Consequences Part 23
Summary: What do you do when your old frenemy threatens to cut off your army at the source? Obviously you abscond with the doppelganger in the dead of night, but every action has consequences. Pairing: Klaus x Elena Word Count: 4111
Elena rubbed firm circles over her side and leaned on the kitchen counter. Staring down at the marble she attempted to stretch and relieve the ache in her back; it had been coming and going all day.
Every time Klaus caught her in the middle of one he seemed to grow a little tenser until she could practically see the energy coiled in his body. She’d had to remind him each time about the Braxton Hicks contractions, and how it was very unlikely that she was actually in labour; at thirty-three weeks it was too early for the baby to come.
She straightened up when the ache vanished and grunted when the baby kicked her in the ribs.
“Elena,” Elijah paused in the door to the kitchen, “are you alright?” He took in her stiff posture and the way she was clinging to the counter.
“I think so,” she gasped when a second kick landed in the same spot. Drawing in a sharp breath she winced at the pain spreading over her chest.
She blinked when a hand settled on the small of her back and steered her into a chair. She held the table with one hand and lowered herself with Elijah’s help.
Wincing she took shallow breaths and held her ribs as cramps radiated under her bump.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Elijah watched the flush on her cheeks.
“Yeah,” she nodded, “she just decided that my ribs are a xylophone.”
“Here,” he pointed to her side, “may I?”
Elena nodded and moved her hand out of the way. She drew in a sharp breath when his fingers prodded the area.
“I guess I don’t need to ask if that hurt,” he cocked an eyebrow. “It looks as if she’s bruised a rib.”
“Oh joy,” her laugh was strained.
“You should be fine,” he chuckled and straightened up. Striding to the cabinet he took down a glass and filled it with water. “I thought Niklaus was with you; where has he run off to?”
“I was trying to figure out what I was craving,” she held the bottom of her stomach, “and I couldn’t, but then it hit me… beignets. I told him I could find something else but he insisted on getting them.”
“So he’s flashed into the Quarter?” Elijah twisted his wrist to view his watch and turned off the water. “It’s nearly midnight; luckily the Café is open twenty-four hours.”
“Luckily,” she rolled her eyes. “He said he’d be back by midnight,” she reached up for the glass; somewhere in the house a grandfather clock began chiming the hour.
“I think he might be a little late,” he was passing her the tumbler at the last stroke of the clock.
Everything seemed to happen at once. Elena rocked forward and clutched her stomach. A loud snap was followed by the sound of shattering glass; liquid splashed up her side.
Elena exhaled quickly; three sharp breaths. Her eyes opened when a hand wrapped firmly around her upper arm. Panic gripped her heart and sent her curling forwards again. Elijah was sprawled across the kitchen floor; his neck bent at an awkward angle.
She screamed and tried to pull away but she was no match for the superior strength.
Kol came racing into the kitchen. He saw the open door, overturned chair, and neutralized brother before colliding with something solid. He hit the ground in a tangle of limbs.
“Kaleb…” Kol sat up, “… happy New Year? You know we have a door right?”
“What the bloody hell is going on in here?” Rebekah flashed into the room where Kol and Kaleb were standing back up. “What happened to Elijah?”
Kol shook his head and turned to Finn when he stepped into the kitchen. The eldest brother was followed by Davina.
“What the bloody hell happened in here?” Klaus dropped the paper bag on the counter and stared at the glass and water seeping into Elijah’s shirt. “Where’s Elena?”
“Oh no…” Kaleb swiped at the blood leaking from his nose. “No, no, no… fuck…” He rubbed his forehead to relieve the tension headache.
“Kaleb?” Klaus spun to face the warlock in his kitchen.
“The Ancestors contacted me this morning,” he pushed around the siblings into the study where he knew maps were kept in the drawer. “They said someone was coming for Elena.”
“What?” Klaus’ voice was deadly calm.
“Why didn’t you call us?” Davina took the map from his shaking hands.
“I tried,” Kaleb raked a hand through his hair, “I tried, but I was sealed in my house. An ancestral seal closed every point of entry, and whatever witch did it also cut my landline and scrambled the signal on my phone. I was lucky to find a spell that let me teleport here; took a bit of a toll though and it looks like I was too late.”
“At least you tried,” Davina turned to Klaus, “I’m going to need a little blood.”
