Chapter 13: Unease

Klaus eyed his mother over the glass of bourbon in his hand. She had been relatively pleasant to Jane since her arrival a month ago. She had taken the news of twins quite well…too well in his opinion. His mother was up to something and it involved his soon-to-be-wife and children. Of course, having no proof other than her oddly nice behavior, he kept it to himself.

His six-month pregnant fiancée smiled at him from the other side of the room, a hand on her very round belly. He smiled back before flickering his eyes towards his mother. She followed his gaze and shrugged, just as perplexed as to why she had a sudden change of heart about her.

"I'm sure I can find some of Rebekah's old things. Some of Kol's too." Esther was saying, smiling warmly as she sipped her tea. "Can't be too prepared. It could be one of each."

Jane nodded. "That's true."

The older woman stood. "I will retire for the night. It's been a wonderful afternoon with you, dear. Have pleasant dreams."

"Thank you, Esther. Sleep well."

Esther patted Klaus' shoulder when she got close enough. "Goodnight my son. Make sure she gets plenty of rest. Carrying one child is tiresome enough. Two must put a strain on her." He nodded, eyes softening as he watched Jane concentrate on her sewing again.

"Goodnight, mother."

She went out of the room and Klaus finished off his drink in one go.

"My love." He said lowly and she looked at him. "Come." He held his arms out.

She smiled and set aside her sewing before coming over to him and he pulled her gently into his lap.

"I have missed you." She murmured, stroking his cheek. "Where did you go?"

Klaus wrapped her in his arms, his hand resting on their babies. "Elijah and I were running an errand. Took longer than we anticipated. Did my mother treat you well? Has she been cruel to you at all?"

"No, she's been very pleasant. And very helpful. She made me a special tea that's supposed to help with-" Klaus had her arms, suddenly tense. His eyes were looking her over aggressively. "What's wrong?"

"What's in it? Did she tell you?" He demanded and she stuttered out an answer.

"It-it's some kind of root. Why? You don't think she's trying to poison me do you?"

He tried to make himself relax so not to frighten her further, but he really wasn't sure whether he was being paranoid or maybe onto something.

"No, no. Of course not." He murmured after a moment and she chewed her lip.

"What if its to hurt the babies?"

Klaus forced himself not to tense at that. "No, I don't think so, sweetheart." The mere thought of it made fear course through her body and she pressed herself closer to him, tucking her head under his chin. He stroked her back when he felt her shiver slightly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

She pressed herself further under his chin. "But you're right...She's never been so nice to me before. What do you think she wants?"

"I'm unsure, my love." He murmured back and stroked her soothingly. "But I'll be keeping on eye on her from now on."

"I can get it."

"No." Klaus made her sit back down. "I don't want you to strain yourself, love."

"Klaus, it's only a book."

"A heavy book. On a high shelf. I've told you to stay off the stools."

She huffed at him, but thanked him for the book anyway by kissing his cheek and he smiled at her.

"Rest." He told her and hesitated by the doorway.

She shook her head fondly at him. "Stop coddling me and go play with your friends." She smirked at him and he snorted at her choice of words.

"I will return shortly." He said softly and she nodded. "It shouldn't take too long."

"Klaus?"

"Hm?"

"I love you." She said and he came back to kiss her softly, lovingly.

"And I you." He murmured and pressed his forehead to hers. "If you need something ask Katerina or one of my siblings. And I do mean for anything."

She sighed and then nodded. "All right." He chuckled and kissed her head.

"I'll be late coming in."

She nodded again and he went out the door, giving her one last glance. An uneasy feeling about leaving her alone threatened to overwhelm him. He would try to come back sooner.

Jane jolted awake when her book hit the floor and she blinked slowly. The fire was low in the fireplace and she felt a bit chilly. She got up slowly and smiled when she felt a few small kicks from her babies. She ran a hand over her belly, pressing lightly, and giggled when she got a few more kicks from them. She bent slowly and cautiously to pick up the book.

"Ahem."

She straightened to look over her shoulder. Kol was looking at her in disbelief.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting my book." She rolled her eyes.

