A/N Thank you for reviewing, it means a lot.

24th December

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go. Take a look in the five and ten glistening once again with candy canes and silver lanes aglow..."

"That bloody song has been on repeat for the last two hours, Rebekah! Please turn it off."

"No!"Rebekah called from the foyer, shaking her head."It's almost Christmas, Kol. Don't be a Grinch!"

Kol turned to Klaus with a confused look."What the bloody hell is a Grinch?"

"What you look like on a night out."Klaus simply replied without looking up from his book.

Elijah, who was sitting on the floor wrapping last minute presents for his niece and family, chuckled with Finn who was writing at the desk. The two brothers laughed at the even more confused expression on Kol's face who was having a hard time grasping at the reference. Kol shook his head before he returned to setting up the iPhone he had compelled from the store while he had been out searching for gifts for his family.

Rebekah, meanwhile, was in the foyer bossing around two men she had compelled to help her decorate.

"No! No! The tree goes in the middle of the foyer, in between the two staircases, that way we'll be able to hear upstairs if Kol decides to try to take a peak."

"I would do no such thi-"

"Christmas Eve 1910, brother."Klaus cut his brother off. He looked up from his book with a bored expression."You tripped over tinsel and took the entire tree down while trying to peak inside of the present you were getting from Rebekah."

"One time!"Kol defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest with a pout."All that hard work for a pair of gloves that weren't even my style."

"It's the thought that counts, you greedy sod."Rebekah glared at her brother before she turned back to the two men she had compelled to help her."That's better! Now, go start putting the lights up, we haven't got much time before midnight. Thanks to Nik stalling for two weeks we're already late with decorating!"

Klaus rolled his eyes at his sister who was already placing the, no doubt, hundreds of presents underneath the tree."Why isn't the tree in here, Rebekah?"

"Because it doesn't go with the room, Nik!"Rebekah sighed, shaking her head at her brother."Besides, knowing Alizah she might pull down the Christmas tree if it was in there and there isn't enough room for the presents."

"Did you buy the whole store, sister?" Finn asked the blonde who was ordering around the two men.

"Of course not."She simply replied, a smile curving at her lips."I compelled my way through the store."

Elijah, who was wrapping a present on the floor, looked up with a sad sigh."Of course you did."

Alizah, who was playing on her play mat next to her uncle Elijah, giggled at the tired expression on his face. He smiled gently at her, passing her the wolf teddy Kol had brought home for her before he turned back to his wrapping.

"Do you like that, darling?"

Aliazh giggled up at her youngest uncle who smirked at her. She was cuddling her wolf teddy possessively even though she was surrounded by a dozen other teddies and toys. Her play mat had butterflies on it, obviously given to her by Rebekah, and she was also wearing a pink dress that had 'pretty princess' on it and pink shoes which was also from her aunt. Rebekah had taken on the mothering role of Alizah and was enjoying every second of it.

"Looks just like your father, doesn't it?"Kol smirked at his niece, leaning down and brushing her cheek with his fingers before he turned to his brother."Do you like it, brother?"

"You do realize that you're getting excited over a teddy, don't you, little brother? This time a month ago it was that pretty barmaid you couldn't get together with."

"Why would is still be hung up on her? I had her later that night."Kol chuckled, leaning back against the sofa."She was delicious. I had to compel her to be quiet, though, she was a talker."

"Just like somebody else we know."

Elijah and even Finn gave a little laugh at Klaus' words.

Alizah, eyes widening happily at the laughing, squealed loudly, little feet kicking at the air.

Kol frowned once again, confused by his brother's chuckling.

"What?"

Midnight.

"Bloody hell."

Klaus sleepily stumbled into the bedroom adjoining his which was Alizah's room, following the loud screaming. He turned on the light to see the baby wailing in her round cot. Tears were running down her cheeks and she was pawing at the air as if something invisible was harming her. Klaus shut the bedroom door behind him, walking over to the cot and looking down at his daughter. He reached in and brushed her cheek, wiping her tears away.

"Hey, love, what's wrong?"Klaus whispered, reaching into her cot and picking her up."It's all right."

But that didn't stop her.

In fact she just began to cry more.

"Turn her off, Nik!"Kol yelled from a few doors down, his voice filled with anger."I'm trying to entertain my guest!"

"Stop being disgusting, Kol!"

"Don't be a prude, sister. If anyone is experienced in this department it's you!"

"Hush, all of you! Don't make me come out there!" Elijah yelled.

Rebekah and Kol instantly went quiet. Klaus shook his head at his siblings, smiling at his daughter softly as he rocked her back and forth, remembering what Rebekah had read to him earlier.

"It's all right, i'm here. Nothing's going to harm you."Klaus said, taking her blanket and teddy with them as he travelled over to the rocking chair in the corner. He sat down with her in his lap and draped the blanket over her, tucking her teddy beside her."Shhh."

Was it him?

Did she fear him?

Klaus' thoughts soon faded as Alizah's wailing slowly began to fade and her tears began to stop. Klaus rocked back and forth with the rocking chair, humming to her as she began to calm down.

"You've changed us a lot, you know. Little trouble maker."Klaus chuckled as he looked down at his daughter who was blinking sleepily up at him."You have your uncle Kol running around after you, Finn and Elijah joking and your aunt Rebekah being more nagging than usual. I suppose that's a good thing. Your aunt needs to be nagging to know that she's needed."

But most of all, she had changed him. At first he wanted nothing to do with the child. But now he couldn't imagine his life without her. She made him feel things that he thought he lost long ago.

But he was still struggling.

"It's going to take me quite a while to get used to being a..."Klaus paused, expression faltering for a moment before he finally said."a father. But i'll get there. I will."

