Disclaimer: The Originalsand all related characters do not and never will belong to me.
Author's Note: This story originated from a prompt given to me by TwilightBrightStar.
The prompt was: "Freya brings home her new girlfriend to meet her family. Modern day. All human. Bonus if the whole family - including Hope - is included. (Hayley can merely be mentioned in passing. Maybe she died.) Plus kid Marcel."
So... as far as I know Keelin's last name is not actually Malraux... she's simply of the Malraux bloodline. I imagine if it was also her name it wouldn't have taken Mary five years to find her. However, as far as I'm aware the show has yet to give us her actual last name... so I'm pretending it's Malraux. Okay? Enjoy!
This is a completely AU work... the Mikaelsons are all human, living human lives in the modern day.
Dinner and Ice Cream
"I just... I don't do this... I don't meet the families," Keelin said nervously, leaning in the bathroom doorway as Freya applied her eyeliner.
"It's not going to be that bad," Freya said, looking at Keelin's reflection as she spoke. "Besides, you've already met Finn and Elijah. And Henrik's only nine so he'll be a piece of cake."
"It's your parents I'm worried about. How are you so calm? Do they know that I... that we're..." Keelin trailed off and, turning, Freya stepped forward and rubbed her arms soothingly.
"We'll tell them together," she murmured.
Keelin took an uneven breath, nodding. "Okay. If you say so."
Freya smiled. "I do."
"Niklaus?" Elijah called, stepping into the house. An excited stream of babbling answered him and Hope came toddling quickly into the room, reaching for him. "Hello, little one," Elijah smiled, picking the baby up just as Klaus came into the room after her.
"Cami is on her way. As soon as she gets here we can go," Klaus said. "How's Freya holding up?"
"Nervous. And trying not to show it to Keelin," Elijah answered as Hope tugged happily on his tie. "I told her we would get there early if possible."
"I confess I'm rather intrigued to meet this Keelin. She must be something if Freya is willing to introduce her to Mother and Father," Klaus smirked.
"Freya does seem to think so," Elijah said just as the doorbell rang.
Klaus stepped forward and pulled the door open. "Camille," he greeted.
"Sorry I'm late, traffic was a nightmare," Cami said hurriedly.
"You're not late," Elijah said as Cami cooed at Hope and she smiled at him.
"She's already eaten. Thank you for doing this, Camille," Klaus said gratefully.
"It's not exactly a hardship. Hope is pretty low maintenance," Cami said as Elijah handed his niece over to her.
"Bye, love," Klaus murmured, leaning forward and kissing his daughter's cheek. "I'll be back later."
"Dadadada," Hope babbled happily, slobbering on his face in an attempt to copy the kiss he gave her and Klaus chuckled.
"We'll be back somewhere around 7:30, 8:00," Klaus said and Cami nodded, ushering them toward the door.
"Elijah. Niklaus," Esther greeted, stepping aside so her sons could enter. "No Hope?" she asked, frowning.
"She's with a sitter tonight," Klaus said as Elijah kissed their mother's cheek.
"I'd thought you might bring her. Though of course you never bring her here," Esther sighed.
"You're perfectly aware of why I don't bring Hope here, Mother," Klaus said stiffly.
"Niklaus," Elijah said quietly, soft rebuke in his tone. "Tonight is about Freya, Mother."
"Elijah. Boy," Mikael said then, coming down the stairs and Elijah, directly beside Klaus, could feel his brother's very slight flinch.
"Finn is in the family room," Esther said, leading the way.
"Brother," Elijah said once he was in sight and Finn nodded at his younger siblings but didn't say anything.
"Elijah! Nik!" Henrik said enthusiastically, throwing himself at both of them.
"Little brother," Klaus laughed, ruffling his hair even as Mikael scowled at him from across the room. Before he could open his mouth though the front door opened.
"Mother? Daddy?" Freya's voice called and Elijah squeezed Klaus's shoulder when Mikael turned toward the sound of his oldest child.
Klaus smiled weakly, relieved. Their father was always on his best behavior when Freya was around.
"In here, sweetheart," Mikael called, rising to meet Freya as she entered the room.
"Hi, Daddy," Freya smiled, hugging him and kissing his cheek before moving and hugging Esther as well.
"Hello, Keelin, wonderful to see you again," Elijah said softly to the nervous looking woman behind his older sister as Freya greeted their parents.
"Hi, Elijah," Keelin said, happy to see a familiar face. "Finn," she added, smiling at him too.
"And this is our brother Niklaus," Elijah introduced.
"Call me, Klaus," Klaus said as he took her hand.
"And Henrik," Elijah added, gesturing to the suddenly shy child.
Henrik waved right as Mikael tore his gaze away from Freya long enough to notice Keelin. "Who is this? I was given to believe you were bringing a boyfriend."
"No, Daddy, I said I was bringing someone special," Freya said, meeting Elijah's eyes anxiously for an instant as Keelin flinched. "This is Keelin... my girlfriend." Stepping forward Freya took Keelin's hand and squeezed it as Esther smiled and Mikael remained inscrutable.
"Girlfriend?" he repeated after what felt like an eternity.
"Father," Finn started, glancing at Freya, but Mikael overrode him.
"Does she have a last name?"
Freya expelled a shaky breath. "Her... last name?" she asked, taken aback by the fact that Keelin's surname was the only concern her father seemed to have.
"Uh... Malraux," Keelin said, exchanging a quick glance with Freya.
"Good to meet you, Keelin Malraux. If you hurt my daughter I will hunt you down," Mikael said without a single trace of humor.
"Uh... duly noted," Keelin said, a little stunned.
"I'm here!" Kol's voice shouted suddenly from the direction of the front door and Keelin jumped, unaccustomed to the homes of large families where people came and went.
