for you."

"I'm grateful for you too."

As we lay together, she squeezed my hand tightly as a tear fell from her eyes. "I miss Dad."

"I miss her too." I told her. "But we'll do everything we can to find her and bring her home. I promise."

~Grace POV~

Grace met Roman at his car with her bag in her hand as she left her hometown with a refreshed lease on life. Things weren't perfect or even great, but she knew they were better.

"Hey." She said with a small smile. "Thanks for the lift back to school."

"Sure." He replied warmly, before chuckling. "You know it's funny. I always wondered why sometimes you had these British expressions. I kinda just thought you were travelled, I guess I know the truth now."

"I guess you do." She murmured glumly.

"Hey, is everything okay, Silvus?" He asked her.

"My name's not Silvus." She replied curtly.

"Right." He said, his lips turning up into a smirk. "It's Grace."

She smiled at the gesture, before jumping at a startling scream. She ran towards the horror and shrieked when she saw the cause. Henry had been strung up from the buildings, his heart completely removed from his chest. And if the Mikaelson girl wasn't sure before, then she was now, things in New Orleans had turned for the worse.

~Elliott POV~

Elliott lay on his bed in unending agony, desperately wishing that he had chosen another way to bring Anastasia to him. He coughed up blood vigorously and groaned when his chest contracted in pain.

"Elliott, my love." Anastasia said as she appeared at his bedside, running her fingers through his hair. "Did you have to choose the most excoriatingly painful way to grab my attention?"

He coughed up blood again, Anastasia chuckling as she watched his skin pale. "I had to be sure you would come. I got tired of waiting."

"I know." She told him. "I just had to be sure that you had learnt the truth."

She leaned down and gave him a kiss, curing him from the self-inflicted poison. He sat up, feeling better and pulled Anastasia in to kiss her again, pulling her shirt over her head.

"You never have to worry about me ever again." Elliott told her as he pulled away. "I know the truth now—The Mikaelsons will always see me as what tore them apart. And I was naïve to think I would be anything else."

Stasia smirked and unbuttoned his shirt, running her fingers up and down Elliott's body. "And now that you see reason, we can sort out this Inadu issue."

He smirked back at her and turned her over, laying her down onto the bed. "I think that can wait."