Chapter Text
Prompt: Autumn Leaves
Agent Niklaus Mikaelson had spent his fair amount of time in maximum security prisons interviewing the worst criminals the world had ever seen. Staring at pedophiles, murders and sex traffickers had become routine to him in the years he was profiler. It had been some time since he left the FBI and the States, but that part of his life would always stick with him. The memory of Matthew Donovan and his final days in Mystic Falls was sealed into his bones like a plague that would never be cured.
Staring up at Her Majesty’s Prison, even though it was still half a mile down the road, made Klaus nervous. While he spent so much time with the type of criminals that were held behind those walls, none of them were like this one. The autumn leaves lingered on the ground just outside the stone walls that surrounded the prison. The cool breeze of fall flowed around him. He leaned against his car, black take-away coffee in his hand, trying to gather the strength he needed to drive the remaining distance to the prison.
Klaus pulled the coat around him tighter and debated climbing back into the car, to head back to London. It was a three-hour drive from London to Wakefield and Klaus spent the entire drive going back and forth if he wanted to do this. For a long time, he had run as fast and as far as he could from this prison but the changes in his life made Klaus realize that he needed to find closure in his life if he was going to embrace this new role that was approaching soon.
Taking one last drink of his coffee and climbing into his car. He drove down the lane and to the gate. He reached the box that held some guard that appeared to be completely bored behind the plexiglass, with a clipboard in hand. Klaus rattled off his name and handed him his badge. The guard read over the clipboard, eyed the badge and nodded Klaus through. Typically, such maximum-security prisons rarely saw visitors outside of lawyers and federal agents. Family members were permitted at times but seeing that capital punishment had been outlawed in England, they rarely even saw the protestors or those coming for a death bed visit. Seeing that Klaus worked for Scotland Yard in the white-collar crime unit, he was able to obtain a visit. It took some convincing from his superiors but once he was able to sway Lucian Castle, his boss, Klaus found himself heading towards his own personal demons.
Klaus pulled into the visitors parking and took a deep breath. He stepped out of the car, walked towards the entrance before he lost his nerve; the crunch of the leaves beneath his feet sounded louder than they actually were. He pressed the button on the steril looking box hanging off the red stone and told the disembodied voice behind it his name when prompted. He pressed his badge on the screen, not bothering to put it away, knowing that he would show it at least six more times before reaching his destination.
He heard the door unlock and open before he stepped inside the prison. Barrier after barrier he walked through, giving his name and showing his badge time after time until the colorful leaves of autumn were forgotten; all that was left was the stale feeling the prison brought with every step he took. He followed two guards down a windowless hallway, passing cells and terrifying looking monsters as he went. He could feel their cold and dead eyes upon him, causing the hairs on his skin to stand up in attention. He paid them no mind, knowing better than to draw their attention too closely. Klaus had someone to go home to now and he was not willing to risk that by becoming some monster’s obsession; even if they were locked behind plexiglass walls and a life sentence.
The guards opened a locked door, the never ending buzzing of the locks ringing in his ears. Klaus wondered if he would be hearing that sound in his sleep that night. He tucked his badge way into his jacket and started twisting his wedding ring on his left hand; a nervous habit he picked up ever since it had been slipped onto his finger fourteen weeks previously. The guard opened the door and allowed Klaus to step inside, causing his heart to freeze at the sight of the empty room.
The room was dark and not a single window in sight. This was not some police station in a small town or big city. This was a room reserved for the worst of the worst and Klaus had been in far to many rooms like this in his lifetime. A light hung from the ceiling, swaying ever so slightly in the non-existent breeze and a table lingering under it. Two chairs stationed on opposite sides and a large mirror hanging on the side. Klaus knew that guards would be on the other side of that mirror, watching and willing to step in if their prisoner got out of control.
“Wait here. We will bring him in. There will be a guard behind both doors and he will be chained to the chair. Two guards will be behind that mirror. Unfortunately we cannot provide you with more privacy than that.” The guard explained and Klaus nodded. He was not an attorney and therefore, there were no privilege. While it took a serious amount of evil to terrify him, the idea of being in that seat alone, with his own personal demon on the other side was a bit too much to bear. “You’ll be safe.”
