35 | DOWNRIGHT TERRIFYING

"I need your help." Klaus declared only a little while after Khalia finished up with the renovation. She made sure to give the compelled humans a generous check before sending them on their merry way. Completely unharmed. The Original felt quite proud of herself - normally she would have killed them all.

Elijah left a while before she was done, having agreed for the witches to throw their party - making Khalia's mood plummet to the bottom of her boots -  and claiming that he needed to go around and personally invite all of the factions to make sure that they would show up. Khalia just said no when he asked if she wanted to accompany him. She wasn't ready to see a certain pregnant werewolf. At least, not until she figures out exactly what do since her realisation of how important Hayley is to her.

"Oh for fuck's sakes, is it tug-of-war-with-Khalia day or something? Elijah pulls me in one direction and you pull me in another." Khalia groused with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"A simple yes or no would suffice." Klaus deadpanned with a sarcastic smile.

Khalia shot him an annoyed look, "Where are we going?"

The Hybrid's lips briefly twitched upwards before he thought her question over for a second. "Rousseau's, then St. Anne."

"Don't tell me you started praying." Khalia quipped with a teasing smirk painted on her lips.

Klaus snorted, shook his head in denial. "Not unless hell suddenly freezed over."

The two Original's sped out of the Compound and made their way through the streets of New Orleans in companionable silence. Arriving outside the bar slash restaurant, Klaus quickly checked his reflection, a hand reaching up to run over his hair. He turned away, looking straight into Khalia's unimpressed face.

"Seriously?" She rose an eyebrow at him.

"The wind blows it around sometimes." The male Mikaelson defended.

"Yeah, okay." Khalia snorted in obvious disbelief, crossing her arms over her chest. Klaus grumbled something beneath his breath that the female Original didn't feel like figuring out as they walked up to the door of the restaurant.

Klaus opened the door and gestured for her to walk inside, "Ladies first."

"Then by all means, Nik, go ahead." Khalia's smirk turned into a snicker when he growled at her. "Down boy." She said and quickly slipped into the restuarant to avoid his heated glare.

"You are really trying my patience today." Klaus muttered loud enough for her to hear as they headed to the counter.

"What do you want?" Cami asked the Hybrid with a look of annoyance on her face.

"Nice to see you too, Camilla." Khalia snarked with a fake smile, letting her fangs grow, her voice significantly colder and sharper than it was when she teased her older brother.

"It's Camille." The human said instantly. The female Mikaelson took great pleasure in the way her voice trembled and she took a step back when she spotted Khalia's vampire teeth.

"Same thing." Khalia shrugged, eyes raking over the rows and bottles of liquor. Her eyes lit up when she spotted her favourite drink. "I'll have a bottle of Vodka."

"No, she won't." Klaus said, stopping Cami - who started to do what Khalia asked, hands trembling with fear - and turning to his sister. "This is bussiness, not a social call."

"I see no reason why we can't do both." Khalia pouted, petulantly crossing her arms over her chest. Over the counter, Cami's jaw dropped open slightly. The shift in posture, tone and mannerisms was like a completely different person when Khalia talked to Klaus.

"Would it kill you to, for once, do as your told?" The hybrid asked, glowering at his sister.

Khalia hummed as looked away, pretending to be in deep thought about it, "It very well could." she answered and nodded solemny.

Seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere with his sister - especially since she sped around the bar and helped herself to a bottle - the Hybrid just let out a sigh of frustration before turning back to the blonde human. "I formed an alliance with someone who may be able to help your uncle."

Cami's face soured, "Let me guess. Tall, redhead, ax to grind? Those resurrected witches are the ones who hexed Kieran in the first place. Why would she want to help?"

"Because he's having sex with her." Khalia answered oh-so-helpfully for her brother as she plopped down on a bar stool, opening her bottle as she did so.

"Khalia, just keep quiet and drink your booze." Klaus growled, hybrid eyes flashing to the surface. His patience with her was running very low. Khalia shot her brother a gleeful smirk before happily obliging to his request. Klaus turned back to the human girl, "Because it's my decree that she does. I believe the words you're looking for are 'thank you'. By all means, say no if you have an alternative."

"No." Cami refused his help.

