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chapter forty-three ━ what's family for?

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❝ well i'm sorry to disappoint ❞

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KLAUS WOULD NOT let her out of his sights. It was almost as if she were being locked inside of the mansion, no escape, no hope for ever escaping unless he allowed it. The hybrids were gone thanks to her so now there were no security guards to keep Melody from doing something else she would regret. And of course what did he do to solve this problem? He called her family. She had been furious, refusing to speak to them over the phone. He then put them on speaker phone and she had cupped her ears and started sobbing.

She didn't want to hear their disappoint or Mary Margaret's reassurance that she would be fine and that it was only a mistake. They would talk to her as if she were a broken toy that needed fixing because someone had continuously smashed it against the floor. No. She didn't want anyone near her. Not even Klaus. Only her in her room, punishing herself for killing Carol Lockwood. The hybrids she didn't care too much more.

The news was buzzing with reports on what happened. What was a relief was that no one got the story right, or had witnessed it besides Klaus. Melody was in the clear but that did nothing to help her situation. She knew. . .she knew what she did was wrong. For the life of her, she couldn't remember why she had done it. Wrong place, wrong time? Revenge on Tyler? No matter what the reasoning was, she sat in her bedroom in the same spot in the corner of her bed, staring out the window.

Klaus had to force her to eat something because the only other place she would go to during the day was the bathroom. She showered though but never ate unless he sat beside her and fed her. It may seem like a silly and childish thing. But no one was as kind as he was when she needed a gentle hand. Pan never knew what to do and felt awkward. Regina wouldn't even ask. Klaus knew exactly what she needed: someone to take care of her. And she knew exactly what he needed: someone to take care of him.

She hadn't tried justifying her actions, knowing that what she did was wrong. When the hybrid would attempt to coax her into talking about anything that was on her mind, she would sit there, and she would listen. Not a word ever came from her mouth. It got to a point where he would start telling her stories of his journeys over the years, relaxing her, and then his voice would make her fall asleep in his arms.

Only two days passed before a few members of her family arrived. Pan was one of them, Killian another, Emma, and Regina. The kids weren't invited because, in a state like this, Melody was truly a ticking bomb that could explode again at any given moment. So David and Snow stayed in the fairytale town to watch the kids. But that was an excuse. They feared her. She knew that.

The first person to visit her was Pan, standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he watched her closely. His expression reflected how concerned he was for her wellbeing. However, he couldn't relate to how she was feeling, seeing as everyone he killed with his dark magic, was entirely his choice and he was conscious of it. And he didn't regret it. This was much different though. He didn't know what to say.

Melody merely stared out the window, aware of his presence. She could feel the boundary spell he placed on the mansion so she couldn't leave. She knew the spell was connected to the cuff he always wore on his wrist. And she didn't speak anything of it, or anything at all really. Her mind was buzzing with thoughts yet silent at the same time. She didn't plan on being the one to speak first. She hadn't spoken in days.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a statue." Her voice was rough, scratchy and so she had to clear her throat to rid of the nasty feeling. His lips twitched in reply. Even in a state such as the one she was currently in, she was still sarcastic and witty till the bitter end. And he knew that she was his daughter indeed.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were one too," he responded, walking towards her slowly before he sat on the bed next to her. She didn't look his way, almost as if she were afraid to see his expression. Pan tilted his head to the side, taking a deep breath. "No matter what anyone says, especially not the Charmings, you did what you did because you. . .care for Klaus. Our magic runs on emotion, you know that. You were only protecting—"

His words were cut short by a scoff and a few tears trailing down her cheeks. "Is that what you tell yourself when you kill someone?" The words were harsh but he didn't flinch, being patient for his daughter who was clearly trying to make him leave by saying hurtful words. He wasn't going to leave her. Pan knew what she wanted was someone to hold her and let her cry.

And so he took another deep breath, licking his lips before he took both of her hands, turning them so her palms were facing the ceiling. He stared her in the eye, letting her know that he was being serious. This was not a time for jokes. "Melody Grace Pan, you were born with magic, you learned to handle your magic quicker than anyone I have ever seen, and your heart may be blackened now but guess what? You made a mistake and you feel guilty about it. Do you know what that says about you? That you are still pure-hearted, that you have humanity, that you can learn from this. You can learn how to balance your darkness and light."

Melody had tears going down her cheeks at a faster rate, sniffling as she pressed her hands against her face. Screw pride. She moved towards him and held onto him just like she had done when she was reunited with him in Neverland. Her fear of him disappearing made her grip tighten, sobbing into his chest. Pan wrapped his arms around her and let her cry, kissing the top of her head.

Was he right? Was she still pure-hearted? He was right about her magic though, she had been born with it thanks to Esther and learned how to control it on her own mostly beside the training lessons with her dad she did when he moved to StoryBrooke. She did make a mistake, a huge one that she would never be able to take back. The guilt was killing her. And so maybe it was a good thing that she was feeling all of this pain. Because it would motivate her to learn how to control her dark magic.

