Force of Gravity • NM

•61•

A/N 
Been soo long.....i missed writing, so here's to starting again...
and so that @casey1552 can take me off the - no new parts list ;D

The quiet hum of the safe house was broken by the crunch of tires over gravel. Klaus, seated in the armchair by the fire with a book he hadn't turned a page of in twenty minutes, lifted his head. His gaze slid to the window just as a sleek black SUV rolled to a stop.

Before he could stand, small feet pounded across the floorboards.

"They're  here!" Henry's voice rang through the living room.

Klaus arched a brow. "Easy, little wolf"

But Henry was already pulling the heavy door open.

Bonnie swept inside first, her coat swirling about her legs, eyes bright. Damon followed, Henry barreled straight into Bonnie's arms, nearly knocking her back a step.

"Goodness, you've grown since I last saw you," she laughed, squeezing him tightly.

"No, I haven't," he mumbled into her shoulder.

Bonnie laughing and spinning him once before setting him down. "Still my favorite Mikaelson by a mile."

"What am I?" Kol drawled from the hallway. "Chopped liver?"

"Don't tempt me," Bonnie shot back without missing a beat.

Klaus, still leaning in the doorway to the living room, allowed himself the faintest smirk. For a moment, it almost felt like family. Almost.

Later, with Henry content at the table and Bonnie keeping him busy with biscuits, the kitchen became the war room.

"Elijah and Finn have Freya," Klaus began without preamble. "They need backup. I'm going."

"Then so am I."

All eyes turned toward Naira, who stood just inside the doorway, arms folded. Her dark hair framed a face that was calm but unyielding.

"No," Klaus said flatly, his tone brooking no argument.

"You need me," she replied. "I'm the one who found her in the first place. If the trail goes cold, I can find her again."

"You're not going," Damon interjected, pushing off the counter where he'd been leaning. "You're not bulletproof, little sister. And I don't care how good your magic is, this is too dangerous."

Stefan's voice was steady but firm. "If she's the link to Freya, she should go. You can't track her without Naira, Damon. We can't let fear call the shots."

Klaus's gaze sharpened. "Careful, Stefan. You're treading on very thin ice."

"And you're wasting time," Stefan returned.

"Enough!" Rebekah snapped, cutting across both of them. Her eyes softened only slightly as she turned to Naira. "If you get yourself killed, love, Nik will slaughter every last one of us."

"Then I'll just have to survive," Naira said simply, her voice quiet but resolute.

Klaus's jaw worked, but he said nothing.

When the moment came to leave, the air in the safe house seemed heavier. Henry, now dozing on Rebekah's shoulder, had his small hand curled in the lapel of her coat. Klaus's eyes lingered there longer than necessary, the hard lines of his face softening for just a heartbeat.

Naira slipped toward the door without a word, knowing if she stayed much longer she might lose her nerve.

Outside, the cold night air wrapped around her like a warning. Klaus joined her without looking at her, sliding into the driver's seat. She climbed into the passenger side, folding her arms against the chill.

"I should've stayed with Henry," she muttered. "At least he doesn't brood every five minutes."

Klaus's mouth quirked as he started the engine. "Careful, love. Keep talking like that and I might start enjoying your company."

"Doubtful," she shot back.

He glanced sideways, that half-smirk tugging at his lips, the one that said he already was.