Chapter 2: From a Cradle to a Grave

"And what the hell are you?" Davina scoffed.

Claudia glared at her and almost bared her canines. "Shall I let her in the secret, Nik?" The woman in question turned to Klaus. "Up to you, sweetheart."

"I'm a witch, duh." She scoffed. The Mikaelsons looked at each other which left Davina more in the dark.

"Something tells me you're darker than what you are and I'm making it my mission to find that out," Davina muttered as she glared at Claudia. The older girl just shrugged her off with a hand.

Elijah had a thin line on his lips before speaking, "you see, Claudia here is…special." Looking at the woman that was now sat beside Kol.

Davina got more interested and just leaned towards the older Mikaelsons. "And what? Tell me!" Claudia stared at her in disbelief, this girl is a loony.

Niklaus promptly replied, "well sweetheart, sometimes you can't have everything."

"Well, aside from her being a royal bitch, what else can she do, huh?" Davina dared. The statement earned a wicked glare from the bronze haired girl.

"Thanks for thinking highly of me, sweetheart," she smirked before slapping Kol's arm after he dared to laugh at the witch's statement to her.

Everyone started talking about it but the Original vampire beside her laughed and pressed his lips to Claudia's head. "Long time, darling,"

Claudia smacked him in the chest and angrily muttered before moving to a seat near Klaus, "family meeting. And if you think you're off the hook, you're not. I'd fancy it if you shut up and don't talk to me."

Kol just raised an eyebrow and protested, "oh you know you can't resist me, sweetheart. Come back here!"

Claudia just glared at him and said, "fuck off, Kol." She turned back to the scene before her to see Klaus and Marcel arguing.

"Shush you imbeciles! How are you supposed to kill that wench if you can't keep your mouths shut for a minute? Do this again and I will castrate you." Claudia glared at the three. Kol, Elijah, and Marcel smiled seeing Klaus sigh and listen to the agitated woman as Davina stared at her in shock after what she was able to do to Klaus.

"Shall we?" Elijah asked. Everyone nodded. "Okay, going back to you fools and the fact that this witch has unleashed our worst nightmare," Klaus dismissed the satisfaction of what happened earlier.

"Sorry, she did what?!" Claudia screamed as she was about to go for Davina but Elijah stopped her with his arm.

"I see that our darling little brother hasn't updated you whilst you were in Chicago," Klaus grinned. "You see, this witch resurrected Mikael and dared to bargain with us in exchange of keeping Mikael away from us,"

Claudia menacingly laughed and threw a book at the younger witch's direction but she dodged it, "you wench have no right to do that! I'd like it if you go try to run now and I hunt you down until I feel the last beat of your heart."

"You will end everything. And I don't have plans on that happening sooner or later but you just had to be stupid and destroy things don't you, darling?" she gritted her teeth as her the veins in her eyes began to show. Klaus held out his arm for her to hurt instead of unleashing Claudia's Hell in the living room.

"Claudia…" Klaus and Elijah said at the same time. She looked at them and shook her head, "no, Marcellus, I'm giving you and that wench ten seconds to run and don't show her face before I rip her liver and sock her eyes out and make her eat it. Get out!" Claudia threatened but everyone in the room knew she is dead serious with her threats.

Marcel nodded to the girl quickly and zipped her out. "You just had to ruin my fun!" Klaus glared at her.

However, the woman only smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'm surprised the witch didn't feel the child upstairs. Now where is my niece?" Claudia's attitude turned a hundred and eighty degrees from her class A bitch phase to the excited auntie phase.

Elijah smiled seeing that the girl he knew is back. "Klaus, go on lead her to your child before she leaves."

Klaus glared at Elijah and Claudia, "shush! We're keeping a cover aren't we? There are things that may hear us so I'd fancy it if you keep your mouth shut about it." He nodded at Claudia and said, "come on."

The pair left the remaining Mikaelson sons and went upstairs to Hayley's room where she was nursing the baby. Claudia silently approached her as Klaus went to the balcony and looked at the city he built.

The new hybrid looked up at Claudia and faintly smiled, "You're back," The girl in subject just nodded before asking if she can hold the baby. Hayley stood up, carefully passing the newborn to her godmother. Claudia looked nervous as hell for the first few seconds then relaxed as the baby stirred in her arms. She took a minute to admire the child and the smile in her face was the most genuine one she had on her face for decades.