“I know. He can’t hurt me. Not anymore.” Klaus whispered more to himself than the guard and sunk down onto the unforgettable chair. He gazed across the table at the empty seat; waiting. He made sure to take any necklaces off and not to even wear a belt to be safe. He emptied his pockets before he made the drive, allowing the only piece of jewelry on his person to be his wedding ring. He counted the seconds before he heard the locks on the other door open.
At first, Klaus only saw two guards in the doorway but hearing the scuffle of feet and slow footsteps told Klaus that they were not alone. A second later, the prisoner came into view. He was thinner than Klaus remembered. His blonde hair longer than he ever allowed it to grow when Klaus knew him and his grey eyes appeared lifeless with black bags underneath them. His face was gaunt and Klaus could see his cheekbones, looking far sharper than they had in his memory. He wore grey stretch pants with a long matching shirt. His hands were bound together, as were his feet and Klaus noticed how his shoulders tensed as he sat down across from him.
For the first since he was fifteen, Klaus was staring at Mikael Mikaelson.
“Boy what are you doing here?” Mikael hissed through clenched teeth, his hatred of Klaus still showing through after all those years. Klaus felt his insides go cold and his body freeze. For a moment, he felt like that fifteen year old boy who stood on the top of the stairs, listening to Mikael and his mother fight; commanding Kol to take their sister and run. “Come to laugh at the monster behind the bars.”
“No. That isn’t why I’m here.” Klaus said, gazing at Mikael, studying him. He almost wanted to ask after his health, for the man did not look well, but refrained. After today, Klaus did not want Mikael to haunt him anymore and whether or not he died was not going to matter to him. “I spent my life studying men like you. Wonder what caused them to snap and commit such heinous crimes. I suppose I just wanted to see if my theories were correct.”
“You want to know why I killed that lying whore you called a mother.” Mikael taunted, trying to gage a fearful reaction out of him. Yet, seeing Mikael frail and chained down to a chair made Klaus realize that the man could never lay another finger on him, not again. The monster who haunted his nightmares was slowly dying, never able to gaze upon the changing of the seasons again or breathe in the sweet air of freedom.
“No. I know why you killed her.” Klaus replied. “That much is obvious. She cheated on you, passed her third born son off as yours. She stayed despite your beatings and the general hell you put her through.” Klaus paused, wondering again why his mother never tried to leave after that one time but decided not to dwell on it. Not now. He knew how domestic violence worked. “I still remember the sound the baseball bat made as you continued to beat her with it. I still remember the pain as you tried to kill me. Kol never baseball after that.”
“Your point?”
“I know they don’t write to you. Not a single one of your children have come to see you. Finn and Sage are still married with two kids, happy despite the fact that you viewed Sage as nothing more than a whore. Elijah is happy and successful, working in London. He married a bulgairan woman and has a little girl. Kol runs around the world like it's his playground and Rebekah is making a name for herself in the fashion world. Yet you knew none of that because they have completely written you off.”
Mikael remained silent, just glaring across the table and taking in everything Klaus just said. It was clear that Klaus was hitting the part of Mikael that hurt the worst. The one thing Klaus had learned over his many years in the FBI was that while monsters did horrible things most people could not imagine, they were still human and there were things they cared about. Staring into Mikael’s gaunt face, Klaus realized that it wasn’t his children he cared most about, it was the fact that they turned their backs on him. Killing their mother did not warrant such abandonment in his eyes.
“I studied men like you and I realize that you’re as complex as I once thought.” Klaus muttered, a deep sigh escaping his lips. He leaned back into his uncomfortable chair and turned his ring absentmindedly on his finger. Mikeal zoned in on his finger and for a moment Klaus panicked. All the horrible things Mikael could do to his wife flowed through his mind but then he realized that Mikael couldn’t touch her. Two decades in a maximum security prison, wasting away stripped Miakel of any power he had. Once a member of a powerful and old family in England turned into something only few remembered.
“Get to the point. You’re wasting my time, boy.”