"What if you hurt yourself? Or fall down?" He strode across the room and picked up the book himself. "And it weighs a ton." He tsked at her and she made a face at him. "Don't you look at me like that lovely. I'll not have you upsetting the babies."

Yawning, she shook her head. "You worry too much. It's not that heavy."

Kol fidgeted. "Still...You should be more careful."

She smiled at him. Seeing that he was clearly at a loss of what to do should something happen. He often told her he was no expert when it came to pregnant women. Or babies in general.

"All right." She conceded. "I know I shouldn't have tried to get it on my own, but I fell asleep. I wasn't sure what time it was or of anyone was still awake."

"It's about midnight. Nik ought to be home soon." Kol said and offered his arm to her with a smile. "You best get to bed before you fall asleep on your feet."

Jane took his arm and he escorted her out of the library.

The front door burst open, startling them both and in rushed a person she had never seen before.

"Niklaus!" He bellowed before his eyes landed on Kol and Jane.

"Finn?" Kol frowned. "What the devil are you doing here?"

Elijah and Rebekah, having heard the commotion, appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

Finn was looking from one to the other.

"I've come to warn you. Mikael is coming."

Rebekah paled. "Finn, are you absolutely sure? How do you know?"

"He's been following Sage and I for weeks. We tried to set a trap for him, but he managed to elude us."

At that moment, a woman entered. She had beautiful red hair and a wan smile.

"He left us a note. For all of us." She held out a thick envelope for Elijah to take and he opened it, skimming over the words.

Jane bit her lip as Elijah lowered the letter, his eyes going to her briefly. Kol took the letter from him.

"He knows where you are. Where Klaus is." She guessed and he nodded.

"Yes. It won't take him long to find out about you."

Finn looked at Jane. "You're Jane." He murmured and took her hand. "It's nice to meet finally meet you." She smiled and moved to hug him instead. He chuckled and hugged her back.

The door opened and Klaus strode in. He froze upon seeing his siblings all together.

"What's going on?" His eyes landed on Jane who looked fearful. "What's happened?"

Rebekah stepped forward. "It's Mikael." Klaus paled slightly and Jane went to him. He pulled her into his arms.

"Does he know?"

"Not of Jane, but it won't take him long to find out." Kol murmured and handed Klaus the letter. The Hybrid took it, hand shaking slightly. "What should we do?"

"I can protect this house." Esther stated and they looked up to her. "With the help of Davina, I can place a protective spell upon the house. Mikael will not be able to cross."

Jane smiled at her and Esther smiled back. "You will be perfectly safe from his wrath."

Klaus nodded gratefully. "Thank you, mother." She inclined her head and went away.

Jane tossed and turned, her hand hitting Klaus' chest. He took her hands gently in his own.

"My love." He soothed. "You're all right."

"No..." She said fearfully. "No, please! My babies!" Her eyes flew open as she screamed out.

He drew her into his lap, soothing her. "There, there, sweetheart."

"I saw him." She whispered. "I saw Mikael...He-He took our babies."

Klaus pressed his face against her head. "He'll never touch them and he'll never touch you."

She turned and stroked his face and they both stiffened as images flew into his head.

He saw a figure with his back to him and instantly recognized him as a bolt of lightning lit up the room and the man's features.

Mikael, the Original vampire hunter, was standing facing the wide window. A woman's screams and cries were coming from behind him. In his arms was a wiggling bundle.

"P-please." A voice whispered. It was Jane. "Don't hurt my baby." She groaned, tossing her head back and it thumped the wall behind her. She was pale and blood covered her thighs and the floor in front of her. She was slumped against the wall, exhausted and sweat-soaked. She clenched at the shelf next to her, knuckles white, and screamed.

The bundle in Mikael's arms began crying softly and he bounced it gently in an almost fatherly way.

Jane screamed again and moaned loudly. Mikael put the baby that was in his arms down in a little basket and turned towards her.

"Get away!" The girl screamed at him, but he ignored her and pushed her thighs apart again.

"Push, girl."

"No, no! Get away!"

"Push now." He snapped harshly and she had to, it was no use. With another scream, another baby's cries filled the air. Mikael took the baby and set to work cleaning it and cutting the cord. Jane was slumped against the wall once more. Exhausted.

