Again |1| Niklaus Mikaelson

Seize | n o w

Please read A/N at the end. Very important.

Better to have Love and Lost, than to have never Loved at all.

- St. Augustine

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"Rebekah I think you may want to come and see this." Athena says when she finds her substitute aunt in a hallway upstairs. Giving Athena a face that reads confusion, Rebekah follows after the hybrid who was going towards the parlor. Sitting with books in their hands were Elijah and Klaus on opposite sofas, with a girl laying across the table with a gash on her neck. Athena only looks at the girl with a cringing face. "So this is what you decide to do the first time we are back together as a family? Vampire book club?" Rebekah asks. Athena slowly leans over Klaus to catch a glimpse of what he was reading. He glances up at her and moves the book closer.

"Reading stimulates the mind, sister." Klaus says and gets comfortable, but allows Athena to read. "Isn't that right, brother?" He turns to Elijah. "Yes, that's quite right brother." Elijah says and turns a page in his book. "And what's this business?" Rebekah asks, pointing towards the girl laying on the coffee table. "This is a peace offering." Elijah says with a wave of his hand. Athena only raises an eyebrow at him. "I presumed after so much time in a coffin, my brother would be a bit peck-ish." Klaus answers. Athena looks down at him before moving towards the sofa and sitting down next to him. He placed the book on their lap, one side on Klaus's thigh, the other on Athena's.

"I told my brother that forgiveness can not be bought. I would like to see a change in behavior that indicates contrition and personal growth. Not this nonsense." Elijah retorts and points to the girl laying dead on in front of them. Klaus only lets out an annoyed sighed, as Athena makes herself comfortable next to his body. "I couldn't let her go to waste, now could I?" Klaus asks and wraps an arm around Athena. "Well I'll go get the rubbish bin. She is staining a 200 year old carpet." Rebekah says with a frown and leaves the room. Elijah looks down at the girl and agrees with what Rebekah had stated. When they all go back to their reading, Athena sensed that Klaus was in deep thought and tried to get him to get over what ever he was thinking so hard of.

Athena looks up when she senses the presence of Hayley and her baby. Hayley gives her a smile and Athena only returns it, as Elijah stands to talk to Hayley. She walks away with a hand on her bump and goes into the kitchen where she knew Louis to be. Louis gave her a bright smile and kissed her temple as she passed by to get to the fridge. This made Hayley blush lightly and her smile to grow. "I know me and Athena are the only ones who drink milk but would it kill anyone to add it to the grocery list?" Hayley asked when she opened the fridge to find the white liquid. Just then Rebekah opens the back doors and walks into the kitchen.

"Add bleach, while you're at it." She says and walks out with the gloves. "I would hope that my siblings and friends have treated you well, in my absence." Elijah says makes himself some coffee. Louis sighs and begins to take out the ingredients to make Hayley cereal as she began to take out nothing but sweet and sugary foods. "In your absence, as you like to call it-which is a way too polite way of saying your brother put a dagger in your chest- I have been attacked by French quarter vampires, I had to live in a house with a secret dungeon full of coffins, and I was nearly murdered by witches who are convinced my baby is Lucifer." Hayley retorted to Elijah's question.

Once Hayley was done talking to Elijah, she turned to Louis who was pouring milk into a bowl. "Milk." Hayley whispered, making Louis glance his eyes up at her with a smirk. "They've been fine. Your siblings are over protective. As for Athena and Louis, well they make it feel more like a family trying to help the pregnant one." Hayley said looking over at Elijah. "I'm just happy to see you in one piece." Elijah said and sipped on his coffee. Louis handed the bowl and spoon over to Hayley making her smile and take what was given to her.