“What I want to know is who managed to get the jump on Elijah,” Rebekah watched Klaus bite into his wrist; the blood dripped on to the map of the city.
“Someone already dead,” Elijah rubbed the back of his neck and stepped into the room. “Damon Salvatore has returned to the land of the living.”
Klaus tensed and watched the blood track across the page. He knew where it would settle before it did.
“If he’s alive that means he’s not working alone,” Klaus gritted his teeth. “Do you know what witch sealed you in?” He turned to Kaleb who shook his head.
Davina lowered her hands when the blood stopped in the cemetery.
“She’s back,” Elijah sighed.
“And smarter,” Klaus growled low in his throat. “She’s taken Elena where we can’t follow.”
“Correction,” Davina held up her hand, “she’s taken Elena where you can’t go without an invitation.”
++++
Finn sat Davina on her feet outside the wrought iron gates of the cemetery. He could see the tall stone structures that made up the standing graves of New Orleans.
“When exactly did burying the dead become obsolete?” Finn pulled open the gate; he and Klaus were halted at the threshold.
“Sometime during the witch massacres,” Davina turned back around and invited them in.
Rebekah nodded in agreement. She vividly remembered the day of the first massacre. The streets of the city had run red with blood.
“Yes,” Klaus stalked through the cobblestoned path, “they ran out of room in the ground.”
Fresh flowers were displayed here and there between the graves; they were the only pop of colour in the otherwise grey landscape.
Klaus froze at a fork in the path and looked both ways. Forcing himself to calm down enough to utilize his other senses he inhaled and turned to the left where the scent of lavender was strongest. He and Finn made several more turns before his older brother grabbed his arm.
“Does that look familiar?” Finn nodded to a stone angel atop one of the tombs.
Davina pushed past them and crossed her arms to ward off the winter chill. Leaning forward she read the name inscribed on the stone.
“That’s impossible,” she breathed. Looking over her shoulder she saw the straight paths of the cemetery and no sign of the gate they had entered through.
“What’s impossible, love?” Klaus temper began to flare; Elena’s shampoo had all but faded away.
“This grave,” she tapped the name, “it’s Monique’s… only…” she bit her lip and turned around to meet his flashing eyes, “… Monique’s grave was just inside the gates. I’d think we were going in circles… except…”
Davina motioned behind them to the path.
Klaus glanced over his shoulder. He spun in a quick circle and realized that each grave he could see were ones he had already passed. Gritting his teeth he leapt into the air and landed atop the roof of a marble building.
“Remind to berate Elijah for his poor taste,” Klaus stared out over the tombs. The stone buildings appeared to stretch for miles; miles beyond where the cemetery should have ended.
“Niklaus?” Finn’s eyes grew round when he jumped onto the roof of an adjoining mausoleum.
“Bloody hell,” Rebekah’s gaze flickered from one grave to the next.
“What is it?” Davina backed up so she didn’t have to crane her neck and stared at the locked muscles of the Original siblings.
Rebekah jumped back down and helped Davina up onto the roof where she could see the mess that they had stumbled into.
++++
There was a twisting sensation in her stomach and lower back. Every muscle had seized up. Just when she thought it was too much to bear the pain eased and she was left a panting mess on the stone floor.
Opening her eyes she slapped away the hands holding her arms.
“Do not touch me,” she hissed. Pushing up onto her hands she backed up until she was pressed against the cold bricks.
“Don’t be like that,” he stood from where he’d been crouched beside her. Candlelight flickered along the walls casting shadows across his face.
“How the hell are you alive?” She held her stomach as the pulling sensation started again and her muscles seized. She curled over and bit her lip.
“Made a deal with a witch,” Damon reached out to take her hand; he pulled back when she glared. “You know this might be less painful for you if you were to relax.”
Elena exhaled and tipped her head back against the bricks. Her eyes swiveled to the entrance when the sharp tap of heels sounded; a line appeared between her brows.
A tall woman with glossy red hair and stormy grey eyes glided into the mausoleum.
“Sarah?” Elena bit her lip.
“Not quite,” the red head knelt on the stone floor and placed her hands on Elena’s stomach.
“Celeste,” Elena lifted her hands to push the woman away. Fear twisted her gut that was already starting to tighten again; her muscles had frozen in place. She couldn’t even squeeze her eyes shut against the contraction; all she could do was release a pained scream.
When the pain passed she realized that Celeste had removed her leggings and draped a sheet over her thighs.
