The Originals One-Shots

Hope Gets a Kitten

 On one gloomy afternoon, young Hope Mikaelson ran into the compound yelling, "Dad!" 

 Klaus appeared in an instant. "What is it? Are we bring attacked? Did someone threaten you? Do I have to kill anyone?"

 "Relax, Klaus," Hayley said, walking in behind their daughter. "She's excited. Show him, sweetie."

 Klaus looked down at the thing in Hope's arms. At first he mistook it the furry gray lump for a mop head, but then realized it had a face, ears, and a tail.

 "What is it?" he asked.

 "It's a kitten, silly," Hope said. "I don't yet if it's a boy or a girl, but can I keep it? It was out on the street, and I don't think it has a home."

 "Oh." Klaus tried to smile, but his face seemed to keep faltering. "Hope, why don't you and...the cat go sit over there while I talk to your mother about something?"

 When he pretty sure their daughter was out of earshot, he asked Hayley in a low voice, "You let her bring that thing into the house?"

 Hayley sighed. "Klaus, it's not a thing. It's a cat, a kitten. We found out on the streets, and it doesn't seem to have a home. What was I supposed to do?"

 "Perhaps bring it to the nearest animal shelter? I don't want it in the compound!"

 Hayley rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You're a vampire. It's not you're allergic to cats."

 Klaus was attempting to think of a comeback when Elijah and Freya came in.

 "Aunt Freya, look what Mom and I found!" Hope called.

 Klaus sighed. "Oh, no."
 
 "Elijah, can you back me up on this?" Hayley asked the older brother. "Klaus is being his usual jerk self."

 "What have you done this time, Niklaus?" Elijah asked.

 "What makes you think I did anything?" Klaus demanded. "Hayley's the one who let our daughter bring some random street cat into my house!" 

 "It's a homeless kitten, Elijah," Hayley said. "Hope wants to adopt it, but of course, Klaus has to find a way to protest."

 "Well, how do we know it's not some diseased fleabag?" Klaus pointed out. "Maybe it's not as helpless as it looks."

 Elijah gave him an exasperated look. "Niklaus, let her keep the kitten. Since it will be her cat, maybe it will teach her some responsibility. She'll be the one looking after it."

 "Yeah, Klaus, it would be a life lesson," Hayley said.

 "Freya, don't tell me you're on their side," Klaus called.

 Freya looked up at them. "What? Oh, Klaus, what are you starting a fight this time?"

 Klaus sighed. "Fine. It can stay. For now. If it causes any mayhem or destruction, I'm taking it to the nearest animal shelter and it can be someone else's problem." 

 When he had stalked off, Hayley asked Elijah, "He wouldn't really do that to Hope, would he? I mean, look how happy she is."

 Elijah shook his head. "He's just trying to look tough. If Hope wants a cat, the cat is staying."

 Meanwhile, Hope was sitting on the sofa with her new cat, considering naming it Fluffy, and was perfectly happy.