A/N: This is a sequel to What Was Lost. It also features Arthur Hall, another OC of mine from my story Old Friend, and Valerie Tulle, a character from The Vampire Diaries whom I paired him with in Old Friend.

~~~~~~

 Despite Radu's prayer, things did not get better anytime soon.

 Mikael changed. He became quieter and more withdrawn than he was before. He would go out and be gone for hours, even an entire day. True, he had already been a bit strange before, but at least he would talk to Radu about things. But he just didn't, and Radu didn't know what he could do. 

 This behavior went on for months, nearly an entire year, and Radu felt as if he himself were going to go mad living on edge and worrying all the time like this. He wanted to do something, anything to help Mikael through this, but he knew there was nothing he could do. That was what disturbed him when he looked at Mikael: he could only see himself from centuries ago.

 Radu tried, and then stopped trying. He knew that if he wanted to help Mikael, the best thing to do would probably be to simply stay out of his way and let him heal on his own. When he himself had gone through this, he was entirely alone. It was his own fault in a way, when you thought about it, since he deliberately didn't bother trying to make friends. But now Mikael at last had him (which Radu doubted was really that good a thing), and Radu had already let him know he was there for him.

 After nearly a year, Radu's silent impatience and weary days and nights finally paid off in the form of a early morning chat.

~~~~~~

 Radu and Mikael used to sleep in a bed together, but Mikael had begun staying in his own room after the returned from New Orleans (Radu had no idea if the man even slept). But once, at about 1:30 AM, Radu was roused from his sleep by the feeling of someone getting into the other side of the bed.

 Radu was startled by it, and quickly turned over to grab whoever it was that was in the bed, but when he saw his visitor's face, he stopped and said, "Mikael?"

 "I'm going to assume you weren't expecting me."

 "Well, no, I-" Radu quickly pulled his hands away and fumbled for a candle. "Damn it, why haven't I ever gotten electricity for this place!"

 Eventually, he found a candle and a match, which offered them a little light. Radu set down on his bedside table, and paused for a quick moment when he saw Mikael's face. He looked deeply disturbed, even afraid.

 "All right, now." Radu got back into the bed and put his arm around Mikael. "Something's frightened you, so for once in your life, you're going to tell me what's wrong."

 "It's everything, Radu," he began. "I haven't felt the same since I found out about...the deaths of the Mikaelsons. They were my children. Even Niklaus was my son once. Radu...I was the worst kind of father. All that time, I had chances to make things right. I should have known there would be more trouble, and I should have just gone to New Orleans myself, instead of Freya asking me to come in a letter that she...she never got to send to me."

 Mikael spoke in a soft voice. He didn't sound sad or angry or any emotion whatsoever; he sounded simply numb.

 "Well, to be honest, Camelia and I weren't the best parents, either," Radu said after a short silence. "You know, we could be very overprotective, and we wanted the best for our children, but we didn't always make good choices. We also got very attached. When our oldest daughter was married and moved away, Camelia was in such a state that there was nothing I could do to comfort her over it."

 "I've never heard you talk about your human life like that before," Mikael remarked. "You hardly mention it at all."

 He shrugged. "Not very interesting, I'm afraid. Just your usual ancient noble house of witches. I'm suppose I'm the last of them, really."

 "Radu...they're gone."

 "Who?"

 "The rest of the Originals. I'm the last one." Mikael sighed. "Of all of us...I never thought there would be a time when I was the last one living."

 The conversation ended there, and the two men lay silently in bed until sunrise.

~~~~~~

 That one conversation seemed to be a wake-up call for both of them, that they couldn't keep living the way they were.

 "I know I've been insufferable for the past eleven months," Mikael said to Radu a few days later. "I'm sorry for the way I've acted. You deserve better than to have to worry about me all the time. So...I will try to be better."

 Radu gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, Mikael. I know you mean it. But I had an idea of my own: I think we should go live somewhere else for a while."

 "Live somewhere else?" Mikael repeated. "I didn't think you would want to move somewhere else. Where would we even go?"

 "Now, it would only be temporary. I would never leave my castle forever. As to where, we can go anywhere you like. I have a entire map." Radu opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a huge map, spreading it out across the top of the desk. "Here we are. A big city, perhaps; people like us need time around other people. Let's see." He traced his finger along the map.

 "Radu, how old is this map?" Mikael asked, peering at it from the other side of the desk.

 "Very old, I'm afraid."

 "Then how are you going to know if we're in the right place or not?"

 Radu paused, and sighed. "Of course. Well, London is on here. We know that's still there. Bug city, plenty of people, not too bad a place. I say we go."

 Mikael sighed. "It doesn't really matter. I suppose I'll go and pack."