"A boy." He muttered and she held her arms out.

"Please. Let me hold him...please."

He ignored her, taking the baby to its sibling and, wrapping it in a blanket, set the baby in a basket next to his sister. Both babies were wiggling and fussy, but Mikael paid no heed. Jane raised her arms in defense when he came towards her, but he grabbed her hair and jerked her head back.

"Take heart in knowing that they will never be like Niklaus. Weak and monstrous." He slammed her head against the wall and shoved her aside, so that she hit the floor.

Dizzily, she looked up to see him carrying the baskets.

"No...No! My babies! Give them to me!" She sobbed, lying in a pool of her own blood. "Please don't take them."

He ignored her and stepped around her to get to the door.

"Mikael, please..."

"Let this be a warning to Niklaus. Anything he has I can and will take from him. May death find you swiftly."

He shut the door on her sobs and was gone.

Klaus jerked and Jane looked at him in confusion. "How-how did I do that?"

"I don't know." He frowned and then she started sobbing. "Don't cry, love. It's only a dream."

"But what if it's not? What if I had some kind of vision? Oh, Klaus." She sobbed harder, distraught.

He held her against him, rocking her gently. A knock at the door had, Klaus' head turning, body tense.

"Is everything all right?" Rebekah asked softly and opened the door. She saw the pain Jane seemed to be in and frowned. "What's the matter with her?"

Klaus continued to soothe Jane as he spoke to his sister. Rebekah reared back in alarm.

"It has to be a nightmare. Surely..." She trailed off, looking at Jane who was sniffling and just about to fall into an exhausted sleep. Klaus shook his head.

"I don't know, but whatever protective spell Esther is doing, she needs to do it as soon as it's daylight."

Davina appeared in the doorway. "Pardon the intrusion, Lord Klaus. I thought Jane could use some herbal tea."

"Thanks, 'Vina." Jane whispered and took the cup from the other girl.

"Lady Esther made it for her. It's supposed to help her sleep...I've heard about this kind of thing before. Visions I mean...With Jane being an elemental...Anything is possible. She might be part seer for all we know."

Klaus frowned. He didn't disagree with her, he was only worried about what that would mean. If it were true then...there might not be a way to stop Mikael.

Davina spoke as if she could sense where his head was. "The spell she wants to do is very strong. Nothing unwanted is getting past that barrier." The vampire relaxed and took the empty cup from Jane's hands before it fell to the floor. The girl was out. Drying the remains of the tears from her face, he turned and tucked her back into the bed, being careful of her baby bump.

Rebekah frowned. "I'm going to talk to our brothers about this. Maybe we can find a way to get Mikael to go elsewhere." She touched her brother's arm and Klaus looked at her. "We're not going to let anything happen to her or the babies, Nik." He put his hand on hers.

"Thank you, sister."

Jane giggled as he nuzzled her belly.

"Good morning, my little ones." He murmured and received kicks in response. He chuckled and kissed her stomach before looking up at her and cupping her face with one hand. "Are you all right, love?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry about last night...I just got upset." He shook his head and moved to lay next to her.

"No, there's nothing to be sorry about." He murmured and kissed her softly. "You had every right to be upset."

"Do you have to go?"

He brushed his lips on the tip of her nose. "I'm sorry, my love. If I could avoid it, I would stay here with you."

"What does Cade want?"

"I'm not entirely sure. But he wants to meet with Elijah and I."

"And Marcel?"

"Yes." He nodded. "But Rebekah and Kol will be here. Probably Finn as well. You'll be fine."

"It's not me I'm worried about. What if he's out there waiting for you? What if he tries to hurt you?"

"He has nothing to hurt me with, sweetheart. The White Oak was destroyed a long time ago." He kissed her nose again. "I have to go now. Katerina is bringing you breakfast and I expect you to eat it." She pouted and he stroked her cheek. "Please take it easy today. Kol told me about you trying to lift a heavy book." She rolled her eyes and he took her chin. "Promise me."

"I promise." She sighed. "If I want a book, I'll ask someone else." He chuckled.

