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CHAPTER 09: TAKE ME TO CHURCH

❝ klaus mikaelson; the great evil may not be so evil after all. ❞

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DID YOU KNOW THAT HUMANS EMIT A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF LIGHT? In a thousand years you could look back through a telescope and see us moving still. We see stars that died a thousand years ago; the stars, in turn, see us; see the crusades, see the romans, see the neolithic eve take her first steps in the sun. Every wet autumn, every great fire, every person who stepped out of the dark: we go on forever. The past, and the present that is already a past, will always be happening. We die and die and die and die a thousand little times.

Take Enola for example; she would much rather die than continue on with this dreadful dinner party. She only recognized a select few attendees; Klaus, Hayley, and Marcel. She didn't want to be here. She was pregnant, tired, and bored. All she wanted to do was spend the day in bed with Klaus. But he insisted on hosting a dinner party as the new king of New Orleans, making her his queen. He had the keys to the kingdom. She had hoped that this would mean he would give her some attention. But she was obviously wrong. Despite the fact they now shared a bedroom like a happy couple, he was never there. She went to bed and woke up alone. He claimed there was still much he had to do if he was going to be king. For example, earn the trust of the vampires.

"Let us begin with a toast to our shared gift—immortality. After a thousand years, one might expect life to be less keenly felt for its beauties and its sorrows to diminish with time, but as vampires, we feel more deeply than humans possibly could possibly imagine." Klaus began. He ushered the compelled vampires forward with the wave of his hand. "Insatiable need, exquisite pain . . . " The compelled staff cut into their wrists, allowing their blood to flow into wine glasses while Enola and Hayley were served with ice cold water. "Our victories, and our defeats. To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow."

"And the party never end," Marcel voiced.

"To New Orleans," Everyone cheered.

"I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No. My intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have, what Marcel, in fact, took . . . " Klaus trailed off. "And built into this—a true community of vampires."

"What about them?" A vampire by the name of Diego wondered, motioning to the other end of the table where Enola and Hayley sat.

"Had you let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address." Klaus hummed. He slowly made his way around the table until he stood directly behind Enola. He placed his hands on her shoulders before rubbing them in soothing circles. "As many of you know, this girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her—and her friend—the appropriate respect." His eyes move around the table as if warning them not to touch what was his. "However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you, I do not."

"Father of the year," Enola joked.

Klaus didn't seem to find the joke Enola had cracked all that funny. However, Marcel did. She caught his gaze from across the table. He smirked in amusement as she shot him a sly wink. They hadn't exactly had a conversation before. He had stopped by the plantation to introduce himself, but she had slammed the door in his face before he could get another word out.

"It appears I will have to earn your trust," Klaus glared at the little exchange. "Very well. We'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. You see, how can I sire any hybrids if there are no more werewolves in the bayou to turn?"

"What? No!" Hayley pleaded.

"Oh, you cannot be serious." Enola sat up in shock.

"So eat, drink, and be merry, and tomorrow I suggest you have yourselves a little wolf hunt." Klaus continued. "Go ahead. Have fun. Kill them all."

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Enola stormed into the study where Klaus could be found reading a book. She was so angry at him. She had barely seen him in days. Whenever she tried to talk to him, he would brush her off. It had been nearly two years. All those visions and riddles still went unsolved. Until she came here with Hayley and discovered a werewolf clan that might be able to help her find what she was looking for.

"Those werewolves you ordered killed—they are good people." Enola claimed.

"We don't owe them anything," Klaus muttered, absentmindedly.

"But we owe Hayley," Enola continued. "And that is her family out there."

"Not for long," Klaus hummed, reluctantly looking up. "I mean, this so-called family hasn't done her much good, have they? They abandoned her, left her on her own. Now it's simply her turn to do the same."

"Maybe they had their reasons," Enola defended.

"Yes, well, I have reason too, little monster." Klaus announced, slamming his book shut before he finally stood to face her. "If the werewolves are dead, then the vampires have less desire to kill you. I am trying to keep you safe, not that you appreciate the effort."

"And as soon as I have this baby, what happens to me then?" Enola pushed, earning nothing but silence. "What? So I'm just on my own."

"You are never on your own," Klaus defended.

"Yeah, I will still have Hayley." Enola agreed.

"And me," Klaus reasoned. "You have me."

"Do I?" Enola chuckled humorlessly. "I don't even get a nod of acknowledgement from you."

