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CHAPTER 19: SAFE PLACE

❝ i have so much to tell you. ❞

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"WE COULD GET A PRETTY PENNY FOR REBEKAH MIKAELSON,"

Rebekah Mikaelson was being held captive in the middle of Lafayette Cemetery. She had been ambushed and stabbed in the heart repeatedly by a wooden arrow. That was the only thing that kept her from dismembering the two vampires who currently held her captive. She should have known better than to think she would get away with distracting the man she loved. Especially when her allegiances have always been to her family.

"If Marcel wants Rebekah Mikaelson safe, then I am going to keep Rebekah Mikaelson safe." Sofya Voronova claimed. She was a hired gun whose skills are highly sought after. She used to do work for Lucien before Marcel took over the city. Now here she was. Guarding an original.

Dillon Kaur was a newbie vampire who had just joined the ranks. He did not know any better. That is why it came to no surprise when his heart was suddenly separated from his body. He stood there in shock for a long moment before finally collapsing to the ground with a dull thud.

"Well, he will not be getting any pretty pennies where he is going." Kol chirped.

Sofya watched Kol with eyes full of fear. She thought that she just might be able to take him in a fight. She had plenty of experience fighting vampires twice her age. Though none of them were original vampires. There was only one person who stood a chance against an original. Screw it. All she had to do was shoot him in the heart like the other one and he would be down for the count.

"You could have given him a heads up," Enola scoffed.

Sofya slowly looked past Kol where Enola stood. She had been tracking her movements for the past five years. The closest she got was two years ago. Mystic Falls. She had tracked her there for months. But she never confronted her. She just watched from afar. This was the first time she had seen her up close and it was more than terrifying.

"Oh, please," Kol laughed. "Like that would make a difference."

Sofya made a decision. Why fight a battle she knows that she cannot win. So she turned on her heels and took off in the opposite direction. Which was probably the first smart thing she has done. Though the same could not be said for the other vampires that were lingering around the Cemetery.

Enola and Kol shared a knowing look. This was going to be a piece of cake. Though Rebekah choosing now to wake up worked out better. She groaned in annoyance before plucking all ten arrowheads out of her back with an annoyed snarl. She decided right then and there that she had been naive to think she was safe just because Marcel liked her a little.

"Looks like sleeping beauty finally decided to grace us with her presence," Enola huffed.

"Looks like snow white ate a sour apple," Rebekah teased. "You have been frowning all day."

"Then give me something to smile about," Enola shot back.

"Would killing and maiming do the trick?" Kol wondered.

"It just might," Enola shrugged simply.

Enola lunged forward and engaged in a fight with one of the many vampires. It did not take her long to over power them before she moved onto the next. She felt a sense of peace as she killed and maimed the people who played a big part in her pain these past few years. But she soon realized that she was not the only one who seemed to be enjoying herself.

Enola and Rebekah turn to find Kol completely pulverizing an enemy. They turn to one another with raised brows before turning back to him with eyes full of judgment. Though they couldn't really be surprised given who he was. Always aggressive, always murderous. They kind of respected his drive though.

"Kol," Rebekah blinked. "I think you got him."

"Can we leave this awful city now?" Kol huffed.

"Where is Elijah?" Rebekah questioned.

"With Hayley and Freya," Enola answered. "Getting Nik."

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There was a drainage pipe under the bridge that led out of New Orleans. Enola had arrived an hour ago with Rebekah and Kol. They were all growing rather anxious considering the circumstances. And all they could really do was wait. But the wait left them restless after a prolonged period of time.

"Elijah, this is me not worrying that you were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago." Rebekah ranted, anxiously pacing back and forth. "Please call me back."

"It has been too long," Kol pointed out when Rebekah lowered the phone. "We should leave."

"No," Enola scoffed in disbelief. "We are not leaving our family."

"Marcel could be shredding our family to pieces as we speak," Kol argues.

"Well, perhaps they simply do not have cell phone service in a drainage pipe." Rebekah shrugged.

"They will be here," Enola said sternly.

The wait was silent. They had only spoken when they needed to. They could not seem to talk about anything other than their family. They could only hope that they would make it before dark. Though time seemed to be quickly running out as the soft blue sky slowly began to fade into a burnt orange.

"While we have a moment," Rebekah began. "I wanted to thank the both of you. For coming back."

"You do not have to thank us," Enola said. "We are family. Of course we would come back for you."

"Besides," Kol hummed. "I think the three of us make one hell of a team. Those babbling buffoons didn't stand a chance."

