BLONDIE • the mikaelsons

chapter fifty four

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

I rested my head on Kol's shoulder in the backseat of the car whilst Klaus drove us to our accommodations. The red taillights of the New Orleans traffic lit up the road, creating a surprisingly melancholy atmosphere. Elijah and Finn had remained behind to deal with the aftermath whilst Kol and Klaus had opted to get me out of there as soon as possible.

It was safe to say that New Orleans had not made the best first impression. I was already counting down the days until we could leave. The sooner we found Melissa, the sooner we could go back home.

I let out a weary sigh, scooching closer to Kol, who wrapped an arm around me. I looked down at my lap, scowling down at my several chipped nails. My eyes fixated on my ring finger, where an engagement had once sat. Sometimes I really missed wearing it.

"Nik, I want my ring back." I grumbled as I glared down at my bare hand.

Klaus let out a halfhearted chuckle, "Are you proposing to me, love?"

"Of course not!" I scoffed, "But it was really pretty and I want it back."

"Sweetheart, I can buy you as much jewelry as you desire." Klaus replied, his smirk visible in the rearview mirror.

"But I want that one!" I pouted, causing Kol to chuckle.

"It's an engagement ring, love." Klaus reminded me, "You can't wear it unless we are engaged."

"Neither one of us has ever been the sort to follow silly rules like that, Nik." I grumbled, "Besides, if I marry you, there will be several angry Mikaelsons to deal with. Elijah might try to kill you again so we would have to dagger him to save your life!"

"I fail to see how that's an issue." Klaus shrugged and I rolled my eyes.

"If I can't marry all of you then I shall marry none of you."

We locked eyes in the rearview mirror and Klaus sent me a soft smile. "But it would make sense if you and I were married. After all, I am the father of your child."

"Biologically that may be the case," Kol chimed in, "But I am planning on loving this child as if it were my own."

Klaus scoffed, "Kol, we both know that you are only capable of being the fun uncle."

"I will not be the fun uncle, I shall be the fun dad!" Kol scowled and I suppressed a smile at his words.

"But I want to be the fun dad!" Klaus argued, gripping the steering wheel tighter as he scowled.

"Someone has to be the strict parent and I assumed that you would rise to the opportunity given your affinity for controlling your family." Kol quipped, causing me to grin.

"I am planning on showering my child with as many gifts as their heart desires so somebody else shall have to be the strict parent!" Klaus argued, a playful smile emerging at the corner of his lips.

"I bet I can give her more gifts than you can!" Kol shot back and I sighed.

"You are going to be very spoiled." I muttered to my stomach as the brothers continued to playfully argue.

By the time we pulled up to the house, Klaus and Kol had come to the reluctant decision to share the title of the fun dad. They both heartily agreed that Elijah would be the strict parent whilst they would shower my child with affection. I had no idea how Elijah would feel about his newly assigned role but the thought made me smile.

***

The orchard outside the Manor House was rife with apple trees. Needing a peaceful moment after Klaus gave me a tour of the house, I had made my way outside and begun to wander around the orchard. I was alone but I had no doubt that the Mikaelsons were keeping a watchful eye on me through the many windows. I didn't mind, in fact, I found comfort in my ensured safety.

The apples that hung from the trees were not yet mature and I made a rough guess that they would not be ready for another month or two. I trailed my hand on the bark of one of the trees, letting it linger for a moment before I moved on. I circled several trees as I let the solitude of night embrace me. Having multiple people in my life who cared for me was wonderful but I still enjoyed time to myself.

As I rounded another tree, my eyes landed on a figure standing a short distance from me. I smiled at Finn as he approached me, his mouth downturned and his eyes wary.

"Hi," I whispered softly when he stopped a few feet away from me.

"Good evening, Emilia." Finn greeted me with a forced smile, "I wanted to apologize for earlier."

I let out a shocked chuckle, "What on earth are you apologizing for?"

"For my display of violence earlier." Finn explained, his eyebrows furrowed in worry, "You seemed distressed by my actions and I wished to apologize. I assure you that it will not happen again."

"Finn," I began slowly, stepping forward and placing a gentle hand on his tense arm, "You were my knight in shining armor today."

"I killed multiple people." Finn reminded me, his eyes wide with horror.

"I know," I told him softly, "And I am so sorry that the task fell to you but please do not feel guilty. Those witches threatened myself and my unborn child. You saved us, Finn."

Finn sucked in a breath, "I am a monster."

"We are all monsters," I said with a humorless laugh, remembering the witch I may or may not have killed. "But at least you have morals."

"I'm a monster with morals?" Finn frowned and I nodded in encouragement.

"The circumstances of life create many monsters out of good people," I said with a sad smile, "But as long as you hold onto that goodness, you will be the nicest monster in town!"

My comment earned one of Finn's rare smiles.

"I didn't think when I killed those witches, I just acted." he admitted, "All I knew was that I needed to protect you. You saved me and gave me a second chance at life. You are my savior, Emilia."

His words rendered speech impossible so instead, I took a cautious step forward and caressed the side of his face. When he made no move to stop me, I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. Unlike our last kiss, this one was accompanied by feelings of love and desire. Finn returned the kiss with a gentle passion, wrapping his arms around my body and pulling me close.

We broke apart when we heard the sound of cheers. Our heads swiveled towards the house, where Kol and Elijah stood, spying at us through the window. It was Kol who was cheering whilst Elijah scowled at him, mildly embarrassing to have been caught.

"Well done, Finn!" Kol shouted, a cheeky grin on his face.

Elijah glared once more at Kol before moving away from view, presumably attempting to get as far away as possible from his younger brother.

"Go to bed, Kol!" I yelled back, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Only if you come with me!" he replied and I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, go and wait for me in your room!" I shouted back and his eyes lit up gleefully before he scampered away.

"You have no intention of joining him tonight, do you?" Finn asked knowingly.

"Let's just say that he is going to be waiting a very long time." I replied with a mischievous grin.

"Poor Kol." Finn hummed, although he did not seem at all concerned for his younger brother.

"Now," I began, wrapping my arms around Finn's neck, "Where were we?"

A/N: Blondie has officially hit 1M reads, which is absolutely insane! When I first began writing on Wattpad many years ago, hitting 1M reads was a milestone I always hoped for but never thought I would achieve. Thank you so much to my readers, without whom this would not have been possible. A big thank you for all the comments that made me smile and motivated me to continue writing this book!

Originally published: November 2nd 2024