++++
“I’ll see if I can lift the illusion,” Davina dropped to sit cross legged on the roof of the mausoleum and closed her eyes. Her head snapped up when a scream echoed over the stone.
“And you can follow your ears.”
Klaus was gone before she had finished talking. Finn remained on the rooftop to watch her work; the last thing anyone wanted was to lose Davina in the maze.
++++
“Are you two sure about this?” Kaleb stared down at the worn pages of the grimoire. The ink was faded from the wear of time, but still readable on the calfskin.
“Positive,” Kol nodded.
“There is no stopping Niklaus,” Elijah lifted the lid of the box, “from killing her at which point she’ll just jump into another body.”
++++
“She’s going to kill me,” Elena’s eyes burned with angry tears. There was no chance of reasoning with Celeste, the woman had tried to kill her once before, but maybe just maybe Damon would listen to reason.
“No she won’t,” Damon shook his head. “We had a deal.”
“And you expect her to honor it,” Elena glared at the witch in the far corner of the mausoleum.
Celeste lifted a ceremonial knife from her bag. Holding it aloft she murmured something indistinct and placed the blade on a cloth covered alter.
“She just wants the kid Elena,” Damon reasoned. “She wants to keep Klaus from making a damn army.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Elena groaned and curled over. Her limbs had unfrozen several a minute before which was good. Being able to tense up and move meant she could grit her teeth and keep from screaming.
She straightened and almost immediately curled over again.
“It looks like it’s time,” Celeste knelt and lifted the edge of the sheet.
“She tried to kill me, Damon,” Elena kicked weakly at the redhead. “Months ago; the wolves attacked her and watched over me until Klaus found me.”
“It’s time to push,” Celeste held Elena’s foot and placed it back on the ground.
“No,” she gritted her teeth and shook her head. She pressed her thighs together. “It’s too soon; she’s too little.”
“It hardly matters,” Damon rolled his eyes.
“Please…” tears streaked down Elena’s flushed cheeks, “… Damon please… help me. She’s just a baby.”
Celeste’s shoulders stiffened as the vampire’s eyes flashed. She stood abruptly and paced to a candle high on one of the walls. Bloody symbols clung to the sides.
“What are you doing?” Elena flattened her palm against the floor and pushed herself against the wall. Her eyes landed on the hands of her watch; had it really only been two hours since she’d been laughing in the kitchen with Elijah?
“Taking pre-emptive measures,” Celeste met her eyes and blew out the candle.
Elena covered her mouth with her hand. Damon had vanished into thin air; one moment he was kneeling beside her and the next he was gone.
“What did you do to him?” Elena trembled. She was fighting the instinct that was telling her to push.
“I returned him to this plain,” Celeste replaced the large candle on the wall, “and now I’ve sent him back.”
++++
Klaus fist collided with the side of a mausoleum. The stone shattered beneath his knuckles.
The trail had gone cold.
++++
Jeremy bit his cheek to keep himself from speaking and breaking her concentration. He watched the intense look on her face from the corner of his eye.
Eventually he couldn’t take the silence any more.
“Bonnie…”
“We’re going the right way,” she made a left.
“How can you tell?” Jeremy scanned the tombs as they passed. Each one looked the same to him in the moonlight.
“They left behind a trail,” she closed her eyes and felt the air with her mind. “It’s still reasonably fresh… and there’s a witch up ahead.”
Bonnie smiled triumphantly when she came to a stop and pointed to the top of a mausoleum.
Jeremy followed her arm to the shadowy figures sitting on the stone roof.
“Finn?” He squinted into the dark. “Davina?”
“Jeremy,” Finn took a look out over the rooftops and jumped down, “what are you doing here?”
“Bonnie got a message from the Other Side,” he nodded to her, “we tried calling, but every number I dialed gave me nothing but static.”
“So you drove down?”
“I drove down,” Jeremy nodded.
“A message?” Finn turned to Bonnie. “You’re a witch then?” He waited for her nod. “Perhaps you could help Davina; she’s having trouble lowering the spell.”
“What spell?” Jeremy’s eyes narrowed.
“The one concealing your sister,” Finn offered Bonnie a hand up onto the roof. “A witch has turned the cemetery into a maze.”
Bonnie sat across from Davina who had stopped chanting to stare out at the never ending tombs.
“What seems to be the problem?”
