𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝟏𝟖𝟎𝟑

You never know how much you love someone till you lose them. That's what everyone always says.

To Juniper though? That was complete bullshit.

She knew how much she loved her dad before he died. She knew how much she loved Wylan. She knew how much she loved Kaz.

And she knew how much she loved him. Before him, she had never fallen in love. She thought every person she met was too ordinary. But he was no ordinary man. He was Kol. Her strong Original.

And she had lost him.

Just like everyone else.

She hadn't left her room since Klaus had taken her to it. It had been three weeks.

Elijah brought food to her door every day. It never got eaten.

Every day she heard Klaus stop at her door. She felt his hand hover over the doorknob for a few moments before she heard his steps walk down the hallway.

Elijah tried to talk to her through the closed door. She listened to his words but never answered. She couldn't. It was like every language she knew had left her completely. And all that was left were their last words to her.

Their last moments, their last words, their voices, their faces. It all came flowing back after he resurfaced the memories she had buried years before.

Juniper could still feel Kaz's blood on her hands. She swore she saw it staining her skin when she glanced down at them for a split second.

Kol had made it better.

He filled the void in her heart. It was no wonder how quickly she forgave him. The second he was in her heart, she was never able to get him out.

He made her smile. He made her heart beat again.

And now he was gone. The void was back and her heart felt no more.

Klaus was back again. It was the second time that day that he'd stopped at her door.

But this time– this time he talked.

"Love?" He paused, glancing down at the tray of food that had yet to be touched, "You need to eat, love."

She didn't answer.

"... Name anything and I'll bring it to you. Whatever you want."

She didn't answer.

His hand rested on the doorknob, "I'm gonna come in now. Snap your fingers if you're not dressed."

Juniper rolled her eyes as she pulled the covers of her bed over her face.

When he heard nothing, he opened the door.

The room was dark, curtains completely closed only letting in small streams of yellow light. His eyes moved around the room until he saw the lump under the bed.

He sighed before walking over to the bed. He slowly sat down, the act earning a skipped beat of her heart.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"You already did," She whispered hoarsely, her voice muffled.

It was silent for a moment before he spoke again, "Did Kol ever tell you about Henrik?"

She stayed silent but he could feel a slight movement making him think she shook her head.

"He was our youngest brother. I had taken him out to see the wolves transform. I thought he was right behind me but they had gotten to him. He died in my arms."

His voice was quiet like he hated bringing up the memory. Juniper felt the same way and that is why she wouldn't feel bad. He had a choice to remember, she didn't.

"Stop trying to guilt trip me," She spoke from under the covers.

"I'm not trying to. I'm trying to... I didn't know that was the reason you survived. I didn't mean to bring those memories back up."

"That's a shit apology."

A laugh left his lips, "Best I can do, love. You need to eat."

"I don't need to do anything."

"Well, you need to breathe... sleep... a bath would be appreciated..."

She pulled the cover over her head and glared at him, "I hope you die."

He held a hand to his heart dramatically, "Rude. Go bathe."

"No. Go die."

"I will compel you to bathe."

She glared at him.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm trying to compel you to go bury yourself six feet under."

He laughed once more, "I'm afraid it won't work. Originals can't be compelled."

"Would you rather I boil your blood?"

"Well, I'd rather you go bathe over anything but... to each their own."

"You should go before I stab you."

"Will you bathe if I make you waffles? I recall my brother saying they're your favourite."

She sat up slightly, "Are they going to have vervain in them again?"

"No, there will not be vervain in them."

"And you'll stop bothering me?"

He smiled, "I'll think about it."

She pulled a knife out from her pillow causing his eyes to widen, "Where did you get that?"

Juniper held the knife to his chest, "You are to make me waffles whenever I want. And If I tell you to fuck off, what are you going to do?"

He looked down at the knife which was ripping into his shirt, "I'll fuck off."

"Good. Go make me food. And if they are dry, I will kill you. And when you wake up, I will kill you again. And I won't stop until I get hungry again."

He looked at her nervously before quickly leaving the room.

— — —

Just over thirty minutes had passed and the girl had joined the Mikaelson in the kitchen.

"You'd make a good housewife," She spoke from the doorway, "Not an attractive one... but you look good in the kitchen."

He rolled his eyes, "You smell better."

"You still smell generic."

Klaus looked back at her, "How does one smell generic?"

"I don't know. You just do. It's not great but it's not terrible. You're just average."

"I am anything but average."

She looked him up and down before her eyes met his, "Are you sure about that?"

"I can see why Kol likes her," Elijah spoke as he walked into the room, sending the girl a smile before moving to his brother, "You're burning them."

Juniper glared at the man, "You burn another, I burn you."

Elijah held back a smile, "She's telling the truth, Niklaus. My advice would be to not burn the rest."

The Heartrender sat down on one of the chairs and crossed her legs, "My advice would be to run while you still can but that works, too."

Not long after a plate was placed in front of her, "Twelve not burnt, not drugged waffles."

She smiled, "Thank you for your service, maid. Go clean the house or something. The floors look a little dirty; why don't you get on your knees and start scrubbing?"

Elijah turned around, teeth biting his lip as he held back a laugh.

He knew exactly how his brother had fallen in love with her now.

At first, he didn't understand how Kol, the man who made fun of Rebekah for falling in love with mortals, the man who laughed when he fell for Katerina, the boy who thought love was for the weak, could possibly love someone.