"She looks like you, job well done, she's gorgeous." Claudia teased Hayley who nudged her arm and thanked her. "I see Klaus in her eyes though, there's that little devil."

Speak of the devil. The father went back inside and joined the women and his child, "she should be, she's my daughter after all."

Claudia laughed, "I think 'she's a Mikaelson' would be better, brother." Klaus just nodded and looked at his daughter. As if she's the only light in this world and nothing is better than her. They just admired the child for some time before Elijah and Kol went inside the room and told him it's time.

"It's better if she leave now, while it's still dark. Claudia, come with him, it wouldn't look very suspicious if you're carrying her since you're not always here. They don't really know if you've had a child or not," Elijah instructed. The room was tense. They didn't want the child to leave but they all know it's for the best.

"Here, hold her, dear." Claudia handed back the little girl to her mother's arms for the last time in a while. "Just call me once you're ready," she said before leaving the room with Kol. Elijah followed a few moments later and the three just talked about the story they'll be selling as they waited.

Half an hour later, Claudia was holding the newborn and Kol was beside her. He wanted to hold her but he was too scared and paranoid that he might drop her (which might result to a vacation in his coffin for the nth time.) He adored the little girl in such a short time and he didn't even know he's able to have such feeling. He put his arm around Claudia and for a moment, it looked the child was theirs, not Klaus'. Elijah noticed this and looked at the pair talking as they nursed the child while waiting for Klaus to finish talking to Hayley. The eldest Original discreetly took a photo of them, might as well use this against them when the time comes. He chuckled at his thought.

A few moments later, Klaus went down and led Claudia to his car. He nodded at his brothers and went to the driver's seat and went out of the house. The drive was silent, only the child's soft stirring and noise was heard along with the wind and other cars. The city lights were nice, if only it offered the same thing about the events and nature of the people in it. The French Quarter may look astonishing in the outside, the supernatural world in it offered another thing that would only taint the humans' image of it if they knew.

An hour later, in a suburb, a convertible was in front of their car and they went out to see Rebekah sitting at the hood of her car. "Beks," Claudia called and the blonde Original walked and hugged her. "I missed you, sister."

She nodded back and gave the baby to Klaus. It's the last time, it's only fitting. This child is going to be a legend. Everyone is watching them. But the family swore until their very last breath, they will protect this child no matter what. "Hello sister," Klaus greeted Rebekah.

Rebekah held out her hand to the baby and looked at her, "oh she looks like her mother, maybe there is a God after all."

Klaus grinned, "she has a hint of the devil in her eyes, that's all me."

"Meet a witch you can trust to cast a cloaking spell," he added. "I'll get one. I know what to do, Nik." The blonde replied.

Claudia smiled at the pair. This child already changed the family within twenty four hours. "Perhaps we'll get a white fence, I think that would be lovely." Rebekah smiled. The blue eyed hybrid looked at his daughter with love, longing, and determination. Claudia went back inside the car to see Klaus muttering a few words to his daughter, she can hear his voice whisper, "you will return to me." before kissing her forehead and gave her to Rebekah. His little sister held the child in her arms as Klaus gave the wooden knight he made for her centuries back. He kissed his sister's head and muttered a few words about trusting her with his daughter's life. "Be happy."

"She will be happy, Nik. I promise. What's her name?" Rebekah replied.

Klaus looked at her and said, "Hope. Her name is Hope." The tears in his eyes showed the things he was feeling more than words can ever do. Rebekah looked at him one last time and turned back to her car and left. Klaus wiped his tears and went back inside his car, Claudia patted his shoulder and it meant one thing: cry.

He stared at the disappearing figure of the car and his daughter and cried. This was certainly new for the man and she knew there's still good in him. No matter how hard he is or terrible he is, there's still light in him. He's still human. As ironic as that sounds, but he is. A few moments later, he stopped and Claudia muttered, "ready?"

He just wiped his now dry tears and gripped the seat belt. "Show time." He drove back to the French Quarter and Claudia knew things have changed again and she doesn't know if it'll be for the better or not.