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chapter thirty-one ━ looking into the face of death

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❝  will i die today?   ❞

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sixty votes and sixty comments for the next chapter!

MELODY HAD NEVER felt so giddy in her entire life. She could hardly sleep that night, tossing and turning in her bed, the kiss replaying over and over in her mind. After their moment, Klaus had one serious and lengthy talk with her family, the male side especially. Pan hadn't sounded so pissed before. She was surprised at how well the hybrid dealt with the entire conversation. He was calm and patient. They finally requested to speak with the fairytale woman who had ended up going upstairs to clean up after the ball ended. When she had come back down the stairs, Klaus was still on the phone, waiting for her so she could talk to her family.

There was a split between them. For the most part, the females were supportive, still a bit concerned but were happy for her. But the male side of her family, not so much. Pan gave Klaus every single threat he could come up with, Killian adding a few with Felix and David pitching in. Robin and Henry were the only of them that didn't. Mary Margaret wouldn't stop gushing over the two, saying that they would get married. It was easy to say that she had already begun to plan a wedding. Regina was worried for her daughter, joining in on the evil ideas with the men. Emma was all for it. All she said was that if it was something Melody wanted, she'd support her. They all bid her goodnight and told her to call. Pan and the rest of the men were still enraged.

Klaus gave her her phone back, their fingers skimmed before he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Goodnight, angel," he had whispered quietly, brushing the cheek he kissed with his knuckles. Braving up, she pecked his lips and then retreated to the quarters of her room where she spent hours tossing and turning. Unbeknownst to her though, he hadn't been able to sleep either. The Original was restless. All he could think about was eventually being able to share a bed with her, feeling her warm body against his, the kisses they would steal, the conversations they would have. Would it happen? Or would it just stay as a dream in his complex mind?

Melody had woken up the next morning, getting ready quickly before going down the stairs. She had sent a message to her dad — per his request the night before — saying that she survived that night. But it made her laugh because he was making her text him and call him every single day. Old habits never died. Most of them at least. The brunette stepped into the living room after she ate breakfast, seeing Kol and Klaus on the couch. Her newfound partner was sketching, looking up at her instantly. A smile adorned his face when he saw her. "Good morning, love."

Flashing up, he kissed her cheek in front of his brother which was simply a kind gesture and a possessive one. She smiled at him, saying the same thing. Kol smirked at her. "Yes, good morning, darling." The second he got up to greet her in a similar fashion, the hybrid pushed him back.

"Hands off, Kol." His girlfriend rolled her eyes, peering over to see Rebekah stumbling in with her messy hair, shoes in hand, her dress still on with one sleeve off. They all watched her and saw the  Mikaelson brother switch his target of who to piss off.

Kol blocked her path, making her glare down at him. "Get out of my way, Kol." Melody noticed the way her eyes flickered to her's. The blonde looked almost angry with her which made her frown. He continued to taunt her and so she bit back at him with, "If you don't shut your mouth, the next thing to come out of it will be your teeth." Klaus grinned, said nothing, and Rebekah snapped at him too.

"I'm bored." Kol plopped back down on the couch. "Our sister is a strumpet, but at least she's having fun. I need entertainment."

Melody crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes. "Then go. And it's not nice to call your sister a prostitute." She went over to him and slapped him upside the head. "What does that make you then, Kol? You sleep with plenty of girls. You know what, Klaus, why don't you two go to the Grill and bond since you daggered him."

He nodded. "As you wish. I'll see you soon." Kol still smirked, jumping back up and left the room, following after Klaus. Rebekah sighed lowly. Melody went over to her and interlocked their arms.

"Come on, Bekah." Right before they went to leave the room, Elijah entered, holding a piece of burnt sage. "Good morning, Elijah." His worried expression wasn't hard to miss. "What's wrong?" The blonde noticed her brother's tense shoulders, questioning him as well. It was funny how easily Melody seemed to catch up to speed with the Mikaelson siblings. She felt as if she knew them all her life. And she felt like she was a part of their family.

Elijah examined the sage. "I'm worried about mother." He looked up at them. "Have you not noticed her strange behavior?"

Rebekah shrugged. "She's been dead for a thousand years. What's strange for her?"

"She's got a point," Melody agreed, nodding her head a few times. "But to be completely honest, Esther just gives me odd vibes. That's just me though."

The noble brother showed them the sage. "Burnt sage. She was doing a privacy spell." It didn't give away much and yet it did give them something to have in mind when the witch was around. She didn't seem to have something up her sleeve. Obviously, it wasn't good because how could it be? Esther would've told her kids if it was good, right? Perhaps it was good in her mind then. Rebekah mentioned Finn and Elijah shook his head. "I don't trust Finn. He hates what we are, he always has."

"That's not true. And as for mother, she returned for one reason, to make our family whole. She loves us. What trouble are you looking to find?" Melody cleared her throat and announced that they were going to Rebekah's room. She quickly dragged the blonde up the stairs and to the said location, shutting the door and letting her go. "Do you really think my mother is up to something?"