Juniper Zenik was his brother's heart, he realized.

From the way he looked at her to the way his heart raced from being in her presence.

Kol was in love with her. And she was in love with him. 

"So, are you going to kill me or... What do you plan to do with me?" Juniper asked after a minute.

Klaus glanced up from the papers he was looking at, "I'm not going to kill you."

"How kind of you. But that still isn't telling me why you haven't kicked me out yet."

"Well, do you have any money?"

Her eyes narrowed, "No. I have other ways though."

"And what would those other ways be?"

"Theft, larceny, murder, heists... Ooh, I could go after that one millionaire here. What's his name again? Oh right, Klaus Mikaelson. Heard he has a lot of money."

He glared at her, "Don't even think about robbing me."

"I don't need to. I've already got it all planned out," She muttered before standing up and walking past him, "Sleep with one eye open, Niklaus."

— — —

It had been a century.

Juniper wasn't sad anymore. She was just angry.

Every time she used her small science, it stopped her aging process. She hadn't aged a day since she turned nineteen.

She didn't understand the science behind it, but if she were being honest, she didn't really care.

Every night she would disappear for a few hours at a time. Klaus and Elijah never knew where she went, they just knew sometimes her dress would be covered in blood when she did.

They tried to talk to her about it the first month but she always deflected.

Eventually, they just stopped asking questions. Especially now that Elijah was daggered.

"Didn't know you drank that type of stuff," Klaus spoke up after turning on a light, revealing himself to the Heartrender who sat still on the couch, a glass of bourbon in her gloved hand.

"Only on special occasions," She answered, not looking up from the golden liquid.

His eyes were on her cheek, more specifically the fresh purple bruise accompanied by a split lip, "Does the special occasion have anything to do with that?"

She stayed silent as she finished her drink before pouring another.

"Those are your brother's gloves?" He asked after his eyes left her face.

"Mhm," She nodded, feeling the soft black leather covering her hands.

He breathed out as he sat down beside her, "Is there a reason you've started wearing them again?"

"Today's the day he died. These are the only things I have left of him."

"And why the bruise."

She glanced up at him, "I don't think you'd approve of it."

He smiled slightly, "Since when have you cared what I think?"

"I don't. I just don't feel like having a lecture right now."

Klaus sighed, "No lecture. Just tell me who's been hurting you."

"Can't really tell you. It's more of a show and tell type of thing..."

He stood up quickly before holding out his hand, "Where to?"

— — —

"You joined a supernatural fight club?" Klaus almost yelled as he watched a vampire get beaten to a pulp by a werewolf.

"I didn't join it, Klaus," She started as she grabbed him and herself a drink from the bar, "I own it. Welcome to the Crow Club. And it's not a fight club, those two just don't get along very well."

She sighed, clearly annoyed as she left his side and walked to the supernaturals, "I already broke up your fight once tonight, if I have to do it again, you'll both be dead in the alley," She told them quietly.

They instantly stopped fighting, separating quickly.

"Good. Now get the hell out."

As they ran out of the gambling hall, she walked back to the Mikaelson, "What do you think?"

He glanced around, "It's... something. I didn't expect this."

"My brothers and I started one just like this in Ketterdam. It was far more illegal than this one but other than that it's all the same."

"The crow... That was on his cane, right?"

"Mhm. Wylan made it for him after he broke his leg. I tried to heal him but at the time I wasn't skilled enough. He couldn't go to a medik so it healed wrong. He wasn't able to walk properly ever since."

"You three... you were criminals weren't you?"

Her lip twitched upwards, "We never got caught... so no."

Klaus chuckled, "Very reassuring. You haven't stolen from me, right?"

She smirked as she sipped on the strong drink, "Would you like the truth or a lie? Or for me to set off the bomb hidden in your bedroom?"

His eyes widened as his head whipped to the side, "You hid a bomb in my room? How do you even have a bomb?"

"Wylan taught me how to make them. And there are actually four."

His lips parted slightly from shock, "Why?"

She smiled as she patted his jaw, "Just in case you piss me off again. So, how's your doppelganger situation going?"

"Well, Katerina is in New York currently. And I have yet to find a human doppelganger so not well."

"Why can't we just kill her? From what you've told me, she's incredibly annoying."

"I'll let her run a little longer," He said with a smirk, "I like it when they run."

"You're so fucking weird."

"Hey! You're the one running a supernatural fight club."

She rolled her eyes playfully, "If I were running a fight club, you and I would be fighting right now."

He laughed, "You'd fight me?"

"And I'd win. I've won before, haven't I?"

"I thought I paid you not to speak about that."

She grinned, "You only paid me half of what you promised."

"I'm sure you stole the rest, dirty hands."

Juniper bit her lip, holding back a smile. The nickname reminded her of him.

"I will admit, I did steal the rest. But it would have been nice to get it from you yourself."

"I figured getting the warrant for your death off your head was enough."

"To which I am very grateful. I just like messing with you, Nik. You know that. Ooh, when you break your curse, can we play fetch?"

He grumbled, "We will not be doing anything of the sort. I'm sure you and Kol will be busy enough with your midnight charades."

She smiled at his name. She hadn't heard it in a while. It was nice.

After the first ten years, Klaus had promised to undagger Kol after they found the doppelganger.

"I'm sure your virgin ass will be sick of us," She teased.

"I'm not a virgin."

"Mmm but that's exactly what a virgin would say, is it not?"