“Too much power,” Davina muttered. “I don’t know how she’s doing it. I’m a harvest witch I should be able to break through this easily; she’s got to be channeling someone.”
“Ancestors?” Bonnie guessed. “Don’t you practice ancestral magic down here?”
“It’s not them,” Davina shook her head. “They warned us about what was happening.”
“Maybe another ‘Harvest witch’?” Bonnie cocked an eyebrow.
“I can’t see any of the others wanting to help someone hurt Elena,” Davina bit her lip.
“Could be they’re not doing it willingly,” Bonnie swallowed. “Luckily for you I came prepared to help.” She held out her hands to Davina. “You know the spell and I’m channeling the magic of nearly two dozen dead witches.”
“It was rather terrifying watching her get it,” Jeremy grumbled. The dead had used something to keep him from getting to Bonnie when she had cried out in pain.
“I would imagine so,” Finn nodded.
They fell into silence as the witches began working together. A gentle wind blew through the standing graves.
++++
Kaleb wiped the ashes from his hands and watched Elijah drape a white sheet over the bones.
“Not that I’m doubting your mother’s spell,” he dropped the rag onto the table, “but what happens when it does work?”
“Her spirit will return,” Kol closed the grimoire.
“I got that,” Kaleb nodded, “it’s what she’s returning to that bothers me. What’s to keep her from jumping again?”
“The fact that she won’t live long enough to prepare another body,” Elijah leaned back against the stone wall to wait.
“That…” Kol knelt and snapped a pair of rusted shackles around the wrist bones, “… and these.”
++++
Klaus’ head snapped around with the wind. He pulled his hand from the ruined wall and watched as the new tombs seemed to shift and grow in the shimmering air.
After a moment the wind settled and a low moan reached him.
“Thank you Davina,” Rebekah breathed a sigh of relief and flashed off after her brother.
“Get the hell away from me!”
Rebekah froze outside a large tomb when Klaus emerged with his hand around the throat of a red headed woman.
“Celeste?” Rebekah arched an eyebrow. “It’s been a few centuries.” Her head snapped around to the groan coming from inside. “If you’ll excuse me…”
Elena held her stomach and gritted her teeth against the tugging pain in her abdomen. She felt like she was being split in two even pieces.
She flinched away from the gentle hands that settled on her stomach. Apparently the wind was only a momentary distraction.
“Elena, let me help you.”
Her eyes snapped open. Through the haze of her tears she made out blue eyes and blonde hair.
“Bekah?” She looked around frantically. “Celeste…”
“Is dead,” Klaus appeared and knelt at her other side.
“But she’ll…” Elena held her stomach and grimaced.
“Kaleb’s taken care of that,” Rebekah placed her hands on Elena’s knees, “the only body she’ll be possessing is her own.” The pit of her stomach fell when another contraction hit the brunette.
“We need to take you to a hospital,” Klaus wrapped an arm around her back. His eyes narrowed when Rebekah shook her head.
“I don’t think there’s time,” she held the edge of the sheet and waited for Elena’s nod. Closing her eyes she released a deep sigh and shook her head. “We can’t move her; she’s crowning.”
“I’m sorry… what?” Klaus held Elena’s hand and winced when she squeezed painfully.
“I can see the baby’s head,” Rebekah looked around. The only items she saw were laid out on an alter and she had no intention of touching those. “How long ago did she tell you to push?”
Rebekah shed her jacket and pulled off her black cardigan.
“I don’t know,” Elena gritted her teeth. Time had ceased to have any meaning a while ago.
“I’m thinking it’s been some time,” Rebekah folded her sweater. “Nik get behind her and support her back; Elena, I know you’re in a lot of pain but I need you to scoot your hips forward.”
“Why?” She leaned back into Klaus’ chest and took his hands.
“Because you need to push,” Rebekah took her hips and guided her forward. “On your next contraction bear down.”
“No way to stop it?” Elena took shallow breaths.
“Not at this point,” Rebekah shook her head.
“I can’t do it,” Elena tensed and strained with the contraction.
“Yes you can,” Klaus moved pushed her sweaty hair back from her face. “There is very little you can’t do, sweetheart.”
++++
Jeremy skidded to a stop at the cloth covered table and averted his eyes as Rebekah wrapped a soft black material around a squealing baby and lowered the sheet back over Elena’s legs.
“That’s more of my sister than I ever wanted to see.”