Could she do this alone? Or should she have her family help her? She seemed to make up her mind as she sniffled, pulling her head back. She wiped her tears on her sleeve before looking up at him again. Because she didn't know what to say from his kind words, she offered him a weak smile. "I'm hungry."

Pan got up instantly and nodded, willing to give her anything she needed. He kissed her forehead in a loving gesture. "I will have Regina make you something, Klaus left to deal with Jeremy." She nodded her head and he gave her a smile before turning his back. He didn't suspect anything. Her presence always clouded his judgment.

Melody got up fast and grabbed his wrists, breaking the cuff which broke the spell. He went wide-eyed. "I'm sorry, papa, but I have to do this alone." With that, she waved her hand over his face, making him fall unconscious to the floor. Regina could sense the spell vanish and so she raced upstairs. But she was too late. The last thing Melody heard was her mother yelling her name in worry, darting for her. All she grabbed was air as her daughter disappeared into purple smoke.

———

Being skilled in magic certainly had its perks. The second Melody got far enough away from the mansion, she blocked her family from tracking her by using the necklace Klaus made her wear to do the same thing once upon a time. Her first idea was to find Rebekah and undagger her. But all she found was an empty coffin. Almost instantly her dark magic stirred, furious, questioning as to who found her.

So she did a tracking spell herself, locating the blonde who she found was at the high school. A frown appeared on her face before she teleported herself there to make her travel short. Her eyes wandered around as she searched for Rebekah until she finally heard the low hum of voices.

Never had she seen the library before but she was much more interested in the scene that was before her. Melody found Elena, Stefan, Caroline, and Rebekah all sitting at a table as if they were having a normal conversation like normal people. None of them noticed her, not until she heard Rebekah ask Stefan why he and the doppelganger weren't together anymore. Her plan to find her best friend and confide in her. . .went out the window.

"Because she slept with Damon," her voice rung out, accent strong. And when they all turned to look at her, there wasn't a single hint to that she had been crying or was feeling guilty. Slowly, she smirked, feeling her dark magic flare up. Because she couldn't help herself.

Rebekah looked agitated to see her there, glaring at her before she stood up quickly. She hissed, using her speed to flash over to her but she didn't harm her. All she did was stand in front of her, looking betrayed. "You! You let him dagger me! After all we have been through, you betrayed me!"

Melody sighed, tilting her head to the side as she gave the Original her famous smirk. "Rebekah darling, I promise good intentions, you know I would never harm you. Believe me, I let you be daggered for a reason." Then she placed a hand on her cheek, showing her the conversation between her and Klaus after the blonde had been hidden away.

As she pulled her hand back, the expression on her best friend's face changed drastically. She smiled widely, happy to see that she wasn't upset any longer. Then she winked at her before going to sit at the table, crossing her legs and leaning closer to the others. Rebekah smiled so big it almost looked like her face was going to split. Yet it didn't as she came over and sat beside her.

The conversation from previous resumed as Rebekah still had some questions to ask of the three. "So, vampire Elena is a trollop who likes bad boys, which explains why Stefan reeks of alcohol. But what it doesn't explain is why sweet, loving, innocent Elena could be so heartless towards Stefan." She looked over at the said vampire. "How could she hurt you like that? Answer, please."

Before he could, Melody spoke up for him. "Because precious Elena is sired to Damon." She looked to the said girl, narrowing her eyes though there was a malicious look on her face. "I have been wondering what you feel about that Elena? Does it hurt you? Have you considered how your actions may make Stefan feel because he loves you so much? What do you think?"

"I think you're sad and bored and in desperate need of a hobby," the blunt words came out before Elena could stop them.

Melody was up in a flash, choking her. "And I think you're a whiny bitch." Everyone else went wide-eyed, stiffening as they watched her. For the first time, they saw the dark veins going up her arm and how her eyes went pitch black. Rebekah was in shock, quickly getting up and pulling her back instinctively.

"That's enough!" Her veins vanished and her eyes went back to normal. The blonde grabbed her chin and turned her head towards her, looking extremely concerned. "What happened to you? Was it Niklaus? I swear if that ba—"

"Klaus did nothing wrong, I did it to myself," she snapped, backing away from her because she didn't want to hurt anyone else with how out of control she was. "I was the one who killed the twelve hybrids and Carol Lockwood. But my problems are not the topic of discussion right now." She took a shaky breath. "There is a professor who knows where the cure is. His name is Shane and you should find him at his office."

Rebekah, despite her worry, got out her phone and started to text someone, her attention still focused on the brunette who was now declining another phone call she was getting. Then before Melody could react, she was being pulled out of the library. The group was compelled to stay there until Rebekah told them to get up so none of them moved, watching the two leave.

