Cami O'Connell (originalshrink) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2021-04-04 10:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | !closed, !log, ~2021 april, ~~klaus mikaelson (orighybrid), ~~~camille o'connell (orginalshrink) |
Who: Cami O'Connell and Klaus Mikaelson
What: Cami's arrival
Where: Streets of Madison, then her apartment
When: Saturday evening
Warnings: references to death & violence
Status: complete
It was an odd thing, to know you were dying and there was nothing anyone could do to prevent it. In the years since Camille had learned the truth about the supernatural world and the darkness that lurked under the bright lights of New Orleans, the fact that this could happen had been in the back of her mind, especially since she discovered the role her family played in the community. Nothing could ever truly prepare you for it though, something that she’d known academically from her psychology studies and was now learning first hand.
As she and Klaus walked around her memories of New Orleans, she felt a kind of peace washing over her. This wasn’t what she wanted or would have chosen, but she didn’t regret the choices that brought her to this place. Honestly, her biggest concern was what havoc Klaus would unleash on the world after losing her. He didn’t love easily and she knew that his feelings for her were genuine.
Suddenly, her surroundings shimmered and changed. She blinked in confusion, looking around and attempting to get her bearings. The street was unfamiliar and the air had a chill to it that was not common to New Orleans. Of course, the moment she realized that she felt that chill, she knew something was terribly wrong.
“Klaus? What’s going on? Are you still there?” she called, frantically looking for him or anyone else. Was this it? Had she died? “Breathe, Camille,” she reminded herself, though it was unnecessary given that she was a vampire and also possibly dead.
***
Klaus rarely spoke of Cami, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t think about her. She was constantly on his mind, one of the many people he’d loved that he’d been unable to save. Those always hurt the worst. What was the point of being immortal if those you loved weren’t with you? He wondered that sometimes, in his dark moments. Although, since the birth of Hope, there had always been a reason to go on, regardless. He had to keep his daughter safe, make sure that she had a happier and less violent life than he’d had. He feared that he’d failed at that, as well.
Today, Klaus had been downtown, walking around the shops and restaurants that lined the streets. It was miserable, compared to New Orleans, especially after dark. While New Orleans seemed to awaken at dusk, Madison Valley died, creeping closer and closer to complete silence as the night wore on. Yes, there was a night club or two, a couple of bars, but all in all the place was dead and dying. It was certainly not the place he would have chosen to be trapped.
As he walked, he suddenly heard a voice that sounded heart-breakingly familiar. A voice that it was impossible for him to hear. But...was anything really impossible in Madison Valley? He was here, and not dead, Hayley was here...even Jackson was here. It was a place where the impossible came true.
He listened for a moment, then in a fraction of a second closed the several blocks distance between Cami and himself.
And it was her.
He took a deep breath, standing just behind her.
“Camille?”
***
She turned when she heard his voice and the tension went out of her body. Whatever was going on, he was still with her and that meant she had the strength to face it.
“Klaus, what is this? It’s not New Orleans or one of my memories,” Cami said. “Is it yours? Why didn’t you warn me that you were going to change our location?” She also realized that the sun had set and wondered why he opted for that type of setting instead of allowing her to feel the sunshine for possibly the last time.
***
Apparently, he’d arrived here before anyone had come to explain things to her. He was both glad and annoyed at that. He didn’t want to waste this time with explanations of the strangeness that was Madison Valley, although that seemed like what he would be forced to do.
“This isn’t me,” he said softly. “This is real. It isn’t New Orleans...but it is a real place. You are alive.” His voice held a tenderness that it lacked when he spoke to many other people. Only Cami and Hope had heard that voice in some time.
***
“I…” she glanced down at her arm and was surprised not to see Lucian’s bite. “What? How is that possible?” Cami knew that Klaus wouldn’t lie to her or give her false hope, but what he was saying didn’t make any sense.
Though she hadn’t been a vampire long and hadn’t gotten the hang of her enhanced senses yet, she did catch a few familiar scents lingering around him. Hope, Hayley, Freya… those all made sense. There was one she didn’t quite recognize though.
***
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. I don’t know how this place exists. It’s a...waypoint, if you will. A place where all worlds come together, where all times come together. Those of us here can’t leave, but it is a second chance for all of us.” Including himself, but he wasn’t going to trouble her with news of his own death just yet.
He put his hand tenderly on her shoulder, simply to give her that contact and that support.
“Indiana is nothing compared to New Orleans, and their cajun food is terrible, but…” He paused for a moment, controlling his emotions. “But I am glad you’re here.”
***
The combination of his touch and the emotion in his voice made Cami close the brief distance between them so she could wrap her arms around him. “A second chance,” she repeated. It sounded too good to be true though she knew it was true if Klaus was saying it.
“Well, okay,” she said when she finally released him. “So what now?” It was overwhelming to suddenly be told that she wasn’t on the brink of death and even if she wasn’t in New Orleans, she was grateful for it. Especially since Klaus was here.
***
Klaus hadn’t expected that; he never expected tender gestures. He’d rarely known them in his life. He’d known cruelty, violence...all such acts as those, but tenderness? Never. He’d craved it his entire life but had never found it. After a moment, though, he returned the embrace, burying his face against her hair for a moment and breathing in the scent of her. It had been so long, and the scent was so precious to him that he tightened his arms around her a bit more before releasing her.
“They should be arriving to give you your money, phone, and apartment. I’m not quite sure why they haven’t yet. Then...you begin your life here.”