“Jer?” Elena looked up from the small bundle being placed in her arms. Her brother only held his gaze for a moment before turning back to the baby.
“Hey,” he waved.
“Hi,” Elena murmured, but her attention was on the baby. Her finger gently moved the dark hair back.
“We rushed down…” Jeremy trailed off and looked at Rebekah. “She’s not listening to me at all is she?”
“Nope,” the blonde shook her head. Her eyes were trained on the wonderstruck expressions on the new parent’s faces. “Nik,” she took her brother’s shoulder, “maybe we should take them to the hospital now.”
++++
“Elena,” he took her elbow and gently pulled her from the back of the car, “you don’t have to watch her sleep, sweetheart. The doctor said she was fine.”
“I don’t trust that doctor,” she watched him unhook the car seat. “What if she stops breathing, or chokes when she’s eating, or…”
Klaus pressed his fingers to her lips. Wrapping an arm around her waist he turned her to their little girl. She’d spent the first few days of her life in the NICU.
“She’s perfectly healthy,” he kissed Elena’s temple. “The doctors were amazed at how healthy she is.”
“Those doctors were pushing us out the door,” Elena crossed her arms when he lifted the carrier.
“They were pushing us out the door because she is perfectly healthy,” he closed the door and took her hand. “I’m pretty sure the only reason they kept her as long as they did was because you insisted.”
“You were just as insistent at me,” Elena walked with him up the stairs and into the house.
“For the first day,” he opened the door and was immediately greeted with a grinning Rebekah. “They gave her a clean bill of health.”
“Babies born that early can have health problems,” Elena unfastened the straps holding her in place and lifted her sleeping child into her arms.
“She’s not completely human, sweetheart,” Klaus cupped the infant’s cheek.
“I suppose not,” Elena inhaled slowly and smiled, “but…”
“First sign of trouble I will personally pick her up and run to the hospital,” Klaus swore. Nothing would have stopped him.
“Promise?” Elena met his eyes.
“You have my word,” he smiled and kissed her quickly.
“Am I going to get to hold my niece?” Rebekah bounced on the balls of her feet.
“I don’t know,” Elena frowned, “am I going to get her back?”
“Don’t do it ‘Lena,” Kol leaned on the banister, “Bex here is likely to run off with her.”
“I’m not going to kidnap her,” Rebekah rolled her eyes. “Out of everyone in this house I’m the only one that hasn’t had a hand in a kidnapping attempt.”
“I think you’re forgetting Finn,” Elena eased the baby into Rebekah’s arms.
“Is this her then?” Kol leaned over his sister’s shoulder; he and Elijah were the only ones who had yet to actually see the baby.
“No,” Elena rolled her eyes, “this one’s a loaner.”
“I think she’s mocking you,” Davina came down stairs and covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. She leaned over Rebekah’s other side and grinned down at the baby. “She looks bigger.”
“She is a little bit,” Elena crossed her arms and blinked tiredly.
“Come on love,” Klaus steered her towards the stairs, “you need to get some sleep before she wakes up hungry.” He reached for the baby.
“No,” Rebekah shook her head and smiled. “I just got her; I’ll bring her upstairs in a bit.”
“Somehow I don’t believe you,” Klaus smirked from the steps.
“I will,” Rebekah cooed, “she’ll be hungry eventually and that’s something I can’t do for her.”
++++
When Elena opened her eyes a few hours later it was to see Klaus lifting their crying daughter from her bassinet. She sat up and held out her hands.
“Alright,” Elena yawned, “what seems to be the problem?” She popped the top buttons of her shirt.
“Would you like some help, love?” Klaus chuckled. He took the baby so Elena could finish unbuttoning her shirt. “Here you go, Claire.”
He positioned a pillow under Elena’s arm to help her support the baby.
“You’re listening…” she gasped when Claire started suckling. She wondered if she would ever get used to the tugging sensation.
“I’ve been listening to her heart since she was born,” he held her arm when she flailed. “Your mum’s a tad paranoid, sweetheart,” he smiled when her fingers curled around his thumb.
“I’m paranoid?” She smirked. “You’ve been listening to her heart beat since she was born.”
“Alright,” he smiled and kissed Elena’s cheek, “we’re both paranoid.”
“Much better,” she nodded. Laying her head on his shoulder she watched Claire’s blue eyes blink up at her.
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