"In here, darling," Esther called.
Scanning the room as he entered Kol instantly spotted the only unfamiliar face. "You must be the reason we've all been summoned," he surmised. "Kol Mikaelson."
"Keelin Malraux," Keelin responded, shaking Kol's hand.
"Keelin is Freya's girlfriend," Esther supplied and Kol's eyebrows rose.
"I would have brought Davina if I knew we were bringing significant others," was all he said though and Freya rolled her eyes.
"You can live one night without your girlfriend."
"Easy for you to say. You've got yours right here," Kol pointed out, unfazed.
"He has a point," Keelin grinned, winking at Freya.
"Why don't we move into the dining room while we wait for Rebekah," Esther suggested, taking Freya's arm.
"Not that I'm not relieved, but you don't seem very surprised," Freya observed to her mother in an undertone as Mikael came up on her other side.
Esther smiled again. "I'm your mother, dear."
Across the room Henrik was frowning. "What's the big deal? Kol used to bring girlfriends home all the time," he asked Klaus, confused.
"Do me a favor and don't ever say that to Davina," Kol shuddered as Klaus smirked. "Can you imagine Father's reaction if you had brought a same sex partner though, brother?" Kol muttered to Klaus, keeping his voice low enough that Henrik didn't hear. "Good thing you're hopelessly in love with Caroline."
"Sod off," Klaus snapped, shoving Kol who merely laughed and planted himself beside Keelin at the dining room table as Klaus and Elijah sat across from him.
"How long are we going to wait for 'Bekah before we eat? I'm famished," Kol said, raising his brows at his mother.
"I'm here you impatient git," Rebekah snapped, breezing into the room and glaring at Kol.
"Rebekah," Mikael frowned sternly. "What have I told you about that kind of language?"
"Sorry, Father," Rebekah said sweetly, kissing Elijah's cheek as he stood to greet her. "Do I finally get to meet Keelin?" she asked excitedly, spotting Keelin at Freya's side.
"I've heard a lot about you," Keelin said, standing up to shake Rebekah's hand.
"Some good, I hope?" Rebekah grinned.
"All good," Keelin assured. "Freya adores you," she added as Freya smiled at her little sister.
"Supper was excellent, Mother," Finn said, stepping up and hugging Esther.
"Thank you, darling," Esther smiled, kissing her oldest son's cheek.
"I'll see you for lunch tomorrow, sister," Finn said, turning to Freya.
"Thank you," she murmured, hugging him, thankful he had come to support her.
"Of course," Finn smiled before shaking their father's hand and nodding to Elijah, Klaus, and Henrik and leaving.
Kol and Rebekah had already left and Esther turned to Keelin and her remaining four children. "Must you all go?"
"I have to get back to the sitter," Klaus said.
"How old is your daughter?" Keelin asked, Freya having already told her she had a niece.
"A year," Klaus smiled.
"Is her mother in the picture?" Keelin asked curiously, noting Klaus had said she was with a babysitter.
"She died in childbirth," Klaus murmured, glancing at Elijah at the mention of Hayley.
"Oh, my God, I'm sorry, I'm so nosy," Keelin said, horrified.
"You didn't know," Freya soothed.
"You'll see me tomorrow though, Mother," Elijah said, returning to the subject of their departure. "When I drop Henrik off," he said and Henrik grinned, excited to be spending the night with his big brothers.
"And Keelin has an early shift tomorrow," Freya said apologetically.
"Bye, my dear," Mikael said, hugging his favorite child.
"Bye, Daddy," Freya returned softly.
"Father," Elijah nodded as Henrik hugged their mother.
"Elijah. Boy," Mikael said, barely containing his sneer as he looked at Klaus.
Outside Klaus took a deep breath of the evening air, Elijah a steadying presence at his side.
"Can we get ice cream?" Henrik asked eagerly.
"We have to get Hope first," Klaus said.
"So that's a yes?" Henrik grinned.
"Hope is your daughter?" Keelin asked, she and Freya having exited right behind Elijah, Klaus, and Henrik.
"She is," Klaus confirmed, smiling.
"If you would like to get ice cream with us you could meet her," Elijah said, glancing at Klaus to make sure this was alright with his brother.
"I'm game," Keelin said, feeling more relaxed now that she was no longer under Mikael's intimidating gaze and the pressure of meeting the parents.
"We'll meet you there," Freya told her brothers, pleased that Keelin was getting along with them and wanted to meet her niece.
"Klaus!" an excited voice called when he opened his front door.
"Marcellus," Klaus returned, surprised to see the eleven year old on his floor playing with Hope.
"He showed up looking for you about a half an hour after you left. He was pretty upset," Cami said in an undertone and Klaus's eyes narrowed, taking in the bruising around the boy's right eye.
"He won't tell me what happened," Cami said softly.
Klaus sighed. "Thank you, Camille," he said as Elijah knelt to kiss Hope and tilt Marcellus's head up to look at his eye with a gentleness that Klaus remembered all too well.
Marcellus allowed it, comfortable with Elijah, and when the examination was over he turned to Henrik with a grin. "Hey, man," he said happily, the two boys having met before.
"Would you like to get ice cream with us, Marcellus?" Klaus asked, pleased when the child's face lit up and Hope shrieked excitedly at the mention of ice cream.
"I think that's a safe bet," Cami laughed. "Have fun, guys," she said, waving as she left.
"Ice c'eam!" Hope squealed, clapping, as Klaus picked her up, and Henrik and Marcellus immediately echoed the chant, laughing.
Klaus grinned fondly, catching a similar expression on Elijah's face, and though the evening had its imperfections he was, in this moment, content.
-End.