Letters to the Hybrid

Chapter 13

When Clove awoke the next morning, she felt different.  A good different. She felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders and her previously numb feelings had been flooded with hope.

She rolled over onto her back and smiled up at the ceiling, playing back fragments of the dream from her scattered memory. She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting Klaus's comforting words replay in her mind.

"I will find you love, just hold on. Stay Strong."

She brought her index finger up to her mark and rubbed the tattoo in rhythmic circles. A slight pulsing sensation ignited under her fingertips, causing a wave of calm to wash over her.

For the first time in a while, Clove had something to look forward to. To have faith in.

***

"You look chipper this morning," Sloane commented as she sipped her coffee and watched Klaus stroll into the kitchen.

"I had a good dream last night," Klaus said, smirking to himself as he thought of the ambiguous meaning of his words.

Sloane raised an eyebrow and shot him a smirk of her own, accidentally snorting into her coffee as she thought of the double meaning of Klaus's words. "How good are we talking?"

"Very good."

"Is this your way of telling me you have high hopes for your future sex life?"

"That's not what I was implying."

"Uh huh, sure. Whatever you have to tell yourself, Klaus."

"Get out and go do your job."

"My ancestors would be so disappointed in me," Sloane mumbled to herself, placing her mug into the sink as she exited the kitchen, bumping fists with Klaus on the way out. "Getting bossed around by a white man."

"Always a pleasure, Sloane," Klaus called out, making himself his own cup of coffee.

Their little tradition of fist bumping was born recently after they nearly got into a physical fight. Sloane had bumped Klaus in the arm with her elbow, claiming she just felt the urge to hit him. Klaus retaliated by elbowing Sloane in the rubs with considerable strength, mocking her with the same words.

Their nudging escalated until Mindy, one of Klaus's hybrids, cleared her throat and snapped them out of it. From that day forth, they both stared bumping fists whenever they saw each other as a reminder not to let their bickering get out of hand.

It also prevented both of them from punching the other in the face.

Klaus quickly finished his coffee and dropped it in the newly installed sink, silently thinking which of his hybrids he would be putting on dish duty. He pulled out his phone and dialed Stefan's number, making his way to his soundproofed art room as the phone rang.

"Hello, Klaus," Stefan said when he answered the phone on it's last ring.

"Stefan, how nice to hear your voice. What sort of news do you have for me, old friend?"

"I have some news I think ties back to your soulmate," Stefan said truthfully, "and it involves your father. Mikael."

"And how do I know this isn't some goose chase to get me off my soulmate's trail?"

"I'm compelled to bring you news about your soulmate, Klaus. I haven't heard anything about her, but Damon just told me about some dude named Mikael, who is desiccated in a tomb and happens to be your father. I think that's Katherine's potential ploy to distract you from Clove."

"Excellent work, Stefan."

"I'm holding you to our deal, Klaus. I'm sending the address now."

"Of course, so long as you keep up the good work."