Through His Eyes (The Originals)

An Old Friend Calls

 
 With Niklaus' sire line broken, the next few days in the compound were struck by the essence of a paranoid and increasingly annoying Klaus. He even demanded I give him the white oak stake I had hidden away. Naturally, I refused.
 
 "I mean to keep it with me at all times just in case of anything," I told him. 
 
 "So you would keep an item that could kill you?"

 "Yes, I am. If you don't like it, that's your problem, not mine."

 I suppose I could have been a nicer stepfather about it, but he was really getting on my nerves. No one was getting their hands on my secret stake, and there wasn't any other white oak left. I couldn't understand what was wrong with him.
 
 "He's always had a very strong paranoid streak," Elijah told me. "Just give him some time." 
 
 Turns out Klaus' sire line being severed was only one of many things to come.

~~~~~~
 
 Davina showed up at the compound. After what she had done. Luckily, I was the first one to see her.

 "What are you doing here?" I demanded in a low voice, just in case any of my children were nearby. "After what happened the other night-"

 "I know, Mikael. They hate me now. But I had a good reason, if you'll just let me explain."
 
 "Move aside, old man."

 I turned around to see Klaus standing behind me, glaring straight at Davina, his expression murderous.
 
 "Do you know what you have done?" he said, still glaring.

 "Klaus," I stepped in between them, "killing Davina will not solve this problem."
 
 "Says the man who chased his children around the world for a thousand years to kill me." He stepped closer, his eyes still on Davina. "Why are you defending her now? Does it make you happy to see me in agony?"

 "Davina, leave now," I warned her, never taking my eyes off Klaus. "You coming here is the same as committing suicide. If you want to live, leave."

 "Oh, don't worry, Father. She's with me."
 
 That voice.

 I quickly turned around to face the person in the doorway. "Kol?"

 He smiled that devious smile he'd always possessed. "Hello, everyone. Seems I've missed some important things."

 It was indeed my youngest son, back from the dead.
 
 I looked at Davina. "You did this? How did you do this?"

 "The Strix had the spell I needed to get Kol back," she explained. "Helping them got me everything I needed."
 
 Klaus stared at Kol, dumbstruck. Then the two embraced, which actually warmed my heart. I suppose it was just nice to see two of the children hugging each other without any death threats.

 Kol then looked over at me. "Hello, Father. Good to see you're not as evil as you used to be."

 "And just how evil might you be, son?" I retorted.
 
 "Not bad anymore. I'm much better now." He smiled at Davina, who smiled back at him.

 I suppose it did not bother him that his newfound love just tried to have his brothers killed a few nights before.

 Why did our family have to be so strange?
 
~~~~~~
 
 The family reunion did not last very long.
 
 Klaus found out that an old enemy of his was in New Orleans, some brute named Cortez. I was told that in the 18th century, he had killed Cortez's father and brothers after they burned down his favorite artists' retreat. His only excuse was that he had liked that retreat. 

 Even for Klaus, that was extreme.

 Somehow, Cortez had become a vampire and was now hunting Klaus. 
 
 With all of this happening, I had no idea what to do. Klaus didn't seem to want my help, Elijah was worried about Hayley (what was it about that woman that he was so interested in?), and Freya and the newly-resurrected Kol were doing some sort of witch magic. So I went to go have some quiet time with Hope and do a bit of reading while I was at it.

 "Hope, I think you must be my only sane housemate," I said to the little girl. I don't think she was really paying attention to me, but she didn't object to my presence; I took that as a sign that I could stay.

 Some time later, Elijah walked in.

 "Where's Hayley?" I asked.
 
 "Getting herself in quite a bit of trouble, I'm afraid," he replied. "She's been hunting down and killing members of the Strix, to get vengeance for Jackson's death. I was...horrified to find her torturing a Strix member."
 
 "I don't think this is something Hope should be hearing." I picked Hope up and put her in the crib. "You stay there for now, love. Elijah, did you convince her to stop? I know what the Strix are like. She should not mess with them like that."
 
 "I know. Can you please watch Hope for a little while longer?"
 
 "Yes, of course. She's not very difficult to watch. And I do have experience." 
 
 I learned later that Klaus killed Cortez (not surprising). Freya's magic showed that Klaus' enemies were on their way to New Orleans (also not surprising). So a solution was formed: Klaus, Hayley, and Hope were leaving New Orleans for the time being. Freya would cast a spell that showed Klaus to be New Orleans when he really wasn't. I didn't really care if Klaus and Hayley were leaving, but I was sad when Hope was gone.
 
 "What happens now?" I asked Elijah and Freya.

 "I honestly have no idea," Freya replied, "but I don't think they will be gone long."
 
~~~~~~
 
 Later on, I asked Elijah, "How's Hayley?", even though I didn't care all that much, but I knew he did.

 "The head of Cortez was delivered to the Strix," he said. "They think he was the one killing their members."
 
 "And..."
 
 "And that's it. There is nothing else to tell." He sighed. "If you don't mind, I need time alone." 
 Hayley had broken his heart. He didn't say it, but I knew it. She falls in love with Elijah, then marries Jackson Kenner. Elijah still loves her. Jackson dies. Hayley tells Elijah she can't be with him.

 Perhaps they both felt guilty for it.
 
 Still, seeing Elijah so sad made me feel sad.
 
 Everything was depressing.