The conversation died out at the sound of footsteps nearing. Enola was the first to turn towards the drainage pipe just as Hayley and Freya emerged. They parted just enough for her hopeful eyes to find the love of her life. She had spent the last five years waiting for this moment and it was finally here. He was finally here.

It was like time froze the moment Klaus looked at Enola. He stumbled forwards despite the fact he was malnourished and injured just to collapse into her awaiting arms. She clutched onto him as if he were her lifeline and he clutched back because she was his lifeline. She was the only thing that kept him from losing his mind all these years and now she was here. In his arms. He could definitely get used to this feeling.

"I take it you missed me," Klaus teased.

"Shut up and kiss me," Enola scoffed.

Klaus did not hesitate to capture Enola in a passionate kiss. If it were up to him, he would live with his lips attached to hers. If it were up to him, he would only breathe the air from her lungs. If it were up to him, he would make a home in her chest and never leave. But it wasn't.

"You two can finish this later. Preferably when an enhanced original is not hot on our heels." Freya huffed. "We need to leave. Now."

"Marcel is right behind us," Hayley panted. "Go. Go!"

"Actually," Everyone stopped dead in their tracks before slowly turning to face Marcel. "I am right here." He emerged from the drainage pipe with red eyes full of sin. "You shouldn't have come back—none of you."

"That is what family does," Hayley justified. "We fight for each other."

"So I have heard," Marcel scoffed. "Though it didn't really work out for me, did it?"

"Oh, for god sake." Kol groaned. "You were never a Mikaelson. Get over it. Do you not have a city to run? Vampires to boot out of town?"

Rebekah took a quick stance in front of Kol when Marcel moved forward. Her eyes were narrowed at him in warning. She loved him dearly. But she loved her family more. She always would and nothing would change that. Maybe that was why he ambushed her at the cemetery. Because it was the only way to do this without hurting her.

"If you want to kill one of us, you'll have to kill us all." Rebekah said.

"Do not push me, Rebekah." Marcel warned.

"Enough!" Klaus growled. He took a deep breath to calm himself down so he could have a civil conversation. "Enough, Marcel. You have won. New Orleans was our city once, now it is yours. For good."

"Is the great Klaus Mikaelson accepting defeat?" Marcel pondered sarcastically. "Or is this just another distraction?"

"Neither," Klaus decided. "In fact, despite your appalling behavior, I'm offering you a chance at peace. Attempt to kill us all and you will be making a mistake. Any who survived would no doubt return to seek revenge, bringing our enemies back to your city in our wake. And even if you did manage to eliminate us all, one day my daughters would come for you. And their daughters after that. On and on for all your days—an endless cycle of violence you will bring upon yourself. Or we leave and never come back."

"After all that time buried in a hole, you still got some nerve. You stand there with a straight face and try to sell this like it's your choice. But here is the truth; I could kill all of you right now. And tonight I would sleep like a baby. Hell, that is what you would do. You have destroyed more people, taken more lives, ended more families than anyone who has ever lived. All because you can." Marcel ranted without pause. "But here is the other truth; despite being raised by you people, I am nothing like any of you. In fact, I am proud as hell I am not a Mikaelson. I beat you all without turning into you. And now you can live the rest of your lives knowing that the only reason that you exist is because I am showing you mercy." He eyes them all one by one. "Now go. And don't ever come back."

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The sun had long since faded from the sky by the time Enola parked the car at the end of the driveway. She climbed out of the vehicle before walking towards the picket white fence that surrounded the yard. She smiled when the front door of the residence swung open and she was swept up into a bone crushing hug that she desperately needed.

"You are alive," Bonnie breathed. She pulled back just enough to make sure her friend was uninjured. When she was sure nothing was wrong, her eyes flickered towards the onlookers briefly. "Your girls are asleep, but if you want to—"

"Who the hell are you?" Freya questioned in hostility.

"Bonnie Bennett," Bonnie introduced vaguely before turning back to her friend. "As I was saying—"

"And what exactly are you doing here, Bonnie Bennett?" Freya pushed.

"Oh, for the love of god—I see paranoia runs in the family." Bonnie scoffed in disbelief. "I am the babysitter."

"She is also the reason you all are standing here right now," Enola said.

"I am standing right here," Hayley scowled in annoyance. It wasn't like she sat around twiddling her thumbs while Enola and Bonnie were out doing all the work.

"Anyway," Bonnie hummed, nodding towards the farmhouse.

Freya was hesitant to follow Bonnie inside. Though Kol and Hayley had no problem storming up the porch and into the dimly lit house. That left Enola and Klaus outside with Rebekah and Elijah. They stared at the comfortable home in silence for a long moment before someone finally spoke up.

