Always & Forever

A few minutes passed as Kol and Octavia sat and waited, and then they both jumped when there was the sound of furniture breaking upstairs. Kol disappeared from Octavia's side, and she heard him arguing with his brothers upstairs.

"You've got to help her, Nik!"

Kol yelled the words and Octavia could almost feel Niklaus' anger in the air even though they were so far away from each other.

"No, little brother, I don't have to do anything. In fact, I hope her new affliction does end her life. It would save me from doing so myself."

Nik's voice was strained and suddenly Octavia remembered why she'd been so attracted to him in the first place all those years ago. It had been that rage. That's how he'd drawn her in. He'd been so mysterious and dangerous and such a thrill. She'd been so young and had never been out of New Orleans but had always been a bit of a troublemaker and thrill-seeker. So, when the great Niklaus Mikaelson and family showed up and started wreaking havoc on her city, it was only a matter of time before she was right along wreaking havoc with them.

Taking a deep breath, she got up from her spot at the table and made her way upstairs. She burst through the door of the bedroom that she had once shared with Nik to see the three brothers standing in defensive positions, poising to fight each other if it was needed. Niklaus stared at her, his attention completely averted from his brothers.

"Kol, Elijah. Leave us please."

Octavia looked at them both and knew they didn't want to leave her alone with Nik. She couldn't totally blame them, but the only way she was going to convince him to help her was to speak to him alone and she knew it. She looked between the two of them and nodded firmly. Finally, they both moved out of the room reluctantly. She could hear Elijah moving down the stairs and into the courtyard, but Kol hovered somewhere very near to the door of the room.

"Niklaus."

Octavia said his name quietly, moving so that she was standing right in front of him. His beautiful blue-green eyes were watery and she wondered if he was about to cry.

"Nik."

She whispered it again, more gently. A single tear slipped down his cheek and she could almost see him starting to soften. She reached for him and was surprised when he let her caress the stubble on his cheek.

"Why, Octavia? Why now? You left us seventy-five years ago. You betrayed us and you left us. And now you're here begging for help?"

Klaus' voice was much gentler than his words, and Octavia knew that he was mostly just asking because she'd hurt him all those years ago. She'd always known he was one to hold onto a grudge as tightly as he could.

"I don't want to die, Nik."

Tears rose to her own eyes as she spoke and she realized for maybe the first time how true the words were.

"I loved you. We were together nearly ten years and you left me without a word. You didn't even give me a chance to know anything about the situation."

Klaus's eyes poured with a couple more tears and she wiped them away with the thumb that was still resting on his cheek. He closed his eyes at her touch and then opened them again abruptly to stare at her once more.

"I don't know what this affliction you've gotten yourself is. I've never heard of it."

Octavia knew that Klaus was trying to sound closed-off and like he didn't care, but she could see the minuscule shred of caring that he was allowing into his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what happened. I was young and scared and didn't know what else to do. Not a day has passed where I haven't felt unbelievably guilty about how awful I was to you, to both of you. I know I don't deserve it, but I'm here because there's no one else who can help me. I've known from the second I realized my affliction that you were probably the only one who would be able to help me. Will you help me, Niklaus? Please?"

She threw the question into the air, pretty sure she knew the answer. Nik had always been awful at keeping his emotions out of his facial expressions, and as she watched him now, she realized how true it still was. He was trying his best to keep it inside, but as she studied him it wasn't hard to see exactly what he was thinking. He was hurt and confused and conflicted, but underneath that he was just as concerned as Elijah had been.

"I don't forgive you, nor will I any time soon. But I won't let you die."

Klaus gently took her hand in his and squeezed it. He stared at their joined hands for a moment and then raised hers to his lips. He kissed it gently and then let it drop. A second later he was gone and she heard the front gate of the compound closing.