Melody took the female's hands and sat them on the bed. "Honestly, I think it would be stupid to not be suspicious. Really Bekah, do you think that she would just forgive Klaus so easily? And if she had nothing to hide, there's no need for a privacy spell. But moving on, where were you last night?" There was a cheeky smile on her face and the Original caved. She couldn't bring herself to be mad at the woman for long.

Rebekah looked down at their hands. "I was with Damon at the Boarding House." Melody's face formed in an 'o' shape. "Did something happen between you and Nik?" She rose an eyebrow, silently praying that nothing happened. But then the brunette started to smile again, blushing.

"We um, we kissed." The color drained from Rebekah's face. "And we're dating now. My family freaked." She smiled even more, jumping up once because she began to feel giddy again. "I've never had a boyfriend before and I never thought I'd date Klaus—oh I'm so sorry, Rebekah. I'm ranting and boring you—"

"No, no." Rebekah forced a smile. "I'm happy for you and my brother. You two are meant to be together." Every single word hurt her. What pained her more was the fact that Melody was just too excited at that moment, not catching the lies. Never had she loved a girl before. And this woman before her was just so perfect. True, no one was flawless. But with the flaws and all, the Original adored Melody.

Her friend sighed in relief. "Good because I was so worried you wouldn't be happy. Thank you, Rebekah." She hugged her and she was instantly hugged back. The blonde buried the tears. When they pulled away, Melody sighed. "I have to go and talk with my family so I'll see you later." She got up and left the room, leaving Rebekah there to her thoughts. Of course, she didn't even know how the woman was feeling after receiving the news.

———

After hours of sitting and talking with her family, she told them that she was going to go to the Grill to make sure Klaus didn't dagger Kol again. They were still really wary about the two being together but Melody reassured them that this is what she wanted. Pan had grumbled something under his breath that made Felix roll his eyes. Mary Margaret was still going on and on about how cute they must be. Regina flickered her on the head with Pan smirking. Even though they still liked to compete on who was the better parent, they had their moments.

But the conversation ended and so Melody used her magic to teleport to the alleyway next to the Grill because she was too lazy to drive. There was a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. And telling Klaus over the phone wasn't a good way to tell him. She just had a feeling like he was in danger. The brunette walked around to the entrance, walking inside and seeing the two Originals at the bar. Kol smirked. "Look at who it was. My gorgeous future girlfriend."

"Say another word and I'll tear out your liver," Klaus warned before calling to the woman. She went over to them with a smile. He smiled back at her. "Would you like to join us for a drink?"

"Actually we need to talk. Can we go outside?" 

Kol chuckled. "That's never good, brother." He winked at her. "Don't forget that you always have another option on the table, darling." She rolled her eyes at him, smiling slightly and denying his offer. Klaus smirked and then followed her outside. When they sat on a bench, he dropped it, looking worried.

"Is something wrong?"

Melody turned to look at him. She nodded. "Yeah, actually it's about your mom." He nodded for her to continue, giving the woman his full attention. "I think she's up to something. Elijah found burnt sage in her room this morning. And I haven't seen her or Finn all day. I was at the mansion all day, Klaus. She's planning something I know it. There's no way she would just forgive you, I'm sorry to say."

He sighed, looking off into the night sky. "Always something with her." The hybrid turned back to her. "Do you have any ideas on what she might be doing?"

Biting her lip, she replied, "Well, she might be trying to kill you. Think about it, you killed her and she made vampires. You really think that that the witches would let her live after that? I think she's creating a plan to rid of vampires for good." She was about to continue when Klaus grabbed his chest, grunting in pain. "Klaus?" He stood up and she followed. "What? Klaus?"

"What did you do?" he growled, grabbing her arms. Melody fought against him. "What did you do Melody?"

"Nothing, Klaus. What's wrong?"

He let her go and then breathed, "Kol." The Original flashed away off towards the restaurant where the brother still was. She rubbed her arms to relieve the pain and was about to follow when she was grabbed from behind. Finn. He sped her to where Esther was, throwing her into the Pentagram. With a groan of annoyance, her eyes went up to see the witch and then the Bennetts.

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed. "Called it." She got up and felt the barrier, knowing that even if she tried to use her magic to break it, it wouldn't work. She was stuck. While she was forced to deal with this situation, being told of Esther's plan to kill the Mikaelsons, the other Originals were notified that Melody had been captured because the charm necklace she was gifted was found on the ground where Klaus left her. He was furious at his mother and himself. So right away, he told Kol and Elijah (who had joined them) then texted Rebekah who was currently in the caves with Elena Gilbert. Immediately, the three brothers got the location of the ritual and sped off to save the woman.

Melody stood up, glaring. "You do realize the witches won't let me die right?"

"I'm afraid that the witches have accepted your death, Melody." The brunette felt her whole world crumble. "You were supposed to save my children and you did not. It's too late for them now. So my gift to you is that you will be able to die with them."