"Why, you ungrateful-" Klaus clamped a hand over his sister's mouth and picked her up with the other. Out of surprise, Khalia dropped her bottle and it fell to the floor. Klaus turns to leave, ignoring his struggling sister that was mumbling against his hand - threats, he had no doubt.

"Wait." The blonde stopped him just before he could leave. "Do whatever you have to do. Just help him." Klaus nodded and walked out of the resturant, having no other choice but to briefly remove the hand on his sister's mouth in order to open the door.

"Niklaus, you smug faced, son of a bitch, put me down this instant!" Khalia managed to holler before her brother was out of the bar and clamped his hand over her mouth again. He started walking down the street with her before he dropped her, half from pain, half from shock.

Khalia looked at him, her lips painted with blood and a smirk spreading over them. She pulled a disgusted face as she spit out the skin she had dripped from his palm with her teeth. It landed on the sidewalk between them as the female Mikaelson licked the blood from her lips.

Klaus' eyes flickered between his sister and his healing hand. "Was that really necessary?"

"I don't like being restrained." She shrugged lightly, but her tone held a warning.

"Well, to prevent a repeat in the future, could you maybe lay off Camille, please?" Klaus requested with a glare. He turned away from her and started to walk away from his smug sister.

Khalia gave him a wide smirk when she sped to his side before walking next to him, "I wasn't aware I layed on her."

Klaus snarled at her, "That's not what I meant and you bloody well know it."

"She's just a human, Nik."

"She's important to me!" He snapped glaringly, both of them coming to a stop as he rounded on her.

Khalia rose her eyebrows at him and stared him down. Klaus stared back, but eventually he adverted his eyes first with a sigh slipping past his lips. To her great shock, the female Mikaelson realised that her brother was serious.

"Fine. Christ, just don't have a coronary." Khalia rolled her eyes, more out of habit than actual annoyance. A moment of silence passed and the female Original scoffed, "Honestly, Nik, I don't know what it is with you and blondes. At least Caroline was a vampire and somewhat likable. Well, once you got past her breathtaking ability to never stop talking, that is."

"Taste differs. My is blonde hair, blue eyes. Yours is brunette hair and green eyes." Klaus wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Right, that's why you knocked up Hayley." Khalia deadpanned, causing the Hybrid to smirk.

"Jealous much?"

Khalia scoffed, her cheeks feeling flaming hot. "Oh, do shut up."

***

Khalia watches from besides Klaus as her hybrid brother's latest lackey, Oliver - who was in Hayley's pack, or so she had heard -  roughly drags Cary, Klaus' distant relative, into St. Anne's for their meeting with the two Original siblings.

"You don't stop squirming, I don't care who you know, I'm gonna kneecap you right here." Oliver growled at the werewolf in his grip. The female Mikaelson snorted as Klaus vamp-speeds toward them, clearly annoyed while she sauntered to the all male trio at her own pace.

"When I asked you to bring Cary to me, it was as my guest. Might I recommend you release him before I opt to release you from your mortal coil." Klaus scowled threateningly.

"I found him like you asked, and he jumped me." Oliver snarled at the hybrid, looking down at Cary with distaste. "Now, his pack's been going at mine since the beginning of time. I don't owe him a thing."

"Oh, the fragile male ego." Khalia quipped with an amused smirk, still walking up to them.

Klaus rolled his eyes at his sister - used to her after a thousand years, Oliver let out an offended huff - he prefered to not look at her unless needed - and Cary eyed her with curiousity. He's never seen an Original vampire before. She looked scary. Both of them did, if he was being perfectly honest here. Klaus started talking again, "You see, it's that short-sighted attitude that led to the demise of the werewolves."

"I'm pretty sure Marcel and the witches did that." Oliver huffed angrily.

Khalia let out a ear piercing whistle, speeding the remainer of the distance and in the middle of the trio. She looked at Oliver, a thunderous glare on her face. "Has he ever done something to personally offend you?"

"He attacked me." Oliver answered with clenched teeth.

"Because you follow him. And let me tell you something, if someone with an mug as ugly as yours followed me around, I'd have killed you. So, if I were you, I'd count my blessings." Khalia smirked tauntingly when Oliver growled at her and Klaus snickered behind her. Then she turned to Cary. "Has he ever done something to personally offend you?"

"No." Cary begrudingly admitted.

"Then give it a rest already." Khalia snapped at them both, her voice an irritated snarl. "Before I rip out both your hearts and end it for you."