They entered an empty hallway and Rebekah turned to her, her concern seeping through now that they were alone. "What happened? Why, how? Melody, first you make this crazy genius plan that I am thankful for but killing people?" She shook her head. "That isn't you, that's never been you."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint," Melody replied, looking at her with her mask of emotions as she was reining in her angry she was feeling. All she wanted to do was barge into the library and strangle Elena right then and there. "I've been trying to figure out how to control my dark magic and it isn't exactly the easiest thing on the planet. So you want to know what happened? I got angry, I blacked out, and the first thing I see is blood soaking my dress. Then I see Klaus. Then I see Carol Lockwood's head floating in the fountain. And then all of the memories come back."

She tossed her hands up as she laughed humorlessly. "Here I am! And all I can think about right now is killing Elena for all that she is doing. Caroline is on our side, Stefan doesn't trust us but I feel like if I just push some more I can get him to break, I can save him for himself. Rebekah, finding you this cure is the only thing keeping me going right now." She looked up at the ceiling as she started to cry before she finally looked back at her. "Because I don't know what to do with myself and I feel so guilty that I don't love you the way you love me. So maybe this is my way of saying that I'm sorry."

Her voice was breaking, absolute guilty covering her features. Rebekah rushed forward and hugged her tightly, letting her cry into her shoulders since that is what she needed. "Go ahead, cry all you need to, I'm here." She rubbed her back gently. "And I'm sorry for how I acted, it wasn't fair to you. But know that no matter what, I will always care of you Melody. I know you'll never love me like that. . .and I accept that."

And that was enough for Melody to collapse to the ground into a fit of sobs. Because that was the reassurance she had been needing the entire time. All she had wanted was for Rebekah to not hate her, to not be mad at her for something she couldn't change. For the first time since she had killed Carol, she actually smiled, holding onto her best friend tightly.

———

Emma was the one who stayed at the mansion in case the only living female Pan came back. Killian had sprinted out to go find his best friend without a second thought, going into protective big brother mode. Regina had woken Pan back up before the two also left, going to places they thought their daughter would be at. No one found her. No one approached her as she walked back to the mansion at her own pace to think everything over.

The street was quiet, night taking over so she had trouble seeing until a lampost would help guide her way back. Melody heard her phone buzz and look at a text that she got from Stefan. Rebekah had compelled Elena to tell how she truly felt about Damon, compared to how she felt about Stefan. It had turned into a disaster, but now they had the youngest Salvatore brother on their side. Elena broke his heart and went straight to Damon without thinking. And the text was Stefan confirming that he would help with killing Elena to save Damon. It made Melody feel relieved but she still worried about killing someone else if she ended up spiraling again.

She eventually got back and unlocked the door, entering, closing the door behind her and walked to the living room. There Emma was, sitting in one of the seats that faced towards the door. The blonde sighed and smiled weakly. Melody instantly understood, closing her eyes as she walked further into the room. "You knew I would come back."

"You always do," was the reply before she stood up, walking over to her. "We may not be blood related, but you remind me of myself." Melody scoffed. "I'm serious. You run when things get bad then ultimately realize that running isn't an option. Because we're your family kid. And family don't get left behind."

Melody took a deep breath before sitting down on the couch, Emma sitting next to her. The fire was going, crackling as the embers danced. She remembered the days when she would make Regina light the fire at her house so she could sit in front of it and make pictures with the flames. Her face was illuminated by the glow, her eyes downcast as she had to bite her lip to keep from breaking.

"I don't know what to do, Emma," she whispered, feeling like a kid asking an adult how to do something. But if their circumstance were different, her pride wouldn't have let her say anything, ask for anything. This was something she told herself she would never do. Killing innocents was no something she saw herself doing. Then again, she never thought she would find love. And yet she had Klaus who was trying to find this cure.

"I know. So why don't we start small? None of us are leaving until you feel okay or want us to leave. Tomorrow, try to get out of bed, get ready for the day, join us for breakfast, and whatever happens, we will go through together as a family. Once you do that, we'll take another step. Deal?"

Melody couldn't help but smile a tad, finding humor in the tone Emma was using. "You aren't giving me much of a say." Both of them laughed before sobering up. "Deal. I want to learn how to balance my darkness. All of you guys can without trying but I know it isn't easy." She sniffled before hugging her. "Thank you, for not giving up on me, all of you."

Emma smiled and embraced her back. "What's family for?"

———

I know this chapter was short but I didn't want to include much of the Mystic Falls drama. I really wanted to focus on Melody's road to recovery and how she is dealing after killing the hybrids and Carol. This is a crucial part of her development and I can easily say that this helps shape her character in The Originals. 

And the end is nearing soon! I can't say how many chapters are left because it just depends on if I skip an episode or not. However, I can say that if I did make a chapter for every episode up until 4x20, we have around nine chapters left, maybe less, I'm not positive on that. Because I will be including 4x20 into the third book, but the ending of this book will obviously lead into the third book.

I also made a choice! Heal Her is the third book and once this book is completed, the next installment won't start until school for me is over which is the 23 of May if I am not mistaken. That way I can focus on other stories I have been neglecting since I have been focusing on Fix Her so much.

I hope you guys have a great day/night and don't forget to vote on this chapter, comment your thoughts, and follow me for updates!

( credit : @pepperronys )