Another scoff passed through her lips. "What a great gift. Thank you. But do you not realize what this will do to you? They are your kids! It doesn't matter what they've done in the past. They were only like that because of you. So why not actually try and fix your family instead of giving up and killing them all? You are no hero, Esther. I hope you rot because of this choice." She took a step towards her. "Take this as a threat because it is. Klaus will find me and he will tear you apart. You won't survive this."

The witches knocked her down, making Melody yell in pain, clutching her head. Finn told Esther that they were here. She told the Bennetts to leave and they did. The witch led her son into the Pentagram where the fairytale woman was lying on the ground, her entire body numb. It felt as if her magic had been drained. And it had, by Esther. She needed to make sure that the woman's magic didn't float around in the abyss. But if the ritual was broken, Melody's magic would be returned. Kol, Elijah, and Klaus walked up the hill. They saw Melody and Klaus clenched his jaw, seeing his true love lying their helplessly. She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

When he went to enter the Pentagram, the torches flared up, driving him back. Kol taunted his mother and brother. "That's lovely. We're stuck out here, while the favorite son plays sacrificial lamb. How pathetic you are, Finn."

Esther hushed him. Elijah spoke up next. "Whatever you think of us, killing your own children will be an atrocity."

"My only regret is that I did not let you die a thousand years ago." Even from her current state, Melody wanted to glare but couldn't. She couldn't move at all. It was like one of those awful dreams where you are aware of everything around you. But there's not a single thing you can do to stop what happens. That's how she felt.

Klaus was the next to say something. "Enough. All this talk is boring me. End this now, Mother, or I'll send you back to Hell." The thought of watching as the woman he fancied died was not something he wished to witness. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. It was just the expression of Melody's face that broke him. She looked so sad, almost regretful because there wasn't a single thing she could do to stop this from playing out. All she could do was hope that someone, something would break the spell.

"For a thousand years, I've been forced to watch you," Esther told her sons. "Felt the pain of every victim, suffered while you shed blood. Even you, Elijah, with your claim to nobility, you're no better. All of you. You're a curse on this Earth. Stretched out over generations. If you've come to plead for your life or for the girl's, I'm sorry, you've wasted your time."

Elijah shook his head, speaking with authority. "Melody is innocent. She has nothing to do with this.

"And that is where you are wrong. I created her curse. Her reason for existing was to fix the monsters I created. She failed in doing so." Klaus glared with such hatred. Melody took a deep breath, calling out silently to some kind of savior. She pleaded for the Mikaelson siblings not to die. They didn't deserve it. With that, fate changed the course.

The tie to the Bennett line was severed and Esther gasped. "No! Sisters! Do not abandon me!" Finn yelled for his mother. The pentagram torches flared up. Quickly, Finn grabbed Esther and sped them off. Melody flinched from the flames, drawing her knees to her chest and curling into a ball so she was not burnt. After a moment, the torches died out. Elijah, Klaus, and Kol looked around in shock because the two were gone.

Klaus went over to Melody and helped her up. She breathed in, her magic returning to her. All of her strength was returned. "Told you."

———

Melody sat by the fire, sitting crisscross. She had been quiet as the aftermath of Esther's ritual set in. Abby, Bonnie's mom, was in transition because Damon and Stefan wanted to save Elena from Rebekah. Kol left, Finn was gone, as well as Esther. Elijah had just fled after a heartfelt conversation with his only living sister. Thankfully, she had been told goodbye by the two brothers before their departure. But the only thing that was on her mind was the feeling of being numb.

Klaus entered and sat by her. "Are you alright? You've been quiet for a while now."

She replied, "Just thinking that's all." He encouraged her to explain. "It's just... we almost died today. And now that I think about it, I've never faced death so much before. Not even when I lived in StoryBrooke. Sure my brother did kill me but, I came back. Ever since I came to Mystic Falls it's like everywhere I go, someone is threatening to kill me or you and your siblings. I don't know." She looked down at her hands and Klaus watched her carefully. "Is this how it will always be? Facing death every single time we think we actually have a chance at being happy? Is this what our life is?"

He got exactly what she was saying. Looking into the face, he told her the first thing that came to mind. "I hope not. But I suppose that's what makes us stronger than others. We fight and fight. Even when our time comes, we still fight. I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted. Perhaps returning to your family would be best."

"I'm not leaving." She turned to look at him, grabbing his hands. "And this may not be what I had in mind, but it is worth it. You are worth fighting for Niklaus Mikaelson. We are going to fight whatever comes at us together. Just don't get sick of me yeah?" He chuckled, wrapping one of his arms around her back, pulling her so her head could lay on his chest.

Klaus smiled. "Never."

———

Thank you all for reading this awful chapter. But anyway, my heart goes out to my queen, Rebekah because ugh, if Melody wouldn't be with Klaus, they'd be together and it pains me to do this to Bekah. I also just wanted to thank misplaced_dimple for giving me some motivation for this chapter because originally, I didn't plan on starting a new chapter right now. Then she said how she was excited to see what would happen next (and other stuff on my message board) so I put my Melody hat on and got to writing. I don't really have any questions today so just let me know your thoughts! :)

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 )