"Ah," Klaus nodded in understanding. "So that is what this is about?"

"This is about the fact that we are supposed to be in this together, but I feel so alone." Enola argued. "And every time I try to communicate with you, I am shut down and pushed aside."

"I am an original," Klaus announced. "I cannot have a weakness."

"And I am a weakness?" Enola clenched her jaw until it ached.

"Love is a weakness," Klaus corrected. "And I love you more than anything."

"But not more than power," Enola countered. "You know what? Enjoy your reign while it lasts because I will find a way to pay you back for all the damage that you have caused out in the bayou. And as long as I am carrying your child, well, you can't do a damn thing about it."

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Since Klaus obviously wouldn't listen to reason, Enola and Hayley were going to have to take matters into their own hands. So they silently made their way to the nearest exit with hopes of escaping into the night. They had to save those wolves from what was coming. But before they could get far, they were intercepted by a sturdy body.

"Going somewhere?" Diego narrowed his eyes.

Hayley and Enola froze like deer caught in headlights. They struggled to settle on one good excuse. Thankfully they didn't have to. Elijah was there in a flash to rescue them. He snapped Diego's neck with ease before turning to face them with an almost exasperated look.

"You shouldn't be here," Hayley panicked. "Klaus has his guys watching us."

"I wouldn't worry about them," Elijah smirked. Three unconscious vampires fell at their feet just as Rebekah strutted out of the shadows. Elijah held an expectant hand out to them. "Come. We mustn't linger. Let's get you ladies someplace safe."

"You don't have to worry about us. We're fine." Enola promised. "We've been deemed under protection by the almighty Klaus."

"You called him Klaus," Rebekah noted. "What has he done this time?"

"He sanctioned some sort of wolf hunt as some jacked up peace offering to Marcel's crew," Enola explained in annoyance.

"You guys have to help them," Hayley pleaded.

"Out in the bayou?" Rebekah scoffed in disbelief. "Do we look like a bloody vampire rescue squad? I think the both of you should be grateful we came to save you."

"We are grateful. For everything the both of you have done for us." Enola promised. "But those wolves need your help more than we do. We can't just let them be killed so Klaus can prove a point. You guys want to help us? Help them."

"Ugh," Rebekah groaned. "You know I can't say no to you."

"We will keep you updated," Elijah promised. "In the meantime, stay out of trouble."

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Enola had been at the compound for a couple days. She had only been in her bedroom and the kitchen. Considering she was officially prohibited from leaving the premises, she decided now would be a good chance to explore her new home. She found herself wandering down various halls until she found herself entering what appeared to be a garage. Various vehicles sat parked in perfect lines—including her 1967 Chevrolet Impala—but what had really caught her attention was Josh and a girl with soft brown hair and deep hazel eyes.

"What are you doing in here?" The girl wondered, eyeing her friend in concern.

"I am hiding out. Incognito." Josh chuckled awkwardly. "Got to run for the hills, but I am stuck here until it gets dark."

"Are you okay?" The girl frowned.

"Yeah. Yeah." Josh lied. He paused. "No. Not really. I mean, I totally led Klaus into a trap that was like the most epic failure of all time. So, yeah, I'm kind of crapping my pants right now. Figuratively. So far.

"It's okay. You can trust Marcel." The girl reassured. "And if Klaus tries to hurt you, I'll hurt him."

"I'm sure if you could actually stop Klaus you would have done it already," Enola hummed from the doorway.

"You're Enola. Klaus' wife." The girl realized.

"We're not married," Enola rolled her eyes.

"But they sure act like it," Josh quipped.

"You must be the all powerful super witch. Davina." Enola noted. "And let's not forget about Josh—newbie vampire way out of his element, voted most likely to die next."

"Oh, fantastic." Josh groaned.

"Relax," Enola rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to tell on you, if that's what you're worried about."

"Why not?" Davina asked skeptically.

"Because I believe there is a world where we can all look out for each other," Enola shrugged. "I prefer to make friends. Not enemies."

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Enola woke up to morning sickness and an empty bed. She left the safe confines of her bedroom to get something to drink. She walked down the long hallway almost sluggishly. She was exhausted. Morning sickness was no joke. However, before she could head downstairs to the kitchen, she was stopped by a light that spilled out of a room at the end of the hallway. She peered into the room to find a familiar witch digging through a box of belongings with worried eyes.