“Why? Got somewhere to be?” Klaus laughed, shaking his head. The slow realization that he never needed to come here at all; closure was something he had already found at some point along the journey of his life. “My wife is pregnant. It was a shock for the both of us. We weren’t trying because we had just gotten married. Although the honeymoon probably had something to do with that.”
A small smile crept onto his lips as he remembered the nights they spent in Paris just days after they had taken their vows. They rarely left the room, having spent several vacations together both before and after her move to London. Neither were concerned about Paris or the lights or the tower that tourists flocked too. All that mattered to them was spending time in each other's arms, and building a life together; leaving behind all the darkness Mystic Falls had brought them.
“I found myself in a state of shock. We had discussed children, of course, and we knew we wanted them, just not so soon.” Klaus thought back to the moment he held that small stick in his hand, the word pregnant written in blue words. The shock radiated through his body, making him still until that joyful smile crossed his lips. His wife’s laughter still rang in his ears as he took her into his arms. “And then came the fear. Like it or not you are the only father figure I have ever known. For the first fifteen years of my life, I thought you were my father.”
“And I thought you were my son. A relief to know that a failure such as yourself could never belong to me.” Mikael slurred and Klaus rolled his eyes, a habit he picked up from his wife. Hearing those words spoken across the courtroom stung, especially since his mother’s murder was so fresh in his mind. “You wanted to know if you’re going to be a father like me but you’re weak. You’ll fail as a father. Just like everything else. You will fail.”
“No. I’m not. I’m not weak or a failure. I’ve become a man that I’m proud of and you have yourself to thank for that. For a long time I thought I needed your approval but not now. No, I’m going to be a better father than you, but then again that is not a high bar to reach. You see, if anyone is weak it's you.” Mikael scowled at him and moved to speak but Klaus cut him off. “You beat your wife in order to feel powerful. You murdered her in a blind rage because she betrayed you. You tried to kill me simply because I represented that betrayal. If anyone is weak, it's you. Real men do not hit those they love, no matter what they’ve done.”
Klaus stood from the table and gazed down at Mikael, knowing that this would be the last time he saw the man alive. Whether or not he died tomorrow or in a year, Klaus would never look upon him again. Perhaps he would spare him a thought every now and then but he would never allow Mikael to have the control over his life as he had for so long. He fled England because of Mikael. He studied murderers and monsters because of Mikael. He wore himself out, proving to himself that he was not the weak child Mikeal claimed him to be with every beating. It wasn’t until he was in his thirties that he slowly began to let himself heal.
And it was because of her.
“Goodbye Mikael. Enjoy prison.”
“Boy! Don’t you turn your back on me boy!” Klaus turned on his heels and knocked on the door. The sound of the clicking and locks becoming undone greeted him. Mikael yelled again, trying to pull the chains from the chair off but Klaus ignored him. Both doors opened almost simultaneously and guards entered the room. Klaus was out of the door and it shut behind him before the guards even allowed Mikael out of the chair, screaming as they did. “Boy! You’ll fail boy!”
Klaus walked down the dark corridor, listening to Mikael’s screaming for him as he did. It wasn’t long before he could no longer hear Mikael, the moans of the other inmates and the buzzing from the locks drowning out the words he could still be screaming. He nodded to the guards as he passed, no one really in the mood for chit chat and Klaus was anxious to get out of that prison; he never wanted to step foot inside one again. Perhaps white collar crime has spoiled him but taking down rich men embezzling money from their companies did not set his teeth on edge like chasing serial killers.
Once Klaus made his way through the halls and was waiting for the final door to open, he started to feel antsy. It wasn’t that he had been an inmate and were moments away from being released but there was a sort of freedom that came with the final locks of that door coming undone. As though it knew Klaus’s desire to get out, the door slid open at an obnoxiously slow pace and when he finally breathed in the autumn air, seeing autumn leaves falling to the ground, Klaus couldn’t help but let out a wide grin.
He felt as though he was touching freedom or the first time. He knew that Mikael was the ghost of his past and the monster he had tried to find in every predator he put behind bars but he never realized just how strong the hold Mikael had over him for the majority of his life. Walking away from the penitentiary felt like his past had come full circle and he could enjoy the life he had built; finally no more running and looking for answers in all the wrong places.
