SAFE & SOUND | THE ORIGINALS

six

Elijah let out a sigh as he held the glass tumbler to his lips, not bothering to turn around to address his brother.

"Can I help you, Niklaus?"

"Just wanted to see how things went with Alana," he held his hands behind his back as he made his way over to Elijah.

"As well as expected," he shrugged a little. "She has agreed to taking a class but rejected my attempt to bond with her."

"Perhaps you should spend less time with Hayley and my daughter and put in more effort with your own."

Elijah slammed the glass tumbler onto table, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down.

"I'm trying, Niklaus."

"Really? That's not how Alana sees it."

Klaus was trapped against the wall with a hand wrapped around his throat in an instant.

"You were fortunate enough to know Hope from the moment she had a heartbeat, I've only just discovered that I have a daughter." His grip on his brother's throat tightened. "15 years. I am trying to make up for missing 15 years of her life. Do not act as though you've known her any longer than I."

"I am just trying," Klaus grunted slightly as he removed himself from his brother's grip, "to help you."

"Yes, well, your idea of helping often ends terribly so I'd appreciate it if you didn't."

"You're jealous," the hybrid pointed out, a smug smirk on his lips. "You're jealous because Alana and I have bonded more."

"Perhaps I am."

It was silent between the two men for a moment, the tension between them so thick you could cut it with a knife.

And then Elijah, acting totally out of character, lunged at his younger brother. His fist collided with his face, the ring that was placed upon his finger cutting it up until Klaus was left bloody and tired. But not even then did he stop.

Klaus didn't bother to fight back; he knew Elijah had to let his anger out. Better to let it out on him than on someone else.

"What the hell?" Her angelically gentle voice called out from the doorway.

Elijah moved away from Klaus and whipped his around to face his daughter, who was balancing Hope on her hip, faster than she could blink. 

"Alana – "

"Don't. Just don't," she cut him off, an emotion he couldn't quite decipher in her bright blue eyes. "Come on, Hope, we better go find your mom, huh?"

He opened his mouth to talk once more but she had already begun to walk away, bouncing the toddler on her hip as she did.

"I'm sorry," he spoke quietly, his words barely a whisper. "I didn't mean to lash out at you like that."

"It's okay." Klaus placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I understand."

"I don't know how to be a father, Niklaus," tears began to well up in his dark eyes, "and the truth is, I'm scared."

The hybrid pulled his older brother into a tight embrace, silently reassuring him that everything would turn out just fine.