Always and Forever ~2

Parenting

I loved writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy.

I startle awake as I don't feel Nik's arms around me. I frantically look around but breathe a sigh of relief as he's sitting in the rocking chair in our room looking through the photo album I've made of our family over the years. "Have you been awake for long?" I ask him and he smiles at me.

"Couldn't sleep."  I walk over to him to see which album he's looking at.

"Henry reminds me so much of you." I state to him as I lean on his shoulder. "He's very stubborn but quite until Hope takes a toy away or hits him."

"You named him Henry." He seems a little hurt by it.

"I couldn't keep calling him Nicholas with it being so close to your name and you not being here. It would have broken me.

"I should have been here for you all. I..." I squeeze his hand.

"You're here now and that's all that matters."

"Hope is beautiful like you." He comments as he looks at the daughter he left at such a young age. "I don't even recognize her."

"She's an artist just like you." Nik looks at me with a  little sadness mixed with happiness in his eyes. "She paints all of the time and puts us all to shame with her talents."

"That's my girl."

"Henry, he's very quiet but...he's very smart. They both are."

"No doubt with having you as their mother."

"They've asked about you every night. They always request our story to be told to them before bed." Klaus stiffens as I say this.

"What bad things did you say about me?"

"I'm a little offended Nik, you would ever think I would talk shit about you to our children." I hit his head. "Their children Nik. They love fairytales and make-believe. I told them the truth they can handle at the moment. They know about liking or being mad at someone and they know it was not loved at first sight with us." I make him look at me needing him to hear this. "They know how much we love each other and how our love allowed us to raise them despite the chaos around us. They know you are their father and sacrificed everything for your family. You're the prince and hero of their stories and they can't wait to meet you."

"I bet Hayley has told a few lies about me."

"Actually nothing she has said is negative towards you. She's been a big help with the kids. For a while, we took turns on who would go searching for the cures needing to be the children. We looked out for each other all these years and we freed you all together. I couldn't have done it without her."

"My children will not love me."

"Stop that!" I scold him like a child. "Your children love you. Just give them a chance and you will see how much they have wanted to meet you. Hope if she's brave enough has a little dance she wants to do for you and Henry is into magic tricks."

"Magic tricks? Doesn't he know he's part witch?"

"He's five Nik let him have this. He'll learn eventually."

"I think Hayley and Elijah just got up." I state as I listen in to everyone slowly waking up. The kids are still sound asleep in their room.

"You still wear your ring."

"Of course. I'm going to be Mrs. Mikaelson soon so I have to let everyone know I'm taken."

"I have other ways to show that." Klaus tackles me to the bed and latches his lips to my neck and I giggle as I miss these moments with him. One's where we can feel like a family. An engaged couple waiting for our time everything we envisioned for ourselves is coming closer together. "I love hearing you say Mrs. Mikaelson." He takes my hand and kisses it. "I'll soon give you everything I promised you and more."