Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
•••
After everyone got their showers, they spent the night talking about what they've been doing for the last five years. Belle explained what happened when Klaus was on "trial" while the others explained the dream world Freya had sent them all to. Eventually, Elijah joined them while Hayley went inside to wake Hope. Despite the day they had, they had all made an unspoken agreement to just talk and enjoy the love of family for the night.
"So, are you ready to really meet your daughter?" Belle smiled smugly, laying her hand on Klaus's toned stomach. Despite now knowing he had feelings for her, she had to keep up the façade that nothing had changed between them.
"Is anyone ever ready to meet their daughter for the first time?" Klaus shot back, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Just—stay next to me. Please?"
Sliding her hand from his stomach to interlock with his free one, she answered him with a reassuring smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Whatever you need."
Soon, Hayley walked out the door, the small, red-headed child following her. Everyone silenced their conversations as soon as they saw her. "Look who's awake." Hayley called, her hand resting on the seven-year-old's head.
"Hi." Hope said softly, making both Klaus and Belle's hearts melt.
"Hello." Klaus gasped, nearly breaking Belle's hand as he gazed down at his daughter.
Awkwardly, Hope turned to her mother. "Can I go play in the garden?"
"Yeah, go ahead." Hayley lightly pat Hope on the back, as if pushing her to the garden. As Hope walked away, Klaus squeezed Belle's hand more, accidentally snapping a few bones.
"Okay! Broken hand, Niklaus, broken hand!" Belle squealed, pulling her hand from his. Klaus let out a deep breath, leaning back against a wooden pole that supported the roof of the porch. "Hey, you did good! Now, you just have to tell her you're her father!"
"It won't be that easy, Belle." Klaus shook his head, taking her now healed hand back in his and rubbing the back of it with his thumb apologetically.
"Well..." Belle trailed. "I'm going to go and get to know my goddaughter." She let her shoulders shrug, basically skipping down the stairs of the porch to follow after the child.
Rebekah scoffed. "She's my goddaughter!"
"You get to be her aunt, I get to be her godmother!" Belle laughed, running from the porch. Not even a second later she ran back, stopping in front of Hayley. "Okay, when I talk to her, what am I allowed to talk about?"
"Everything. She just doesn't know which one her dad is." Hayley glanced at each Mikaelson brother before looking back at Belle. "Klaus doesn't exactly have a lot of pictures." Hayley said with a laugh. By her attitude, Hayley knew she would love having Belle around.