"Don't be like that, love. It's for your own good."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Be a good girl." He purred lowly to her and she flushed as a heat went through her body. He watched her squirm on the mattress and if he had had the time he would have liked to have his way with her. "Be a good girl and I'll bring you a present."

"Another cat?" She asked tentatively and a little hopefully.

"Absolutely not." He told her sweetly and she huffed playfully. "One little beast is enough." As if on cue, Felix strode into the room and leapt onto the bed, taking his spot on the mattress. Klaus growled. Jane giggled and he rolled his eyes. "Goodbye, love."

Jane was sitting in the garden, finishing the baby blanket she had been sewing. It was a soft light-yellow fabric that she hoped one of the babies would like. Smiling at her finished work, she lifted the next material to start the next one. This one was dark-green color.

Humming, she started to fix the thread and needle when she felt a sudden sense of unease. Looking up, she glanced around the garden with a frown. Then she felt hands on her. Gasping sharply, she whirled around and smiled.

It was Damon.

"Damon!" She hugged him and he chuckled.

"I didn't mean to frighten you. Lady Rebekah told me you were out here." He smiled warmly and sat down, prompting her to sit again as well. "How are you?"

"Better." She told him. "I still have nightmares about him..." Silas, she meant.

Damon nodded understandingly. "Yes, I would too." He glanced at her belly. "How much longer now?"

"Three months. We're very excited." She beamed and he chuckled. "How is Stefan?"

"He and Caroline are following your example with Klaus. They are planning to wed."

Jane gasped. "Really?! I'm so happy for them." She gave him a look. "And you and Elena?"

"You caught me." He smirked and she laughed. "And you are invited to the weddings."

Jane hugged him. "Yay! I'm so excited."

Damon smiled and hugged her back carefully.

"I had to come and deliver the news to you personally." He smirked and she laughed.

"I'm glad you did."

"Oh, Elena and Caroline made this for you." He handed her a box and she opened it carefully.

"They're beautiful." She murmured, stroking the delicate crystals and chimes on the baby mobile.

"You hang them above the babies' cribs." He explained.

Jane smiled up at her. "Tell them I said thank you."

"I will." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I have to go now, but I hope I'll see you again soon."

"Let me know when the weddings are!" She called after him and he smiled. "And I'll let you know when mine is!"

He waved at her and she looked back at her lap to admire the little figurines.

She looked up again when she heard someone walking and smiled at Katherine.

"Want me to take those inside for you?" She asked and Jane nodded. "You probably need to come inside too. It's getting cold."

"Okay." She sighed and gathered her things. She smiled when she saw Josh coming over to help her to her feet. Josh smiled back.

"Has he come back yet?"

"Not yet. I'm not sure how long this meeting is supposed to be." He admitted. "It's about Silas."

Jane bit her lip. "They still haven't found him?"

"No." He said quietly and she grimaced.

Katherine frowned. "They better find him soon. There's no telling what he's up too."

Klaus poked his head into the door of the nursery and smiled lovingly. Jane was humming to herself, stroking her stomach and looking perfectly at ease.

"Hello, my love." He greeted and she looked up, smiling happily.

"You're back!" She tilted her head up when he came over to her and he lowered his lips to hers. He chuckled against her lips when he felt small kicks on his hand.

Klaus pressed his forehead to hers. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes." She told him and shook her head. "I barely did anything all day."

He smirked and kissed her nose. "Good."

"Look what Caroline and Elena made for the babies." She said and pointed above the two hand carved cribs. Klaus had made them. he admired the twinkling little chimes and turned back to her.

"That was nice of them."

"Mmhm. And I think we started a new fad."

"Did we?" He arched an eyebrow.

She giggled. "Yes, Caroline is marrying Stefan and Elena is marrying Damon."

"I see." He murmured and chuckled at her happy expression. "Then they must have realized the same thing that I did."

Jane tilted her head. "What's that?"

He took her chin. "That they found what truly makes them happy."

She blushed a bit and then tugged him down for another loving kiss.

Neither saw the figure watching them from the doorway, a look of disgust upon her face.

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