"I'll rein hell upon those who wish to harm you and i'll protect you until the world ends. We all will. I'll give you everything my father never gave me and more. I promise. I just need time."He said, looking outside at the moon in the sky, still rocking back and forth."Just give me a little time. But i'm going nowhere."

Klaus looked down at his sleeping daughter, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile."Merry christmas, sweetheart."

Christmas Day

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!"

Klaus, startled, straightened at the sudden screeching."Bloody hell!"

He rubbed his eyes as he heard the sound of feet running along the hallway, which he recognized as his sister's, making their way towards the bedroom. He heard Kol's grumbling, Finn's sighing and Elijah's voice as he slowly woke up himself. He looked down to see his daughter blinking up at him, clearly having been woken up by the screeching, too. He picked her up carefully, kissing her forehead, as he whispered happy christmas to her and held her close.

He stood up, making his way over to her changing table when he heard the sound of the door opening.

"NIK! NIK!"

"Sister, calm yourself."He sighed as Rebekah, dressed in a red dress with a green hem, made her way over to them."We can all hear you, i'm sure the Salvatore's across town can bloody hear you."

Rebekah ignored him with a giggle and kissed his cheek happily, whispering merry Christmas into his ear. He whispered it back with a small smile as he watched her kiss the top of his daughter's head.

"It's Alizah's first Christmas!"

The two smiled down at his daughter as he picked her up after changing her."Yes it is. Isn't it, love?"

"I've got a pretty dress for her."

Rebekah flashed over to Alizah's large wardrobe and opened it up, humming to herself as she looked through the dresses. She reached in and pulled one out, making Klaus frown as he looked at it. The dress was made to look like an elf and there was a matching had and shoes to go with it. He couldn't help but melt at the sight of it as he passed over his daughter to get changed by her aunt.

"You're going to be the cutest elf ever, darling."Rebekah whispered to her niece, smiling happily as she took dressed her."Yes you are. I'll have her down stairs in a moment, Nik. Go and make sure that Kol hasn't opened his presents yet."

Klaus nodded and left, knowing better than to challenge his sister on this day.

He made his way down the stairs, taking in the decorations and the tree at the bottom which had too much presents underneath. There was already chefs making their way into their house, clearly ordered by Rebekah to make the dinner and breakfast. There was a large table set out in the dining room, filled with grapes, toast, orange juice and Christmas food already set out. And sat at the table was Kol, holding the wrist of a young woman in his hands as he cut her wrist. Elijah and Finn were sat at either end of the table ready a paper as they sipped on their tea.

"Thank you, darling."

Klaus rolled his eyes but eventually said."Pour a glass for me brother."

"Of course. Alexa here is a darling girl."

Klaus nodded at his brother and took a seat next to him, also next to Alizah's high chair."Good morning, brothers."

Finn and Elijah replied in unison."Good morning, Niklaus."

He accepted the cup that Kol passed, taking a sip of the blood as his brother waved off the young woman. The Mikaelson men turned around when they heard the sound of Rebekah's heels making their way down the stairs.

"There's our girls."Kol grinned, looking up as Rebekah carried Alizah into the dining room."Doesn't she look beautiful, brothers?"

They nodded in agreement, Klaus smiling proudly as his daughter, who was wearing her elf hat, dress and shoes, giggled against her aunt when she smiled down at her. The child, who already had some light brown hair at the top of her head and blue eyes shining, instantly reached for her father when she was placed into her high chair. Klaus, accepting the baby food he was handed by Rebekah, began to feed his daughter gently and carefully.

They all smiled as the chefs came from the kitchen and placed their breakfasts in front of them just in time when Klaus finished feeding his daughter. He grabbed his napkin and wiped the food from her face with a chuckle, handing her the wolf teddy Kol had given her for her to amuse herself with.

The silence was broken when Kol looked up, a childlike look on his face.

"When are we opening the presents?"

Elijah sighed at his youngest brother, folding his newspaper."Not now, Kol. At least wait until after breakfast."

Elijah cleared his throat and stood up while the maids poured some orange juice for the rest of the family, handing Elijah his glass as they did. He smiled at his family, a pleased look in his eyes as he witnessed Klaus smiling at his daughter, Rebekah and Kol bicker while Finn tried to calm everyone down.

It was just like old times.

"I would like to say a few words."

Kol rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Not the Elijah Christmas speech."Kol grumbled, leaning back in his chair."We haven't had it in a thousand years and it's already old news."

Rebekah swatted her brother."Oh, hush, Kol. I think it's sweet."

"That's because you're a soppy mare, sister."

They all went quiet as Elijah spoke.

"I never thought that we would all be sitting here like this. I never thought that we would finally be happy."Elijah said with a fond look on his face.

"It took us over a thousand years but it finally happened. And that is all because we knew, deep down, that family comes first. We now have a new addition that has made us stronger and that is Alizah. I never thought that I would see Niklaus so content and I am pleased to say that I am proud. I am sure that you will teach her the true meaning of family and loyalty, something you have shown us that you know the definition of recently."

Klaus smiled at his brother, looking down, refusing to let them see the happy look in his eyes.

Rebekah and Finn nodded in agreement while Kol just rolled his eyes but Klaus could see the soft expression on his face.

They all smiled at the baby who was looking at them innocently.

"We remain together, we stand together as a united front."Elijah spoke proudly, holding up his glass of orange juice.

He held out his glass and smiled.

"Always and forever."

They all lifted their own glasses and clinked them, replying in unison.

They all grinned at one another, even Klaus who had a genuine smile on his face. Elijah was right.

It had taken them a thousand years but they were finally together and happy.

They were finally a family.

"Always and forever."

They all turned to the laughing baby and smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Alizah."

Thank you for reading.

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