My littlest wolf; A Klope fanfiction

Part 5

'Marcel!'
'Where is my favourite little witch?' Marcel lifted Hope and swirled her in his arms. 'I know I am about one week late but happy your 11th birthday. I wanted to wait until you got my present.' Marcel's eyes crinkled as he smiled to Hope and set her down.
'Oh it doesn't matter I am veryyy happy that you are here.'
'And I also have this.' Marcel reached into a bag he'd been holding and took out a box.
Hope's eyes lit up at the box full of beignets, she would never tire of them.
'Now I'd like to have a word with you mom. Do you know where she is?'
'She's at the bayou. But she won't be late.' Hope responded, already digging into the box of beignets.
'Will you stay for some time?'
Marcel took Hope's hand in his and steered them towards the couches. 'If your aunt allows me,' he winked and Hope grinned.
'And where are Freya and Vincent?'
'They are in the city. The witches are preparing for Mardi Gras.'
'Isn't your school in Mystic Falls?'
'Yeah, the Salvatore School. Mom picked me up for my birthday and said I could stay here till Mardi Gras.'
'Well as a New Orleans witch, and a great one at that, you deserve to attend it.' Hope giggled at the compliment. 'I missed you Marcel.'
'I missed you too, little one.'

⚜️

'Marcel, thank God you're here.'
'Hello Hayley.'
'Did you talk to Klaus?'
'Yeah, I did.' Hayley couldn't read Marcel's tone. That bad? Hayley knew Klaus loved Hope and she wanted Hope to feel that love. She didn't want for Hope to think that her own father didn't love her.
'It's a bit messed up. Hope had contacted Klaus with magic and one day she'd seen him killing two witches. Klaus had panicked and yelled at her to leave. Hope never reached out with her magic to him and he never explained so here they are.' Marcel's grave expression made Hayley even more hopeless. How could she even approach this? Should she talk to Hope or Klaus first?
Hayley let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders.
'Hayley,' Marcel reached his hand out.
'How do I do this Marcel? Did Klaus say anything? Will he continue to stay away or what? Hope understands why they can't be together, but they should at least speak with each other. I know Klaus loves her, even in his messed up mind his love for Hope is the purest but...' She trailed off and ran her fingers through her hair.
'I am sure he'll reach out.' Hayley's head snapped up uncertainness in her eyes . 'Actually he told me to bring Hope some beignets and also gave me a card. He'd written something in it but I didn't read it.'
'Maybe I should tell her about the birthday gift he sent her.'
'Maybe you should. So Hope knows that he still cares.'
'Maybe I should. Could you stay for... for at least two days please? Hope really trusts you and you can be of help.'
'Alright. You can always trust me with your daughter Hayley.'
'I know.' Hayley's face lit up, not in a smile but something that resembled it. Now a glimmer of hope shone in her eyes.

⚜️

[Hope is eating her beignets when she spots a tiny card in a small pink, see through pouch. She opens the pouch and takes out a card saying:
My dearest Hope.
I wish I knew the right way to start this. Yet I do not. There are so many things I wish to say, I wish to ask for forgiveness and I wish to talk to you. Just like we used to. Please give me a chance to amend my ways and be a better father. If you wish, tomorrow evening we can connect through your magic. In the meanwhile please enjoy the beignets from your favourite place in New Orleans.
I love you.
K]
Hope's lip wobbled as she tried to fight back her tears. She remembered the last time she'd seen her father. Her father. Yet he had looked like a monster, not like the father who called her princess or mixed paint with her.
Tears streaked her face as she chewed silently unsure about what was real and what was not.

⚜️

Klaus ran his fingers through his hair for what must have been the thousandth time in one hour. The sun had just set thirty minutes ago so now it counted as "evening". He wished he'd set a more specific time for their meeting so he wouldn't have this anxious all the time.
Klaus hadn't even fed today. His stomach churned because of the nerves and feeding would've only made it worse. All night he'd tossed and turned in bed trying to find the right words to tell to Hope. If the father he met once had found the right words to make Klaus like him-because he had liked Ansel even if their meeting had been fairly brief- then Klaus could find the right words to ask Hope for forgiveness.
Pacing around while flexing his hands his eyes strayed to the spot where Hope usually showed up. Maybe she's not going to come. Maybe she doesn't want to see you.
Maybe you've lost her forever.