~~~~~~

 Things weren't so bad in the beginning. They moved their things to the city, and found a nice flat for themselves.

 "What are you doing?" Radu asked when he saw Mikael moving his luggage into the same room Radu had put his in.

 "Moving in," he answered.

 "In the same bedroom?"

 "Well...yes. Is something wrong?"

 Radu smiled and shook his head. "No. Not at all."

 Of course, it took a while for the two of them to adapt to the city. They weren't used to so much noise, and had a hard time adapting to the busyness of London.

 But, for the first time in a long time, Radu made a friend. There was a pub a few blocks away from the flat called The Jolly Fiddler, which was owned by a vampire named Arthur Hall. It was the first pub Radu could ever remember entering with a vampire owner-or it least the first one with a friendly atmosphere, remembering Rousseau's in New Orleans.

 "He's not bad," Radu remarked to Mikael. "A little too talkative for my taste, but I like him."

 Mikael's mood actually improved during their time in London. He and Radu spent more time together by exploring the city, which caused them to spend more time having real conversations. The entire experience was almost like getting to know each other all over again, and like falling for each other all over again, which was the greatest thing either of them could have experienced during that time.

 "You know, a few centuries ago," Mikael said once, "I never would have appreciated what beauty and culture any place had to offer."

 "But now?"

 "Now...I feel like I can."

 Radu was never certain how Mikael felt about Klaus' death; it wasn't something they ever discussed. Mikael had given up on his crusade to end Klaus' life, and he seemed to have become indifferent to anything having to do with his stepson. Did he feel the same way about his death, or did he suddenly feel so free because Klaus was gone?

 In the years they spent in London, Radu made another friend: Valerie Tulle, a fellow heretic who began dating Arthur. Radu was surprised and ecstatic at meeting another heretic; he had begun to think he was the only one.

 In retrospect, those years were peaceful for them. They had a chance to live and make friends and become closer to each other. 

~~~~~~

 "Everything was all well while we were gone?" Valerie asked Radu as Arthur went upstairs to put their suitcases away.

 "Right as rain," Radu replied. "How was the countryside?"

 "Beautiful, as always. I never thought I would fall in love with someone with so much of a romantic side as Arthur."

 "But you did, didn't you?" Arthur called from upstairs.

 Valerie smiled. "Anyway, is Mikael all right? He's hanging around outside, and he doesn't look very talkative."

 "Oh, nothing to worry about. He usually looks like that."

 "You know, I'm proud of you two," Arthur declared as he came bounding down the stairs. "When you and Mikael first showed up here, it was obvious you were both in pretty bad shape. And look at you now."

 "Well, I guess it's true," said Radu. "We had both lost people, and we both had some things to move on from, but we really did it together."

 "And that's what's amazing about it," Valerie said. "Arthur and I have both lost people, too. Not at the same time, but we've both grieved and moved on, and now we have each other." She smiled at Arthur, who squeezed her hand.

 "Well, we'll be going, then," Radu said. "Goodnight."

 "You, too. And Radu?" said Arthur. "I hope things stay good with you and that boyfriend of yours out there. He's a strange one, but he obviously loves you."

 Radu smiled. "Thanks, Arthur."

 Mikael joined up with Radu when he left the pub, and the two men began to walk home together.

 "Do you think we've really changed that much?"

 "You know, I didn't think so, but maybe we have. Arthur and Valerie might have a point. We really ought to make more friends."

 "Please," Mikael scoffed. "It's strange enough having two friends who actually like you. I think I need some more time before I can handle anymore."

 Radu laughed. "Of course you would say something like that." When his laughter died down, he said, "You know, Arthur told me not long ago that he was thinking about proposing to Valerie. I'm surprised he didn't do it on their romantic country getaway. What do you think we'd be like as a married couple?"

 "Married? I think you would probably get sick of me soon enough."

 "You underestimate yourself," Radu said with a sigh. "Well, same-sex marriage is legal in plenty of places these days. I don't think we're technically citizens of anywhere these days, but we could get married. We could even adopt some children if you wanted."

 Mikael stopped walking, which caused Radu to stop and look back at him. "What's wrong, Mikael?"

 "Is this your way of trying to propose to me?" Mikael asked. "You're not being very subtle, you know."

 "Well, not technically. I'm just saying that we could. Mikael, if I were going to give you a real proposal, it wouldn't be while walking home from a pub at night, I promise you that."

 Mikael had stopped listening by then. He thought he had seen a dark figure in the alleyway behind Radu.

 "What is it?"" Radu asked.

 Before either of them could make a move, whatever was in the alley grabbed Radu and pulled him in. Mikael ran in after him, and but he was shoved to the side, and whatever it was disappeared.

 "Radu!" Mikael helped him to his feet. "Did it hurt you?"

 "Yes." Radu grimaced. "I think I did."

 Mikael's eyes widened when he saw the mark on Radu's neck.

 It was a werewolf bite.

