Changes ~ Klaus Mikaelson **

7: Segura

segura; secure

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Anticipation and fear building up in my gut and chest as we neared the location. My leg bounced up and down as my anxiety kicked in. I started biting on my nails and watching the field and trees pass the window anxiously. Klaus put his hand on my upper thigh causing the shaking to stop. I looked at him frantically. "Stop shaking. You're making me nervous. Calm down," Klaus said soothingly rubbing my thigh.

"No can do," I began shaking the other one but he kept his hand there. I felt her as we pulled up to the house. The pull was very strong. As soon as the car stopped I rushed out of the car. There she was. Right before me in Elijah's hands. I slowly approached the two, almost hesitant.

Elijah handed her to me as she cooed cutely. "Hi," I cooed. Even without teeth she preciously smiled at me making my heart swell. I rocked her in my arms and turned to Klaus. I carefully passed Hope to him. We both smiled watching her coo in her father's arms. Hope and I laughed at the same time. The sound itself reminded me why I would sacrifice everything for her. Being this close to her I could feel myself growing more powerful.

After a while, Rebekah instructed us to start gathering the woods to start a fire while Hope slept. Curse on the firstborn? What the bloody hell is that supposed to be," Rebekah asked. I had the same question. "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 firstborns for eternity," Klaus explained.

"Is any of it true," I asked worriedly. "It is if we're to believe Finn who learned it from that bastion of truth, our mother," Elijah said, rolling up his sleeves. "No wonder Finn hated us. He lost the sister he adored and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull," Rebekah said. "Great, so is there any chance of us running into this crazy-ass Aunt Dahlia soon," I asked. "Fable's over a thousand years old. Dahlia' long dead," Elijah assured. "Like Esther," I asked.

"No one's going to hurt Hop, because no one's going to find her. That's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas," Klaus witted. "We're just missing a key ingredient," Rebekah rubbed her hands together. "No, we're not," Klaus said instantly. "Yes, we are, Nik. Back me up, Elijah," Rebekah said, making him smile.

"I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on ashes," Elijah smiled. "What are you all talking about," I finally asked. "Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other, to burn to luck. It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids," Rebekah explained. "Further evidence as to why we should ignore it," Klaus said. "It's Hope's first bonfire season. Klaus doesn't like it. We're doing it," I decided.

Moments later everybody went their separate ways in the house. In fact, I found Klaus playing with the baby in the living room. It was the cutest thing. But it was his turn to write his wish so we'd have to switch roles. "I'm holding a small child, Cameron. The silly wish game will have to wait," Klaus said. "You write, I'll hold," I said. "You do realize I am not the husband you can boss around, yet," he said. "You do realize I had to endure horrendous labor and actual death birthing the child that you're holding. I win," I smiled and took the baby from him.

"Fine," He wrote quickly and handed it to me. I read it, of course. A blush covered my face and I balled the paper up. I could see him smiling at the corner of my eye before I left the room. Romantic bastard.

It was finally time for us to light the fire and burn the wishes. Klaus lit the fire as Rebekah rushed out of the house. "Hey, look what I found. I wonder if it'll work," Rebekah smiled holding a camera. "Oh, bloody hell," Klaus huffed. "Come on, let's try. Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us into a selfie," Rebekah asked oblivious to his disinterest.

"Honey, Klaus is the virtuoso of cramming his siblings into confined spaces," Elijah jokes. "I'm so glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother only to have him insult me to my face," Klaus said as we gathered together for the picture. "Come on, just take the picture," Rebekah said. Klaus raised the camera as we squeezed into the confined frame.

When the picture came out of the polaroid it blurred out. "See? I wish that it could always be like this," Rebekah said. "If wishes were horses..."

"Beggars would ride," Klaus said. The picture was finally clear and I saw that Klaus wasn't smiling. He had a resting bitch face. "You realize we'll have to burn it. You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah. I wish it didn't have to be like this, but it does. We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands," Klaus handed it to me.

I took it in the freehand that wasn't holding the baby and slowly walked to the fire. And threw it in. We all watched the picture burn. No, this isn't right. We deserve this, We've earned this. I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther--"

"Rebekah, no."

"I'm gonna take her deal. And when I do, I'm taking her down with me," Rebekah said determinedly. After a while, I went to sit on the porch feeding the baby while they talked inside of the house. I took into the notice of Hope's features. She had bright blue eyes like me but they had some dark blue specks like Klaus's. Some of her hair had been growing in and it appeared to be a dark blonde. Darker than Klaus's.

Her father's lips and my nose. Rosey cheeks like me but she still looks so much like him when he was younger.

...

Elijah and Rebekah went back to New Orleans to complete whatever plan they had cooked up while Klaus and I stayed here with the baby. Once Hope was asleep I went to find Klaus in the study near the fireplace drinking.

"She's asleep. It's so quiet with Rebekah and Elijah gone. We never-- well, I never got to say my wish. I wished that we could have peace. Just us as family. None of your family drama or mine. Just peace. No more kids, of course. Childbirth is no joke. Maybe a house like this one. But this is a bit isolated. Too far from other people. Not that I'd need them--"

"Princess, you rambling," Klaus said, setting his drink down to stand in front of me giving me his full attention. "Well, you kind of made this joke earlier about marriage-- well, I don't really know if it were a joke or not but I just wanted to-- I don't know. I should just..." I turned to walk away in embarrassment but Klaus pulled me into a breathtaking kiss.

It was a sweet kiss when it ended with us resting our forehead against one another. "Gawd," I huffed. "After all this time, you still get flustered over me," Klaus said smirking. "Can you blame me," I said. "If it were what you wanted then... It wasn't a joke. I'd never joke like that," Klaus said brushing my hair back making my breath hitch at his words.

Before any other words were shared, our lips met again. A kiss so sensible and delicate that if we were to go faster it would break. This kiss signified our future. It was the backboard of our relationship. Not only lust and desire but emotional companionship, we need to depend on each other whenever and wherever.

The kiss broke and Klaus led me to a vacant room. He drew some bath water for the both of us adding bubbles inside. I slowly peeled my clothes off in the bathroom alone. I entered the hot tub now filled with water and bubbles. After the water hit some of my aching muscles Klaus joined me. I felt the water waving around a bit before I felt him. All of him.

He pulled me into his chest and continued the kiss from earlier wrapped in the security and comfort of one another. That was all we did that night, nothing more, nothing less.

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1445 words.