"What are you looking for?" Enola wondered.

"My violin," Davina muttered. "I must've left it in the attic."

"So just go get it," Enola suggested.

"I can't," Davina sighed. "It's not safe for me out there."

"Funny," Enola chuckled, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was under the impression everyone was afraid of you."

"The witches are after me," Davina explained.

"You mean that crazy bitch Agnes? Yeah. She tried to kill me too." Enola nodded. "The thing is, she is dead. Elijah killed her."

"But Agnes was the last living elder. If she's dead, then I'm safe." Davina noted, slowly rising to her feet. "Marcel would have told me."

"Maybe he didn't want to lose his secret weapon against the witches," Enola suggested.

"You're lying," Davina scoffed.

"Why would I lie to you?" Enola frowned.

"Because you want something from me," Davina claimed. "Everyone does."

"Do I want something from you? Yeah. I do." Enola clicked her tongue. "Thanks to your friend Marcel, the werewolves are cursed so that they are only able to turn human on a full moon. Now I am smart enough to know that every curse has a loophole, and, well, you're the strongest witch I know." She shrugged her shoulders. "But I wouldn't lie to you to get what I want. I'd ask you. I guess that is the difference between Marcel and I."

Enola didn't wait for Davina to respond. She turned on her heels and stepped out into the hallway. She turned the corner before skipping down the stairs. She made it into the empty courtyard before she was intercepted by Klaus. He looked as if he had just returned

"There's my girl," Klaus beamed.

"Where have you been?" Enola furrowed her brows.

"Instead of telling you," Klaus began. "Why don't I show you?"

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Enola and Klaus walked hand in hand through the streets of New Orleans. She looked around in awe. Considering she had spent these past few months locked away like a prisoner, she never had the chance to explore the city. She was normally camped out in her bedroom with her laptop as she was forced into doing her college courses online. It was definitely a lot more difficult than she thought it would be. She lacks the motivation to keep up with her school work. She was expecting him to take her somewhere exciting. Somewhere that would help her find her motivation again. Yet here they stood in front of St. Anne's Church.

"What are we doing here?" Enola questioned.

"You conspired with Rebekah and Elijah behind my back," Klaus began.

"I wouldn't have conspired if you would have listened to me in the first place," Enola shot back.

"I know," Klaus sighed. "And it made me think that I don't want you to feel as if you cannot talk to me about certain things. You are not alone. I am right here with you. Always and forever."

"Words only get you so far," Enola pointed out. "Prove it. Prove that I am not alone."

Klaus smiled that smile that made Enola weak in the knees. He did not respond. He knew he didn't have to. Because actions spoke louder than words. So he took a step forward and pushed the double doors open before stepping inside. He spared her a glance over his shoulder to make sure she was following before leading her into the dimly lit church.

Enola looked around in awe as Klaus stood idly by patiently waiting for a reaction. The pews were full of men and women and children. The walls were lined with boxes of food and spare blankets and warm pillows. She was confused. Until her eyes landed on a familiar blonde who was helping the others settle. Eve. She slowly turned back to him.

"Is this—" Enola stuttered. "Are these people—"

"Werewolves?" Klaus finished. "Yes."

"I don't understand," Enola frowned. "What are they doing here?"

"I asked the pastor—Father Kieran—to give them shelter." Klaus explained. "He suffers from an incessant desire to do good and I suffer from an incessant desire to please you."

"Some of these werewolves aren't from the Crescent pack," Enola realized.

"No," Klaus shook his head. "They're from mine."

"You mean—"

"The same connection you feel with the Crescent pack, I feel with this pack." Klaus smiled softly. "So maybe you're not the only reason I'm doing this."

"Would you look at that," Enola grinned. "Klaus Mikaelson; the great evil may not be so evil after all."

"Don't tell anyone," Klaus smirked. "I would hate for this to sully my reputation."

"Your secret is safe with me," Enola smiled softly.

They were interrupted by the shrill cry of a cell phone. Klaus frowned before digging the device out of his pocket. He rolled his eyes at the interruption, but answered the call anyway. He was immediately bombarded by a long worried rant that left him concerned.

"What do you mean Davina is missing?"

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AUTHORS NOTE.
this is a perfect example of if he wanted to he would. klaus heard what enola was saying and acted. he knew that words only mean so much and he wanted to prove his love for her. until next time, my loves!!!