Young Gods (A Klaus Mikaelson Fanfic)

Chapter 20- Birthday Betrayals

Bella had always loved her birthday. Even when she was in her shell after the death of Harmony, it was the one day of the year that she was actually happy because she spent every birthday with her birthday twin. Caroline always had a way of breaking down her walls, no matter how hard she wanted to wallow away in her misery and that was what allowed her birthday to be fun. Sometimes, there would be carnivals in neighboring towns and Liz and Miranda would take the small girls and let them play all the rigged carnival games.

After her parents died, however, Bella no longer wished to celebrate as she believed that she didn't deserve to be happy. Why should she be happy when her parents were dead and it was her fault? Yet, as she opens her eyes on her birthday this year, she finally has closure. She knows it is not her fault that her parents died and she refuses to blame herself. As she grabs her phone, she sees a text from Ellie wishing her a happy birthday and informing her that she believes Katherine is close so they should be home soon, and then they can celebrate.

The name of her best friend reminds her that she hadn't actually told anybody about what she had learned about herself. She had silently promised Ellie she would share but then the blonde had gone to find Katherine. As much as she had begun to trust the almost strawberry blonde hybrid, she wasn't sure what kind of reaction telling him the full extent of her power, or even who she was, would elicit from him. Then there was Jenna who had been living in the house for three days now that she wanted to tell but didn't want to burden.

Realizing that there is one person who knows her secret, she groans, deciding that after a week of absence, she should attend school and forgive Hermes. Besides, had he told her he was a god, she wouldn't have believed him and then they wouldn't have become friends. She really should've cut him some slack sooner. With a new plan in mind, the birthday girl gets out of bed and dresses for the fall weather. Donning a cute, olive, knitted sweater and jeans, she walks downstairs and into the kitchen to grab breakfast. The construction of the house is still in full bloom despite Klaus's claims that it was coming to an end.

Bella slides onto a stool in front of the island where Jenna is attempting to make pancakes. "Happy birthday! I was trying to make you breakfast in bed but..." She trails off, looking at the blackened pancake, and Bella grins.

"How about strawberries for breakfast? That's a healthy meal. Way better for me than pancakes." Jenna's face lights up at the words as she sets the plastic container on the counter and the blue-eyed teen immediately begins devouring them.

"So what are you planning on doing today? We can do something special if you want," she offers and Bella pauses in her eating to grin.

"Thanks, but I think I should go to school today since I've skipped this whole week. At least pretend I'm interested in learning, and then I thought maybe I'd hit up Caroline and see if she wanted to hang out, for old time's sake and because she was the only one not in on the plot to kill me." Jenna nods her head with wide eyes. It amazes her how well her niece handles what her life has become. If it were her, she'd be too terrified to even leave the house after someone had attempted to murder her, especially when the people who did it were family.

Yet Bella just seemed to shrug it off and go about living her life. It certainly was an admirable quality. Before either woman can speak, Klaus enters the kitchen, seeing the failed attempts at pancakes and the teen eating strawberries at the counter. "You look nice. Planning to leave the house today are you," he jests and she places a finger to her chin as if thinking about it before nodding.

"Yeah, see I remembered that I have this thing called school, it's basically a form of torture, but it is kind of mandatory unless I drop out so I figured I should get back to that. What about you, more villain plotting for the day?"