Chapter Text
Mikael approached Elena Gilbert's home. He'd sought out her address not long after waking up from being daggered. He'd found her easily enough. He needed to talk with her alone. There was much he needed to say to her. There was much he needed her help with. He would be putting a lot on her today, and she would have no time to process it before he needed her to aid him. He regretted that fact.
Mikael approached the front door and knocked. He then waited patiently for her to open the door.
Elena opened the door and gasped, taking a step back when she saw who was there. "Mikael."
Mikael smiled at her. "Hello, Elena."
"What do you want?" Elena asked nervously.
"I need to speak with you. Would you mind inviting me in?" Mikael asked.
"You can talk to me at the boarding house if you need to. I'll be there later," Elena said. There was no way she was letting this man into her house. She knew he was dangerous. Klaus was afraid of him. That was proof of how dangerous he was. She also knew from Rebekah that he was violent. He'd abused his kids. She didn't want him near her, and she especially didn't want to be alone with him.
"I'm afraid that's not possible. What I need to discuss with you needs to be done in private," Mikael said.
"Then say it now, from where you're standing," Elena said. She was standing her ground. She was not letting him in. What she really wanted to do was slam the door in his face and call Damon.
Mikael gave her an impressed smile. "You're a smart girl, Elena. You don't invite just any vampire into your home unless you have the upper hand. Here's that upper hand," Mikael said before reaching into his pocket and taking out the white oak stake. He held it out to Elena.
"Is that…"
"This is the one thing in the world capable of permanently killing an original. Take it," Mikael encouraged.
"Why? Why would you give this to me? You wouldn't even tell Stefan and Damon where it was," Elena said. She was completely taken aback by his actions. He was offering her the one thing that could kill him forever. That seemed kind of stupid, and Mikael did not strike her as stupid.
"I don't trust them. I trust you, and I hope that once we're done, you will trust me. I simply want you to feel secure while we talk. Go ahead and take it," Mikeal urged.
Elena hesitantly reached her hand outside the door for the stake. She half expected him to grab her and yank her outside, but he didn't. She was able to take the stake and bring it inside with her.
"Now, may I come in?" Mikael asked again.
Elena reluctantly nodded and held the stake out in front of her in a protective stance. She wasn't sure this was a good idea, but she was curious about what he had to say. He was willing to give her the one thing that could kill him. It intrigued her that he could possibly have something to say to her that was worth that to him. "Come in."
"Thank you," Mikael said before stepping inside and closing the door.
Elena took a large step back and held the stake between them. She wanted a bit of distance between her and Mikael.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Elena. I only want to talk," Mikael assured her.
"Is this about Klaus?" Elena asked. She wasn't sure what else it could be about. Stopping Klaus was the only thing they had in common.
"He is a large part of it, yes. We can start there, in fact. You know, I was watching you last night. You put on a good show of wanting my son dead, but I could tell that you don't want to do this," Mikael said.
"Of course, I don't want to do it. I don't like the idea of murdering someone, even Klaus, but I don't have any other option. He wants my blood. The only reason he didn't kidnap me when he left town was because he was afraid you were closing in on him. Plus, he's the reason Stefan is the way he is. I will go through with the plan, if that's what you're worried about, no matter how much everything in me tells me it's wrong," Elena said. She assumed he was bringing this up because he thought she had cold feet. He didn't want anything to get in the way of him murdering his own son.
"Niklaus won't touch your blood any longer. You have my word on that," Mikael said.
"Because you're going to kill him. You're going to kill your own son. Look, I'm doing this because I have no choice. I'm doing it to protect myself and the people I love, but I hate it. And here you are, his own father, and you relish in the thought of murdering him," Elena said in disgust. She hated Klaus, but no one deserved a father that hated him so much that he wanted him dead. It was really no wonder that Klaus had turned out the way he had. He'd been taught by the worst.
"You're wrong," Mikael said calmly.
