Through His Eyes (The Originals)

Gather Up the Killers

 For a man who had spent so many cetnuries alone, I did not expect to feel so lonely with only three others for company. But I did feel more alone.

 Five years went by at an agonizingly slow pace. Henrik grew to be a fine young man. Although he was only eighteen, he was impressive with magic, and I knew he and Freya would get along well once they met. Esther would be proud of him, I thought. And Hope was growing up to be a wonderful girl. She had taken to calling me 'Grandpa', and I let her, even though I wasn't technically her grandfather.

 We were getting close, Hayley and I. It wouldn't be much longer until we had everything we needed to make this a success.

~~~~~~

 "And you will be back soon?" Henrik asked me.

 "Yes, I promise," I answered.

 "Are you sure I can't come? I'm grown up now, Father."

 I sighed. "Please stay with Hope, Henrik. After this, we'll be going back to New Orleans soon. Hopefully."

 Hayley had gotten a new lead, via Mary, Jackson's mother. She hadn't told me yet what it was, but I knew it had to be something big if we were loading up the truck.

 As we drove away, I asked Hayley, "Where are we going?"

 "Austin. Mary got a lead on the last werewolf line we need, Marlaux. There's still one left, and we need them."

 "And then we'll have everything." They would all be back: Freya, Elijah, Kol, Rebekah. Henrik could finally see them, and then we would all go back to New Orleans to get Klaus.

 Klaus. My hatred had strangely diminished in the years that went by. He willingly became the anchor that kept his siblings, my children, from dying. I couldn't just ignore that.

 "Mary doesn't think we should bring them back, does she?" I asked Hayley.

 She sighed. "No. She asked me if I ever thought about the fact that Hope and maybe even Henrik might be better off without them. But we promised Hope we'd get her family back. She needs them. And we're so close that we can't give up now."

 She was right. I knew Hope had powers. But even after being married to Esther and now having two witch children, I still didn't quite understand how deep and dark magic could be.

~~~~~~

 One year earlier

 "Can't you tell me another story, Grandpa?" Hope asked.

 "I only know so many stories, love. You need to go to bed, anyway. You know your mother doesn't want you up too late."

 As I tucked her in, she asked something that made me pause.

 "Do you miss the rest of our family, Grandpa?" 

 Images and memories swirled through my head. I thought of Freya, whom I never got to see grow up. Henrik, who was pretty much in hiding because of my own paranoia. Finn, who was now gone, and Elijah, Kol, Rebekah, even Niklaus, all of whom I could have been a loving father too, but instead let myself be distant, more out of fear then anything else.

 "Why would you ask that?" I asked, my voice coming out as a whisper.

 "Because if you're my Grandpa, that means they're your children. Uncle Henrik said so. You must miss them."

 I nodded. "I do."

 "Can you tell me about them?"

 "Not tonight, love. But you'll get to see them someday. I'm sure they're going to love you."

~~~~~~

 "Wait here," Hayley said to me. "Keep them safe. I should be back soon."

 "Be careful," I said. "There are those who don't want the Mikaelsons to return."

 As I waited in the passenger seat of the truck, I thought of my own secret agenda, which I was sure Hayley knew, but we never discussed: as soon as this was all over, I could find Tristan and get him back. Yes, I find it disappointing that he murdered Jackson Kenner, whom I had struck up a friendship with, but it had left Hayley free to be with Elijah, whom I knew was the man she really loved. The thought of Tristan drowning over and over again at the bottom of the ocean hurt, but it was family first. I had learned that the hard way.

 I quickly became alert when I heard the back of the truck open. I leapt out of my seat to see it was just Hayley.

 "We have to go now," she said, walking around to the front. 

 "Is someone after you?" I asked. "What did you just toss into the truck?"

 "I'll tell you on the way."

 "To where?"

 "Somewhere far away enough that we'll have time."

~~~~~~

 Our ticket to success was in the form of the unconscious woman Hayley tied to an old chair.

 "I just need her venom," she said. "Then we'll see if it works."

 When the woman-Keelin, Hayley had called her-awoke, she instantly began to panic.

 "I would stay calm if I were you," I said to her.

 "Those guys were vampires, weren't they?" she asked. "And so are you two."

 "Close," Hayley said. "I'm a hybrid: half-vampire, half-werewolf."

 "And what are you?" she asked me.

 "At the moment, the only Original standing," I replied. "But I think that is about to change. Oh, don't look so upset. We'll let you go once we know it works." 

 "How will we know it works?" Keelin asked.

 "Believe me, you'll know," said Hayley.

 She held up a syringe and, standing over Freya's coffin, plunged the needle straight into my daughter's chest. Freya woke with a start.

 "Did you get everything?" she asked Hayley. 

 I was about to run over and embrace her, but I stopped, sensing something.

 "There's someone here," I said. 

 "Father, I need time," Freya said.

 "I know. Hayley, protect her. I'm going to see who it is."

 "Then I'll go with you," Hayley said. "We distract them long enough for Freya to do what she has to do."

 I heard the sound of car doors slamming.

 "Then let's go," I said.

 Hayley immediately started attacking the newcomers, definitely vampires. Someone must have sent them after us. Hayley quickly knocked the first few down.

 "Impressive," I said.

 She shrugged. "I've had some practice."

 The one who was obviously the leader stepped up. "But maybe not impressive enough. We know who you are."

 "Of course you do," I said, "Or you wouldn't be here."

 I lunged at him, and thought I could kill him, but to my surprise, he actually overpowered me and knocked me to the ground.

 "Well, look at this," he said. "The great Destroyer knocked down. You're deprived of blood, aren't you? That's what comes with having just a vampire diet."

 "Mikael, go protect Freya and Keelin!" Hayley shouted. "I'll take care of them!"

 I quickly got up to get back to my children, just in time to see Freya cause one of the attackers to collapse with a flick of her hand.

 "Did you just melt his brain?" Keelin asked her.

 "Yes, it's what happens when people annoy me," Freya replied calmly.

 I watched as Freya cast her spell. When it was completed, she held the brew to Elijah's wound. I stared in wonder as it quickly healed, and Elijah opened his eyes.

 "Where is Hayley?" he asked.

 "Dealing with some intruders," I replied. "You should go help her."

 He was out of the coffin in an instant.

 Freya then went on to revive Kol and Rebekah, who couldn't contain their hunger and went off to find food.

 "What about you, Father?" Freya asked me. "You seem tired."

 "I know. I think it's all these years finally taking its toll. I haven't fed much lately, at all. But I do have a surprise for you."

 I leaned in and whispered it in her ear. She gave me an astonished look.

 "Are you serious?" she asked. "I'll get to meet him?"

 "Indeed. He's with Hope, and they're waiting for us."

 She smiled and pulled me into a hug, which I gladly returned. "I think that's the best news I could have gotten."

 We were all back together now, I realized. We still had to save Klaus, but surely everything would be all right now that we all had each other again. It had to be.