He opened the car door and sat down in the driver's seat before pulling out his phone. He sent a quick text, knowing that she would reply immediately. It took everything he and his mother-in-law had to convince her to stay behind, but he knew his wife well enough to know that she would be holding her phone with a tight grip, waiting for some word from him.
Be safe. I love you.
The drive from Wakefield to London due to traffic took Klaus over four hours to complete before he pulled alongside the terrace home he shared with his wife. He pulled the car into the driveway in the back, making his way through the lawn just as the sun was setting. The sound of a dog barking wildly as he opened the gate greeted him.
“Hey Enzo! Come here boy.” Klaus reached down to greet the mutt, who had picked up a stick from the yard. Klaus grabbed the stick and threw it, sending the brownish dog, who was getting grey around his temples and ears, running after it. Enzo picked up the stick and brought it back to Klaus, spreading the fallen leaves even further across the yard. “That's a good boy. Come on. Let's go inside and maybe I can convince your mama to give you a treat.”
Enzo wagged his tail as he trailed behind Klaus, dropping the stick for the promise of a treat instead. Klaus ran up the steps of his back porch and let himself inside, the sight of his kitchen coming into view. Enzo burst through the door as though he owned the place, while his master searched the kitchen for the person he wanted to see most.
“Caroline?”
“She ran to the bathroom.” Liz replied, sitting on one of the stools behind the kitchen island. In the last few years since her daughter had left Mystic Falls and moved to England, Liz had grown closer to Klaus, viewing him as the son she never had. Klaus and Liz spoke often, mainly about Caroline, and developed a bond that he cherished. She had retired from the police force not long after the dust settled in the wake of Matthew Donovan’s death and Tyler Lockwood’s trial; Jeremey and Elena both taking plea deals for a lesser sentence. “How was it?”
“Quick. Honestly, I don’t think I needed to go at all but I’m glad I did.” Klaus replied as he reached for the treats that were still in the box on top of the refrigerator. Enzo sat down at Klaus’s feet, wagging his tail as Klaus held the treat just out of his reach. He dropped it and the dog caught it easily, quickly running off into the living room and out of sight.
Klaus turned to see Liz staring at him, concern written all over her face. He remembered that late night during one of her London visits when she was fighting jet lag and he had trouble sleeping. He told her about Mikael and the only other person that had ever been so angry on his behalf to that degree was Caroline. Knowing that he had people in his corner, made him feel whole and loved again. Although, it took moving back to London and Caroline to really show him that he always had a family that cared deeply about him; he just needed to reach out more.
“Good. Then maybe you can put the bastard to rest and move on with your life.” Liz replied, eyeing him as though she was searching for a hint of dishonesty. She found none and Klaus saw the upturn of her lips, forming into a smile. “I spoke with the property manager of the apartment-”
“We call them flats on this side of the pond.”
“Same thing.” Liz brushed off his words with the wave of her hand. “I spoke to the property manager of the flat this morning and it should be ready to move in first thing Monday morning. Are you still able to help move my stuff from the storage unit? I really do not want Caroline lifting anything and you know she will.”
“Yes. I’ll call Lucian tomorrow and tell him that I’m taking a personal day Monday.” Klaus stated, thinking about his over the top boss that almost had him wishing Vincent was still the man he had to run everything by. “You know you’re more than welcome to stay here for as long as you like. Caroline is over the moon having you here.”
“I know but the two of you deserve your peace and quiet, especially since that is going to change in the next few months.” Liz gave him a happy smile. When Caroline and Klaus had a video call with Liz a few weeks after their honeymoon and announced her pregnancy, Liz was putting her house on the market and searching how to get her visa within the hour. Mystic Falls became less of a home to her with each passing day and knowing that she was going to be a grandmother was the push she needed to make the move across the pond; even though she had been there merely eight weeks earlier for their wedding. She had been staying with them for the last few weeks, searching for an apartment close by and recently found a two bedroom within her budget that would allow her to do all the grandmotherly duties she was excited about.
