SHE PROMISED ( the originals )

0020. I HONESTLY COULD NOT GIVE A FLYING FUDGE

SHE PROMISED
( part one, chapter twenty )

ELLE PRESSED THE SPACEBAR on her computer, pausing her current episode of Full House as she sat up, stretching her tired arms. After her somewhat intense fight with Mikael the Destroyer and Joseph, and her talk with Hayley, she had hurried home with the intent of resting and watch whatever show she wanted.

She sat up, grimacing when she heard her back crack loudly. Turning her head to the side, she heard her phone start to ring loudly. Klaus' name had popped up on the screen and she looked at it confused, but nevertheless answered it. "What's up, buttercup?" Elle said with a grin.

"I wanted to call," Klaus said, "and thank you for helping today."

"Oh, trust me, it was mainly Genevieve," Elle said. "No matter how much I hate her, she did a good thing today. I'm not afraid to admit that, no matter how bitter I may be. And I am very bitter." She heard Klaus chuckle on the other end, and she too laughed. "This seems to be a habit of yours."

"What is?" Klaus asked.

"Checking up on me," Elle said. "Careful, Nik, or people will think you'll have gone soft."

"We can't have people thinking that, can we?"

"No, of course not! We need to prove them wrong, don't we? I'm thinking... mass murder! Destruction and chaos!" Elle started to laugh, moving back to lay on her bed. She pushed her laptop off to the side, the screen lowered.

"Hayley told me you spoke with Joseph," Klaus said and Elle's smile fell. She didn't know if that meant that Hayley had revealed to the hybrid all that had been said between the Mitchells, but she hoped that it didn't. "Do you wish to talk about it?"

He didn't need to know what the two had spoken about, but he wanted to ask for Elle's sake.

"Not really, no." She pursed her lips. "Just... reliving my past happens to terrify me." She gave a weak laugh, hoping to lighten the moment. She cleared her throat and asked slowly, "Can I ask you something?"

Klaus replied, "Of course, love."

"Why do you call Mikael your dad?" Elle asked. "I mean, he's not your real dad and he's hurt you. In ways one shouldn't treat another."

She heard Klaus suck in a sharp breath. "He's done damage only a father could do." A beat passed before he asked her, "What did he say to you?"

"He didn't say anything to me specifically. But I did overhear him say things like that you're the spawn of Satan and you're a curse and blah, blah, blah, but I know that's not true. None of what he said is true, Nik. So don't believe it." Although she hadn't completely heard what Mikael had said about him, she could only assume that's what he had said.

"It's hard not to believe something that's true."

Elle sat up quickly, crossing her legs. "Listen, Nik, you may be an immortal hybrid who's gotten a penchant for murder and mayhem, but you're so much more than that. You're... a painter, for one, and you're almost a father 一 I've never actually congratulated you on that, so you know, congrats! You're passionate and caring and so overprotective that people might say it's annoying." She let out a quiet sigh. "The rumors may say you're evil incarnate and that you have no heart, but I would disagree. I don't care if people say your heartless or evil, because I know that's not true."

On the other end, Klaus smiled at the young witch's words. "Thank you, Elle," he said.

"You're welcome," Elle said. "And if you're ever feeling down in the dumps, just know I'm hella okay to give you a crappy pep talk."

This time, Klaus let out a hearty laugh, one that almost sounded genuine to her ears but she wasn't sure. "I hope to see you again soon, little witch," he said and ended the call as soon as Elle said goodbye to him as well.

Elle smiled, leaning back on her pillow. Does it normally feel this good talking to Klaus Mikaelson?

No, probably not.