Force of Gravity • NM

•46•

The house was eerily still, yet no one even thought about going to bed. The weight of the night still hung over them, too raw to ignore, too heavy to push aside. They had survived, they had won, but the ghosts of Mikael's presence lingered in the air, making sleep impossible.

Everyone was scattered around the Salvatore Boarding House, exhaustion weighing on their bodies, but not a single person moved toward their rooms.

Except Rebekah.

The moment she stepped into the house, she yanked the enchanted bracelet off her wrist, the one that had hidden her pregnancy from Mikael's eyes for days together—and threw it into the fireplace with satisfaction written all over her face.

Kol snorted from where he was sprawled across the couch, one arm draped lazily over Bonnie. "Well, that was dramatic."

Rebekah rolled her eyes, a hand instinctively settling over her stomach, as if she could finally breathe freely again. "I never want to wear that thing again," she muttered. "I hated not being able to feel my baby."

Kol smirked. "Give it a few more months, darling. You'll be waddling around, and I will make fun of you for it."

Rebekah glared at him. "I'll stake you in your sleep."

Bonnie sighed, smacking Kol's chest. "Don't tease her, Kol."

Kol chuckled, kissing Bonnie's forehead. "But it's so easy."

Meanwhile, Naira sat between her brothers, her knees pulled up as she curled into the couch, seeking comfort in their presence. Damon and Stefan were unusually quiet, their minds lost in thought.

Stefan was the first to break the silence. "I still can't believe we killed him...sucessfully."

Damon exhaled, shaking his head. "I know. I always thought Mikael was like some unkillable nightmare." He scoffed. "Guess even nightmares have an expiration date."

Naira said nothing, just leaned against Stefan's side, her presence warm and familiar. Damon glanced at her and reached out, ruffling her hair. "Hey, no brooding. That's my thing."

She groaned, pushing his hand away. "I'm not brooding."

"Sure you aren't," he teased, then his tone softened. "You okay?"

She swallowed, nodding. "I just... I needed to sit here for a while."

Stefan placed a comforting hand on her knee. "Take as long as you need."

Across the room, Elijah stood with his usual poise, explaining the sheer miracle of how they had actually managed to defeat Mikael.

"If you truly think about it," he said, hands clasped behind his back, "the odds were entirely against us."

Finn, who was standing with Sage, snorted. "You don't say."

Elijah ignored him, continuing, "Had Stefan not interfered, had the spell not held, had Kol and Elena not found their way back in time..."

Damon groaned from the couch. "We get it, Professor Know-It-All. We almost died. Move on."

Caroline and Elena sat nearby, discussing something entirely different.

"You do realize," Caroline said, "that in a few days, Rebekah is going to be seven months pregnant?....we need to plan her a baby shower!!"

Elena's eyes widened. "Oh my God...Yes"

Rebekah, who had been sipping water, froze. "What?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah. You've been hiding your pregnancy for so long that you haven't really thought about it, have you?"

Caroline smirked. "You are so close to giving birth."

Rebekah's face paled. "I take back what I said. I want that bracelet back."

Stefan chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You're going to be fine, Rebekah."

She turned to him, eyes wide with panic. "Stefan, what if I'm not? What if something happens? I—I don't know how to be a mother."

He smiled softly. "You don't have to know everything right now. You're not alone in this, Bex. You have all of us."

She exhaled shakily, leaning into him. "You promise?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I promise."

Kol wrinkled his nose at the scene. "Ugh. Stop being adorable. You're making me sick."

Bonnie smacked his arm again. "Shut up, Kol."

Meanwhile, Klaus stood near the doorway, watching it all unfold, his heart full but his mind troubled.

He watched Naira laughing softly at something Damon had said. Rebekah smiling through her nerves. Elijah looking as composed as ever, Finn standing beside Sage, both of them lost in whispered conversation.

For the first time in centuries, the Mikaelson family felt whole. Safe.

He couldn't ruin that moment for them.

So, he turned and walked away.

As he stepped outside, a voice called after him.

"Going somewhere, wolf boy?"

Klaus turned, only to find Kai standing there with a smug grin. Behind him, Katherine was peeking over his shoulder, equally amused.

Klaus raised a brow. "Shouldn't you be inside? Annoying everyone?"

Kai smirked. "Oh, don't worry, I left them with enough sarcasm to last the night." 

He called for Naira. "Naariaa....your wolf boy needs you..."

Naira coming to the balcony-narrowed her eyes at him. "Kai, come onnn."

Kai snickered, stepping back dramatically. "Fine, fine. I'll leave you two alone. But if I hear crying, I am coming back with popcorn."

With that, he and Katherine disappeared back inside, leaving Naira standing in the cool night air with Klaus.

She stepped closer, her gaze soft. "You didn't have to leave, you know."

Klaus exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I needed air."

Naira tilted her head. "Liar."

He let out a bitter chuckle. "Clever, mi amor."

She waited, sensing there was more.

Finally, Klaus sighed, voice quieter now. "For a moment back there, when Mikael had you, I..." He trailed off, his throat tightening.

Naira reached for his hand. "You don't have to say it."

"I do," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was terrified."

She squeezed his fingers gently. "I know."

Klaus swallowed, looking away. "When I was a boy, Mikael used to do things—things that no child should ever endure. He would break my bones, tell me I was worthless. That I was nothing but an abomination." His jaw clenched. "And tonight, when he held that stake, all I could think was—he's going to take everything from me. Again."

Naira felt tears welling in her own eyes as she pulled him into a tight embrace. "He's gone, Nik," she whispered. "He can't hurt you anymore."

For a long moment, Klaus didn't move. Then, slowly, his arms wrapped around her, holding on as if she was the only thing keeping him grounded.

"I won't let anyone take you away from me," he murmured.

She closed her eyes against his shoulder. "And I won't let anyone take you away from me."

They stayed like that, wrapped in each other, as the night stretched on—silent, but finally, after centuries of suffering, free.