“You’re excited.” Klaus told her with a sly grin. Liz just rolled her eyes, a trait he knew her daughter picked up for her. While he was sure that he would one day grow to find such a habit annoying because he was sure his children would also have a tendency to roll their eyes at him.
“I moved across the ocean Klaus. Obviously I’m over the moon.” Liz shook her head and he chuckled. Her face grew somber and she reached out across the kitchen island to grip his hand. “You’re going to be a great dad, Klaus. Mikael can’t take that from you. You will love them so much that it hurts and you will do anything for them. Don’t doubt yourself, okay?”
“You’re back!” Both Klaus and Liz turned to see Caroline standing in the archway that divided the kitchen from the entranceway. Her eyes were bright with happiness and worry; her hands resting on the small bump that was showing under her white shirt. Even though she was in nothing more than black leggings, a large shirt and a cardigan, Klaus never thought he saw anything more beautiful.
“Just got back.” Klaus held out his hand and Caroline walked around the counter, linking her fingers together with his. He pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head, just wanting to feel her warmth and comfort. While there was a weight lifted off of his shoulders, Klaus still found that he wanted to hold Caroline, reassure himself that she was there.
“Well, I’m off to take a shower. Caroline popped a lasagna in the oven so take a break. I’ll make a salad when I’m done.” Liz told them, giving Klaus’s shoulder a tight squeeze before heading out of the kitchen and up the stairs, obviously trying to give the married couple some space to talk. While Klaus was not lying when he stated he enjoyed having his mother-in-law around, he did appreciate her tendency to give them their privacy, especially since they were still technically newlyweds.
“How are you feeling?” Klaus asked, reaching down to touch the small bump that was her stomach. Ever since Caroline told him that she was pregnant, he found that his hands wandered down to rest upon her bulging belly. Caroline never commented on it but Klaus could see the way her lips turned upwards and how she would lay her head against his shoulder, allowing him that quiet moment.
“Okay. I got a bit nauseous earlier. I wanted to cook that chicken chili you love to make you feel better but the idea of having to cook it turned my stomach so mom ran out and picked up a frozen lasagna. Sorry.” Caroline replied, scrunching up her nose in disgust. Klaus knew that Caroline would have been fretting all day and cooking something he loved was appreciated but he was more concerned about her comfort than chili.
“Don’t apologize. Ever.” Klaus kissed the top of her head again and looked back down to her stomach, his thumb tracing little circles on the bump. While they both were excited to become parents, the pregnancy was hard on Caroline. She was sick more often than not and her entire body hurt most of the time. Not to mention she found herself in tears over the simplest of things and her nightmares were coming back in full swing. Even with all the little moments they enjoyed, they were already beginning to know that this pregnancy was going to be hard. “Listen up you two, stop giving your mother a hard time. Okay? There is plenty of time for that in the next eighteen years.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” Caroline snorted and shook her head, Klaus knowing exactly what she was thinking; for they both had been contemplating it for the last few weeks. “Twins Klaus. Twins. I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it. Not just twins but identical twins. How the hell are we going to tell them apart?”
“No clue but we will figure something out.” Klaus replied, thinking back to that doctor’s appointment when they heard not one heartbeat, but two. They had not been expecting Caroline to be pregnant with identical twins because as far as they knew, neither had a family history of twins. Caroline theorized that perhaps Klaus’s biological father had twins in his family and therefore passed the trait down but they couldn’t prove it. The doctor also explained that sometimes the splitting of an embryo to create twins was just a happy happenstance. “Color code them maybe?”
“Now you’re just sucking up.” Caroline teased and Klaus laughed, knowing her obsessive organization skills that were already coming to play with how she was planning the nursery would make her smile. She turned in his arms and looked up at him, placing her hand on the side of his face. “How are you really? Did everything go okay? Did you hit him in the face? I really hope you were able to hit him in the face.”
“There was no violence Sweetheart.” Klaus chuckled and kissed the top of her head again, amused by the slight pout that appeared on her lips. “And I’m okay. I feel…..relieved? Free? It's hard to explain but I know that I finally can put Mikael to rest and just live my life. We’ve built a life that I love and I’m just happy that he won’t be able to cast a dark shadow over our lives. I just hate that he made me doubt myself.”
