The New Mikaelsons

26. Ball I

Waking up on Friday morning, Nikol's stomach was filled with butterflies. Not due to nerves, but due to excitement. Nikol lives for the annual balls that are thrown each year, adding another one was enough to make Nikol's year. Not to mention, it was bonfire season and she had much to be grateful for. New school, new friends, new family, and new boyfriend, not that anyone could know about him.Just Nikol knowing was reassurance enough.

Excitement coursed through her veins as she got dressed after her shower. The young hybrid sped down the stairs and into the kitchen. Grabbing a blood bag from the fridge, she looked around noticing, the lack of family members. Sure Rebekah, Marcel, Freya and her wife and children has moved just down the block into Rebekah's old home in order to protect each other's privacy. Regardless, they usually where over nearly every day.

Nikol walked around manor in search of her ever disappearing family.

Her eyes traveled the walls, most had art hanging on it. She had noticed the art, but never really looked at it. Glancing at pieces, Nikol could see the similarities within them, the colors, realism, brush technique, and most importantly the the small 'M' in the corner of each painting. The same 'M' as the Mikaelson crest.

"One does find beautiful things when not looking for them." Something that had been told to her in a dream.

The young girl still aimlessly wandered the halls. She had been living in this manor for months and yet she still had yet to explore. Granted most of the time she spent in the mansion was getting ready to leave it.

Waking into one of the wings she had yet to visit, Nikol could see the light peak out form underneath a closed door. Shadows were cast over the light, signally to Nikol that someone was moving around in the room.

She cracked the door open, the floor was lined with paint splattered cloths, canvases littered the ground and an easel stood in the middle of the room, next to a stool that held a bottled Bourbon and painting supplies.

She watched as her uncle walked over to the canvas and began to paint an all too familiar blonde.

"Love, you can come and watch me if you want I won't object." Klaus didn't turn, he just momentary stopped painting.

Slightly embarrassed that she was caught, Nikol entered the room. "I didn't even know this room was here. The again I'm never really here anyways."

Klaus chuckled, "you father was like that as a kid. Never interested in hanging around and doing nothing, always had to be out and about. Kol may not like to admit it, but he was quite the people person in his day."

Nikol smiled. She rarely heard about her fathers childhood. He didn't like talking about it and she didn't push him to.

"What was he like, as a kid?" Nikol trailed her finger along the edge of a canvas. Not seeing her uncle switch out the one he was working on for a blank one.

Klaus began to paint his little warrior, "he was a brilliant witch. The craft for him was a much like art for me, a therapeutic way to cope with our up bringing." He sighed, "only when we turned I was able to keep my artistry, Kol lost his."

Nikol laughed, "yeah heard he went through a dark period, a thousand year dark period."

"It's truly not his fault, if my siblings and I had made an effort to support and help him, he would have had a better life. But, alas that was not the case." Klaus sipped his drink. "I wouldn't blame him if he still resent me for it today."

Nikol studied the hybrid in front of her, sure her father once did resent him, but had since made piece.

"Your father though, was quite the prankster in his day," Klaus chuckled. "He would do whatever possible to get a rise out of one of us. It was truly diabolical."