"What she said." Klaus smirked, pointing to his sister and Khalia stepped to his side. Then he looked at the two werewolves with a serious look on his face. "The packs should have been united. Marcel saw that weakness and he exploited it. If you seek to rebuild with only the Crescents, you may as well stay in your hovels in the bog!" He turns to Cary and smiles kindly. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of an introduction. My name is Klaus Mikaelson and this is my sister, Khalia."

Cary's wide eyes locked on the female Original. "You're the Demon Mikaelson."

"I am." Khalia nodded proudly. She earned her title and wore it like a crown.

"Right, so I'm not pissing you off then." Cary declared, eying her and taking a step away from her, making Khalia surpress an amused chuckle.

"It'd be best not to, mate." Klaus laughed in agreement.

"Legend says you're descended from our line." Cary said, desperately wanting to get this conversation with. When you didn't know who she was, Khalia Mikaelson just looked scary. When you did know who she is and what she can do, she is downright terrifying.

"The legends are true. Come here." The Hybrid confirmed before he leads Cory away.

"Can I ask you a question?" Oliver looked at Khalia, swallowing when she turned her gaze to him.

"You're free to ask, just like I'm free not to answer." She shrugged, looking away from him again and Oliver could breathe again.

Oliver took that as permission to go ahead. "Do you think Klaus' plan will work?"

"When my brother sets his mind and determination to something, there is not much that can stop him." Khalia answered, watching how Oliver frowned at her answer. She rolled her eyes. "Simply put: yes, it will work."

Looking over at where Klaus and Cory came to a stop, Khalia eavsdropped with her vampire hearing. The Hybrid pulls his ring out of his pocket. "I understand that this ring was passed down through generations of our family. I need to know what stone it housed."

"I never saw it with a stone." Cory said and the male Mikaelson hid his disappointment.

"Could you ask around for me, mate? Hmm? See what you can find out." Klaus asked gently, so unlike his usual demanding tone and Cary nodded in agreement. The Hybrid looked over at Khalia. "Let's go, little sister." She sped to his side and they walked out of the church.

"Aw, look at you, being all fluffy and playing nice." Khalia cooed with an overly sweet smile when they were walking on a sidewalk.

Klaus rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his lips. "Miracles never cease, huh?"

"Certainly not." Khalia laughed lightly. When she stopped, she eyed him carefully. "You know Elijah is going to be angry when he finds out that you're going behind your back? Speaking of, what exactly is it that you're busy with? I just realised you haven't told me yet."

He rose his eyebrows at her. "Don't you want to claim plausible deniability?"

"You realise who you're talking to, right?" She rose a brow back at him.

Klaus smiled at his sister, before he caved and told the truth. "The stone in that ring could prevent werewolves from turning on the full moon."

Everything fell together in her mind and Khalia looked at him knowingly. "And you want to use that to make yourself another army."

"It's not like I have any other options." Klaus pointed out, not even bothering to deny her claim. It would piss her off when she found out he lied to her. Besides, she was to smart for him to pull a fast one on her.

Khalia hesitated. She had never thought he would, but there was always a chance that she could be wrong. And the female Mikaelson needed to know. She needed to be absolutely sure. So, she said, "There's the baby."

"That has never been an option." Klaus gave her a deadly glower. Relief flooded Khalia's chest when he confirmed that she wasn't wrong to believe in him, rather than Elijah.

"I know." Khalia assured him with a gentle smile, raising her hands in defense when his hybrid eyes came to the surface. "I was just joking."

This time, Klaus was the one who looked relieved. He gave her a blinding grin. "Well, I have a personal stop to make before I can go home, but I'll see you at the feast tonight."

"I haven't decided if I'm going yet." Khalia admitted.

Klaus smirked and the immortal girl supressed a groan, she knew that look well enough to know that she wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth next. "Hayley will probably be there."

"All the more reason for me not to go." She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she pointedly looked away from her brother.

"Don't you mean 'all the more reason for you to definitely go'?" The hybrid teased, ducking just in time to avoid the smack to the back of his head.

"No, I don't." She gave him a glare.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, little sister." And with a whoosh of air, he was gone and a disgruntled Khalia was left in his wake.

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE

just a nice light chapter before it all goes to hit. and cause, yeah, klaus ships it.

hope you liked!

-Mixie