Through His Eyes (The Originals)

Haunter of Ruins

 I didn't sleep at all that night. I would have gone to check up on Hope, but I knew Klaus would have gone to see her, and didn't want to interrupt anything. 

 The next morning, I walked down the stairs to the sound of my children arguing outside. Which did bring new questions to mind. Were we staying or leaving? Would Marcel actually come after us?

 Hayley came in with Hope. "They still fighting?"

 I nodded. "Figures, doesn't it? Now that they're all back together, they start up an argument first chance they get. Perhaps if bring her out, they'll stop."

 "That's the plan," Hayley said.

 When Henrik came inside, I asked him, "Want to tell me what that was?"

 "The others are fighting over whether we should stay or leave the country," he replied.

 "What do you think?"

 He shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't met Marcel Gerard, but he sounds dangerous."

 "Perhaps. I started to pick a fight with him yesterday, and Klaus had stop me, of all people. Listen, why don't you go spend some time with your brothers and sisters?"

 "What about you?" he asked.

 "You've spent the last five years with me. I think I'd be a bit of a letdown, anyway."
 
 I went out to the porch, where Klaus and Hayley were talking.
 
 "Is Hope afraid of you?" I asked Klaus after I had listened a bit.

 "If you've been around her, I can see why," he snarled. "How do I know you haven't been influencing her?"

 "Klaus, Mikael has been good with Hope," Hayley said. "He's actually been a help in taking care of her."

 "I wouldn't tell her those kind of bedtime stories," I said. "She's only seven."

 Klaus gave me a glare. "Fine. I'll believe you this time, since you were part of our rescue team. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to try talking to my daughter."

 "Don't worry about it," Hayley said to me. "They'll learn to get along. Hopefully."

 "Thank you," I said, "For defending me, even though Niklaus had reason to tear into me."

 "Well, you're on the road to redeeming yourself, I guess."

 I nodded. "Right." 

 I could see Klaus and Hope together at the garden table, and something about it actually made me feel good. Perhaps I was beginning to change.

 When I returned into the house, Henrik was sitting alone in the living room.

 "I would thought you'd be with your brothers and sisters," I said.

 He shrugged. "I had some time with them. I wanted to talk to you. About Tristan de Martel."

 "Tristan?" I repeated, suddenly remembering my former lover. "What about him?"

 "Are you really going to free him?"

 I shrugged. "I was going to track him down, once everything's settled. Why? I already told you this."

 "And you made him sound like he wasn't so terrible. I asked everyone about him last night: Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, Freya. He was going to trap my brothers and my sister for eternity, he poisoned Freya, and he murdered Hayley's husband, whom you had made friends with!

 "After the life I've lived," I said, "I promise you that isn't so terrible."

 "To me, it is!" he cried. "Dad, Tristan de Martel was using you. He didn't love you. He saw that it would be an advantage to have you on his side. Elijah told me about he taunted him and Klaus by saying you would bring him back."

 "That's your brothers' side of it, Henrik. They had reason to hate Tristan, and Tristan had reason to hate him."

 "Dad, I haven't even met the guy, and I already hate him. Yes, what Elijah did wasn't right, but that didn't give him the right to take advantage of whatever mental instability you had." 

 I sighed. "So. Everyone thinks I should just leave him for eternal punishment, then?"

 "Dad, no one likes him. I think-no, I know you can do better than that."

 "I'll think about it," I said. "That's the best I can offer right now. I haven't even had time to think about him, anyway. Where are the others? I think I really need to talk to them."

 "Here." Kol entered the room. "I meant to seek you out as well, Father, and you, Henrik. I've been thinking for a bit, and, well...I'm leaving."

 "Leaving?" I repeated. "And going where?"

 He shrugged. "I don't know yet. But I'm going somewhere away from here, that's for sure."

 "When?" Henrik asked.

 "Tonight. I'm probably going alone, so that's at least one kid you don't have to monitor."

 "That doesn't mean I won't be concerned about you," I said. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?" 

 Kol shook his head. "I think it's just better for me to go."

 I nodded. "Well, thank you for coming to say goodbye. Be careful."

 "I'll try not to be too reckless." He turned to Henrik. "Come here, little brother. Keep in touch with me, will you?" He asked as they hugged. "I think you're my lone normal sibling for the moment."

 Not long after Kol's departure, I was approached by Rebekah.

 "I'm leaving," she announced. "I'm going with Kol."

 I sighed. "You too, then. And I'll still be stuck with Klaus."

 "You can come with us," she offered, "If you want."

 "No, I don't think I will. I think I should stay here, help manage our problems. Be careful, will you?"

 She nodded. "Father...thank you for helping Hayley bring us back. It actually meant something. Kol acts like it's hilarious that you helped to rescue all five of us, but I feel like you've changed in the last five years."

 I nodded back, not quite sure how to respond. I gave an awkward pat on the shoulder and said, "Take care, Rebekah."

 Night was falling now. I was standing by the window when Hayley came in, all dressed up.

 "Where are you going dressed like that?" I asked her. "We are virtually in the middle of nowhere."

 "I know," she said. "I've got something of a date."

 So she and Elijah were already back together, it seemed. I wondered what Hope would think, but then decided she probably wouldn't mind. She would like Elijah once she got to know him better. 

 Henrik was waiting for me when I got upstairs.

 "You know, I'm the one that's supposed to give you lectures," I pointed out, "Not the other way around."

 "I know. I'm not going to lecture you. But, Dad, I think that you think you can't do better then Tristan because you don't know anyone. In the last five years, I have never seen you socialize once."

 "Henrik, we have been in hiding for the last five years. And I'm not a social person, anyway."

 "I know, but you still need to make some friends."

 "I have Hayley."

 "But Hayley is more family than friend."

 "Well, there was Jackson Kenner."

 "Whose heart was ripped out by your evil boyfriend."

 "Oh, Henrik, Tristan wasn't evil. This is Niklaus' side of the story that you're hearing."

 "I know. I think Tristan was kind of like the way Klaus became, and that's why I don't think it's a good idea for you to go hunt him down. I get the feeling you wouldn't want to date anyone who's anything like Klaus."

 I probably would have agreed to that, but I was interrupted by Klaus yelling, "Hayley!"

 "What do you think that's about?" Henrik asked.

 "It has to be something wrong with Hope," I answered. "Come on." 

 Hope was in Hayley's arms, Klaus kneeling beside them, and Freya was examining Hope.

 "It must be something magical," Henrik whispered. "I can feel the power."

 Hayley looked down, and pulled a note out of her pocket.

 "It's from Vincent Griffith," she said. "He says he knows what's wrong with Hope, and he can help us. But we have to go back to New Orleans." 

 I looked down, and saw Hope's sketchbook laid out. I picked it up and looked at the drawing it was opened up to.

 "Where did this come from?" I asked.

 Everyone looked at me.

 "Do you know what it is?" Klaus asked.

 "I think so. During some of my travels, I saw this symbol. It's supposed to be some kind of dark magic. It's called the Hollow."