'Klaus?'
He whirled around and for a moment he couldn't hide his disappointment.
'Hayley- what...how are you here?'
'Hope brought me here. This is, wow.' She spun around taking in the place. 'This is where you've been living?'
The place look all polished and well done, but it was a facade. Ever since the night he'd trashed the place, he'd never fixed it or compel anyone to do it. He'd liked it that way, it was a mirror to how he truly felt.
But today he'd made it all nice and tidy for Hope. The sofas covered in expensive cloths and the new curtains made of equally expensive material. All very luxurious befitting the great Klaus Mikaelson. Except he didn't feel tidy or fixed on the inside at all.

'Hope told me, you'd asked to meet her. She-she didn't feel ready to meet you.'
'Ah.' Klaus nodded trying to swallow the disappointment. Of course he hadn't expected her to come but he'd had a kernel of hope that she would show up. A very tiny kernel of hope. And on the other side he'd terrified that she wouldn't even care at all.
'Marcel told me what happened with you two.'
'Did you send Marcel after me?' He stopped pacing and walked toward Hayley until they stood but 2 feet apart.
'I didn't send Marcel after you, I asked him to help me bring some sense into you. Maybe right now you're in the brink of losing your place in Hope's life.'
'Well if Marcel enlightened you with all the details you would know why I decided to cut off ties.'
'Or you can take responsibility for your actions and face our daughter.'
'Easier said than done. Her horrified face is etched in my mind and I am terrified of the fact that maybe I have scarred her for life. Maybe she'll never want to see me. Maybe she hates me.'
'Right.' Hayley nodded her face hard as if it was carved in stone. 'So you do the best thing that you do. You turn around and abandon her first. Before she can hurt you.'
'I left her for her own good.'

'Do you really know what is good for her?' Klaus' eyes widened and he took a step back. 'Or you just wanted to protect yourself? And now you do whatever it is that your are doing.' She threw up her hands in disgust. "Klaus Mikaelson-The Great Evil, The Big Bad Wolf, The Crazy Original. All of these have reached the ears of
students at the Salvatore school. You think Hope hasn't heard these? Have you ever thought that these might hurt her?'
'Hope created this,' his hands pointed toward Hayley. 'This whatever magic it is because the letters and the calling weren't enough.'
'Because she wanted to be with you.'
'Well we can't really be together can we?' He shouted. 'I can protect her better this way, if I am far away from her and she won't think of me.'
Hayley's face softened. She bit her lip and tried to carefully find the right words to say.
'I don't think she wants to be away from you Klaus. She loves you, you were her fairytale prince.' Hayley reached out and tried to put her hand in his forearm, but of course she couldn't. It was like a thin but dense layer of air separated the two.

'I wish for us to be together too,' his voice cracked at the last word. 'And I love her so so much. And I am very proud of her. But I do not wish to hurt her or scare her, or make her doubt what she believed to be true. I'd vowed to myself that I would protect her happiness and innocence and I ruined it.' Tears streaked Klaus' face as he spoke and his voice trembled.
'It's not ruined Klaus,' she said softly. 'You can still put it back. Her faith, her happiness. Parents have such power. They can hurt,'-they both let out small knowing laughs mid tears-'or they can heal.'
'I don't know how to do the latter one.'

'Well too bad parenting doesn't come with a "how-to" book,' a corner of Klaus' mouth quirked up. 'But you have to try and I'll be here if you need me. I'm not giving up on you Klaus.'
'Always so regal Little Wolf.' A small smile bloomed in Hayley's face. 'Do tell our daughter that I'll be ready whenever she is.'
'Will do. Take care of yourself Klaus.'
'Take care of yourself and our littlest wolf Hayley. Thanks for today.'

⚜️

[Hayley is back in her body and Hope sits near her and her left.]
'That was a great spell sweetie. You created it yourself right?'
Hope nodded. 'Something wrong? Talk to me Hope.'
Hope hugged her knees tighter, her shoulders tense.
'I heard, I heard everything.'
'Oh Hope! Come here sweetheart.' Hope nestled on her mother's chest and wrapped her arms around her torso. She needed time to process all that had happened between her parents today but she was sure of one thing.

Her father was still her fairytale prince.