"Five years has never felt so long," Klaus muttered. "Thank you for not abandoning me."

"Well, we did consider it." Rebekah teased. "The vote was rather close."

Rebekah gave Klaus a soft kiss on the cheek before sauntering up the porch and inside the quaint little home. It reminded her of a much simpler life where she was human and surrounded by her many children. She knew that it was impossible now. But a girl could only dream.

Elijah gave Klaus and Enola a swift nod before turning to leave as well. He too felt at peace knowing that his family was together again. And he could not wait until he was introduced to his little nieces. One of which he was unable to meet due to the circumstances of their situation.

"You okay?" Enola hummed, nudging Klaus lightly.

"You mean considering the imprisonment, torture, and forced isolation?" Klaus wondered sarcastically.

"You know you can talk to me about it, right?" Enola spoke softly.

"I know," Klaus smiled. "I just don't think I am ready."

"Well, I will be here when you are." Enola promised.

"You needn't worry," Klaus said. "I had my moments of solace to sustain me. All I had to do was think of you and our daughters."

"Speaking of our daughters," Enola began. "Are you ready to see them?"

Enola had known Klaus for a while now. She can say with certainty she had never seen him so nervous as she led him into the house. He was practically vibrating with anxiety. But he followed her past curious family members and up the flight of stairs before stopping in front of a particular door. She spared him a soft smile before quietly pushing the door open to reveal two young girls lying curled up on top of the blankets.

Klaus recognized Hope immediately. She had soft auburn hair that she had no doubt inherited from her mother and soft freckles that dusted her rosy cheeks. Her arms were locked around a small frame that had curled into her side. He furrowed his brows before turning back to his wife.

"Finn," Enola said.

"Finn," Klaus repeated out loud.

"Finn Camille Mikaelson," Enola hummed.

"Finn and Camille," Klaus smiled softly.

"I figured they earned it," Enola explained. "Want me to wake them for you?"

"No," Klaus decided. "Let them sleep."

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Enola was seated in front of the vanity when Klaus entered the bedroom through the door adjacent. There was more than enough space in this house for everyone to have their own rooms. But he insisted that he was never leaving her side ever again. And she was glad because she had no plans of letting him leave her side ever again. The thought of him leaving had her tensing when he wrapped her in a warm embrace from behind. It was only then he realized how much she had changed. Somewhere between yesterday and five years ago, she grew up.

Enola came to that realization in the kitchen. She had just finished washing the dishes while dinner simmered on the stove and the bedding spun circles in the dryer. She realized that she could not remember the last night she did not check her email or the last morning she went without a cup of coffee or the last day she went down a park slide.

Enola found that it was habitual now. She shopped for her own groceries. She set her own alarms. She filled her own gas tank. She tied her own shoes. She wore this independence like an accessory, like an identity, like something she has always known. But it was not always here, was it? There was a time when she was called downstairs for breakfast, when she sat in the backseat, when she counted the seconds until her next birthday. The transition was so obvious. How did Klaus miss it before?

"Tell me what you are thinking," Klaus pleaded.

Enola relaxed into Klaus almost immediately. Her gaze dropped to the middle of her chest where a familiar wedding band sat connected to a silver chain. She swiftly removed it before placing it back where it belonged. His finger. She smiles in accomplishment before finally dragging her eyes up to meet his.

"I have so much to tell you," Enola stated.

"Talk to me," Klaus spoke softly, making room on the vanity chair behind Enola. The seating position was kind of awkward until he decided to just scoop her into his lap. He waited patiently for her to find the words as he watched her through the mirror.

"Where do I even begin?" Enola muttered to herself. " The devil is real. Or was. I killed him. And then Mystic Falls was almost consumed by hellfire because of Katherine."

"I thought Katerina was dead," Klaus frowned.

"She was—is." Enola continued. She paused before she spoke the words that would no doubt wound him. "Stefan and Damon died to ensure that."

"Stefan is dead?" Klaus frowned at the new information.

"He died a hero with his brother by his side. He is not alone." Enola promised. "Your turn."

"What?" Klaus blinked.

"Usually, this venting thing goes both ways." Enola reminded, voice becoming softer. "Talk to me."

"I don't want to talk tonight," Klaus muttered. "I just want to hold you."

"So hold me," Enola whispered. "And just know that I will be there when you are ready to talk."

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AUTHORS NOTE.
i hope the reunion between klaus and enola did not let any of you down. i was going to add a smut scene at the end. but i want to ease into it a little. until next time, my loves!!!