"Right. This is where you tell me he's not your son. All because of an affair you didn't even know about until he was an adult. I'm adopted. My parents loved me as though I was their own. They didn't care whose blood ran through my veins," Elena said.
"I'm very glad to hear that," Mikael said genuinely. "You're a very compassionate young woman, Elena, even for someone who harmed you."
"What do you want from me? I'm doing what you want. It doesn't mean I have to like you," Elena said.
"You don't have to like me, but if you're going to dislike me, I'd prefer it be for the right reasons. There's much I have to discuss with you. It will change everything, including what you do tonight," Mikael said.
"What is it? Just say what you want to say," Elena said. She wanted this conversation over. She wanted Mikael out of her house. She wanted this entire day done.
"This is going to be a lengthy conversation. Would you mind if we sit?" Mikael asked. He was fine standing, but Elena definitely should be sitting for the things he had to say to her.
Reluctantly, Elena led the way to the living room. She sat on the couch while he took a chair. She continued to point the stake at him.
"Have you ever been compelled, Elena?" Mikael asked.
"Yes. Elijah compelled some information out of me," Elena said.
"I see. Have you ever been compelled to hate someone that you love, to hurt those that you've sworn to protect," Mikael asked.
Elena frowned. She could only guess that he was trying to relay his own experience. "You can't be compelled. You're an original."
"It wasn't compulsion, but it's the closest thing I can compare it to. It predates the existence of compulsion. There were no vampires when it started. I don't know what happened or how to describe it, but I know that I loved my son one day and hated him the next. And I know that when I woke up from desiccation, that hatred was gone. You were right earlier when you insinuated that being a parent had nothing to do with blood. Niklaus is my son," Mikael said firmly. That had been hard to come to terms with when he woke up. It had been like he'd woken up from a terrible nightmare. Unfortunately, it wasn't. All those years were real. He'd spent centuries hating his own child. He'd abused him terribly. He'd abused all of his children. He'd hunted them like animals, and he had no idea why. He had a clue about who was responsible, but he had no idea why.
Elena stared at him in shock. If she understood this right, Mikael never hated Klaus. He was somehow forced to act the way he did with him, and now he remembered the son he loved. If that was all true, there was no way he was going to hurt him. "You didn't come here to kill Klaus, did you?"
"No," Mikael said simply."
"But you told us…"
"I said what was necessary to gain the trust of your friends and get them to trick Niklaus into coming home. No harm will come to him. I won't allow it," Mikael said.
Elena's grip on the stake tightened. Mikael wasn't going to let anyone hurt Klaus, and he could very well have it out for anyone who had tried, and that included her.
"Calm down, my dear. I told you, I will not hurt you. I know that your desire to hurt Niklaus was merely an act of defense, and by the time I'm finished, it will no longer be necessary," Mikael said.
"What are you talking about? What are you planning?" Elena asked.
"We'll get back that later. There's something else I need to discuss with you first, and I'm afraid it will be quite traumatic for you. I'm sorry for that. I learned of you for the first time when you were small. You were barely a toddler when I came for you," Mikael said.
"Came for me?" Elena asked in horror. What the hell did that mean? What had he been planning to do to her?
"Yes. It's not what you're thinking. Although, you're not the first person to think it. The reason I was desiccated was because a witch believed I wanted you dead because of your doppelganger status. That had nothing to do with it. You see, a couple of years earlier, I'd met this young woman. Her name was Isobel Flemming," Mikael said.
Elena gasped in shock. "You knew my biological mother."
"It wasn't for very long, but, yes, I did. I was having a drink in a bar when I met her. I didn't learn until years later that she was much younger than she led me to believe. I want you to know that I'm not proud of that fact, but I can't regret what happened either. I could never regret the result," Mikael said.
Suddenly, the stake in Elena's hands dropped to the floor as her hands started shaking. She stared at Mikael in complete disbelief. She could put two and two together, but it couldn't be true. This couldn't actually be happening to her a second time. "No."
Mikael nodded. "Yes. I came for you when you were a child because I am your father."