“Hey, look at me.” Caroline replied in a soft tone. Klaus looked down at her and he could see how much she loved him shining through her blue eyes. “The fact that you’re worried about turning into Mikael tells me that you never will. You’ve always been good to me and will be an amazing father. That being said, I’m glad you went today especially if it brought you closure. You can enjoy our babies without that monster hanging over your head.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you.”
“I still think that Mikael will always be a part of me though. I can put him to rest but he will always linger in the back of my mind. I’ve been comparing myself to him for so long that I think I’ll still have moments when I wonder if I am turning into him.”
“You will never be like Mikael. Ever.” Caroline leaned up and kissed his lips briefly. “But I do think you’re right. Mikael will always be with you in the same way Matt will be with me. I still have nightmares about him and I still think about him everyday, wondering what might have happened if I was unable to get out of that cell. As hard as I try, he still affects me and I’m slowly coming to terms that it will always be that way.”
“It's only been three years Caroline, give it time. You went through hell but it made you stronger.” He kissed her again as Caroline wrapped her arms around his middle. As much as they hated it, Matt was a common topic in their household, typically late at night when Caroline woke up in a fright from some nightmare. Klaus would pull her into his arms, promising her that she was safe. Over time, they grew less and less but the pregnancy brought them out in full force again.
“On the bright side, in some way, Matt brought me you and you’re by far the best thing that has ever happened to me.” Caroline muttered into his chest and Klaus felt his heart skip a beat. He told Caroline often that she was the best thing to ever have come into his life, despite the dark origins of their meeting. To hear that she felt the same, made every horror he had faced seem worth it. “I do think we can agree that if the twins are boys, the names Matthew and Mikael are off the table.”
“Oh completely.” Klaus muttered, scowling at the names. He was sure that he wouldn’t even like the idea of their grandchildren holding those names. They had gone back and forth between names they did like, for both boys and girls, and they haven’t found exactly the right fit for two children. “Although, I do think if they are boys, I would like to name one after Marcel. Even if it is just a middle name.”
“I think that. I think he would be honored.”
“Or give me hell.”
“That would be his way of telling you he is flattered.” Caroline replied, pressing her ear against his chest; listening to his heart beat. Klaus closed his eyes and tried to picture his best friend. He had a few photos that had been taken of him over the years but even as he tried to remember him, Marcel’s face was fuzzy. Strange how Klaus could remember vividly the bloody message Matt wrote on the wall but Marcel’s face was blurred. Sometimes time was cruel. “But I like it. Marcel Mikaelson.”
“I like it too.” Klaus whispered, kissing the top of her head again. Part of him wanted to reach for his phone and text his sister, telling her their plans to name one of the twins, if a boy, after the man she had loved. While Rebekah had bounced back and moved on with her life, living it to the best of her ability, part of her still loved Marcel and always would. In the last three years, she had a string of romances and that never lasted; and they all knew it was because she was comparing them to the one she had lost. “One down, three to go. Are you sure you don’t want to know the genders?”
“Nope. I want to be surprised.” Caroline replied with a cheery tone, trying to cut through the melecolly that had descended upon them. Klaus raised his eyebrow at her in question. While it was not something he would say to her, Klaus was willing to bet that her need to plan for everything, would have her breaking down at the doctor’s office, demanding to know what gender their babies were. “Oh! What about Arya! Arya Mikaelson! I like it.”
“We are not naming one of our children after Game of Thrones characters.”
“You’re no fun.”
“I’m plenty of fun. What about Cassandra?”
“I kind of want my name to be a middle name for a girl so no ‘c’ names. Henry?”
“Finn’s son is named Henrik. Too close.”
“Fair enough.” Caroline replied, playing the game they had been tossing back and forth since they learned she was pregnant. Neither could decide exactly what to name their children but they enjoyed tossing back and forth ideas. Eventually, the game turned ridiculous and they purposely chose the most outlandish names they could think of, Liz just shaking her head back and forth at the pair of them with a small smile on her lips. Eventually the autumn leaves turned into snow which faded into spring flowers. When the sun burned brightly into summer, Marcel and William Mikaelson were born.