~~~~~~

 "Here." Mikael helped Radu lay down on their bed, and then squeezed his hand. "Oh, you can't die on me now. Why now, Radu? And I don't have the cure."

 "No, but I do, Mikael."

 Mikael froze. The voice had come from the doorway, and it was one he knew all too well. He turned around to face him.

 It was Klaus Mikaelson.

 "Why are you here?" Mikael asked, looking at him in surprise and bewilderment. "How are you here? You're dead."

 "Oh, is that what they told you? Lies."

 Klaus flicked the light switch, and Radu groaned when the light hit his face.

 "My old friend Radu," said Klaus. "What a state you're in."

 "You!" Radu cried when he saw Klaus, and Mikael had to hold him to stop him from attacking the hybrid. "Why the hell are you here! You're supposed to be dead! We got rid of you!"

 "Nice to see you as well," Klaus said, rolling his eyes slightly. "I can see why Mikael started sleeping with you." He came over to the bed. "Now, that is quite the wound."

 "Klaus, he was bitten by a werewolf."

 "I know. I am the one that bit him?"

 "You bit him?" Mikael cried. "It was you in the alleyway?"

 "Yes, but I didn't realize who he was until I saw you. My mind has been very disoriented lately. But this is something I can fix." Klaus bit into his wrist, and he held out his bleeding wrist. "Drink, Radu. You'd better do it before the hallucinations start."

 Radu glared at Klaus, and Mikael said, "Please just drink it, Radu. It's the only cure."

 Apparently frustrated, Klaus pressed his wrist against Radu's mouth, and the latter began to drink.

 "There. Now, that's better, isn't it?" he asked. "You ought to stay here and rest, lover boy. My father and I need to talk."

 Radu looked up at Mikael, who said, "I'll handle him."

 The two Originals went to the kitchen, where Klaus asked, "Who told you I was dead?"

 "Marcel Gerard. I hadn't heard from Freya for months, so Radu and I went to New Orleans, and you were all gone. Marcel was in charge, and we were told you were dead."

 Klaus scoffed. "Of course. Well, I'm alive, as you can see, and the others are all alive, too. Freya, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol."

 "And you live in London now?"

 "No. You see...something happened. Have you ever heard of the Hollow? No? An ancient witch who tried to take over my daughter's body. To save her, the spirit had to be divided into four pieces and put into four members of Hope's bloodline. That was me, Elijah, Rebekah and Kol. We all had to leave New Orleans for Hope's safety. It would be nice to see them, but..." He waved his hand in a gesture.

 "What are you going to do now?" Mikael asked.

 "I don't know. I think my road to redemption is over now. If I'm alone, who knows what I'll do?" Klaus glanced around the place. "You certainly upgraded. Television and electricity. I'm sorry about poisoning Radu, by the way. That actually was an accident. But anyway, I suppose I'll get going. Get in touch with Freya, will you? I'm sure she has a lot to tell you."

 "Wait, Niklaus." Mikael followed Klaus to the door. "There are so many other things to say, but..."

 "I know. The things no one knows how to say. Well, forget about it. Everyone's moved on, especially you." Klaus opened the door, but stopped. "You know, Mikael, each of us had good and bad in us. I think that's what you never realized." He smiled. "Wish me luck." 

 "Good luck," Mikael whispered after the door and had shut behind him.

 "What did he want?" Radu asked as he came into the room.

 "Just to catch me up on everything." Mikael gave him a smile. "I have more than one thing to celebrate now."