***
There were a number of questions that Cami wanted to ask him, however, she managed to refrain from firing them all at him at once. “What kind of life do you have here?” she finally settled on asking. Unasked was what place there might be for her in that life. “And how long have you been here?” He seemed rather settled which meant that it must have been quite some time. The Klaus she knew would have likely razed the place to the ground rather than simply beginning a life in a new place.
***
He had been tempted when he’d first arrived, except for one important fact. Hope was here. He would get to see her grow up, be her father as he’d never had the chance to be back home. That was what kept him from going on a killing spree and killing everyone he saw. And, well, he hadn’t been perfect here. But he wasn’t going to get into that just yet.
“I’ve been here…” He trailed off, shaking his head a bit as he realized how long it had been.
“I’ve been here almost a year. Hope is here. She’s a teenager.”
***
“A year? And a teenager?” Those were both pieces of information that Cami needed a moment to digest. “Wow, that’s… so it’s been a long time since I... “ she trailed off, unable to actually say the word ‘died’. If that much time passed, she wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Klaus had found someone else and she tried to ignore the pang of sadness she felt.
She saw a young woman approaching them then and turned her attention away from Klaus, grateful to have a distraction. The young woman handed her a packet and gave her a very brief spiel welcoming her to Madison Valley, explaining what was in the packet, and then quickly retreated with a nervous glance in Klaus’s direction.
“Well, I guess I need to go and find my apartment.”
***
“I can show you the way,” he said, offering her his arm. “I lived there for a short time before we moved into the house.” Klaus Mikaelson living in a simple one-bedroom apartment was simply not something that could be done.
“Perhaps you can move into the house with us.”
That was what he wanted, to have those he cared about close, so that he could keep them safe.
***
Cami automatically took his arm and smiled at him. “Oh? Who’s us?” she asked. The idea of living with Klaus was tempting. “And how big is the house?” Even though this whole thing still didn’t make a lot of sense, she was willing to go along with it and see what happened. If it truly was a second chance, then she was determined to enjoy it.
It did occur to her that she didn’t have a daylight ring, which meant she would be limited in her movements around town, but she could manage that.
***
“Hayley, Hope, Freya, Keelin and I at the moment. The house is getting a bit crowded now, though, and my guess is that Keelin and Freya will get their own place. Hayley is seeing someone, but I’m not sure how serious that is.”
He really didn’t care much, either. It had annoyed him at first as he had considered Hayley to be Elijah’s for some time, but he had long since moved past that.
“There were only a few of us for some time. Then more started showing up.”
But unfortunately, not Elijah or Rebekah.
***
“Who is Keelin?” Cami asked. That wasn’t a name she was familiar with, though she was guessing it was someone connected to Freya if he thought that they’d be getting a place together. “And that does sound crowded. I think I’ll stick with my apartment for now.”
She could probably use some space to get herself settled anyway.
***
“She’s Freya’s wife. A werewolf.” Of course Cami wouldn’t know her. She was already dead when Keelin entered their lives. The thought made him pull her a little closer, just so he could feel her warmth and nearness. Everyone he loved got taken from him. This was the first time one had been given back.
“If some of them leave, would you consider it?”
***
It wasn’t difficult for Cami to understand why Klaus pulled her a bit closer after explaining who Keelin was. Clearly she was someone who’d come into their lives after Cami’s death. “Of course,” she said.
She looked up at him and bit her lip. “How long has it been, Klaus?” she asked softly.
***
“Thirteen years,” he said flatly. It sounded like a long time, but it wasn’t, not really. And then again, it was. So much had happened in those years, and he’d turned back to cruelty for some time after losing both Cami and Hope. Perhaps he’d done the right thing in the end, but he still wasn’t sure anything could truly cleanse his soul.
She would probably ask about the things that had happened in the meantime. He didn’t want to answer, even though he knew he should. And that he probably would.
***
“Oh, Klaus,” she said, stopping and turning to him, her hand lifting to his cheek. “I’m sorry.” Part of her wanted to know what she’d missed besides Freya’s marriage and another part of her was afraid to ask.
A public street was not the place to have that kind of conversation. “Don’t suppose there’s a place to buy liquor on our way to the apartments?”
***
“Thankfully, there is.” That was one thing Madison Valley had in abundance - liquor stores. None of them were stocked as well as his wine cellar had been, but that had been a work of love, a collection that had taken hundreds of years to create. And when it came to it, alcohol was alcohol when you needed it for something like this.
“I can stay with you a while tonight. Discuss things. Help you understand what this place is.”
Really, he just wanted to be with her for a while. He’d use any excuse to stay.
***
Cami nodded, though she didn’t drop her hand from his cheek just yet. “I’d like that,” she said. “And you can fill me in on all the things I’ve missed in the past thirteen years.” Knowing the Mikaelson family, there would be a lot.
“Maybe I should pick up some clothes and groceries too,” she said. “That way we can stay in when we get there.”
***
“Of course,” he said. “People seem to like Walmart for things like that.” Klaus didn’t, but it would probably be the fastest way to get what she needed and it would only take one stop. “It wouldn’t be my first choice but the shopping options in this town are...limited.”
He frowned. There was a good deal to tell her and most of it wasn’t good. He would tell her all of it in time, but again, that wasn’t something to speak about on the street.
***
WalMart was not Cami’s choice either, but it seemed like it might be a necessary evil considering her limited funds. “Okay, do you actually know where it is? And can we walk or do we need to get a cab or something?” She wasn’t really expecting Klaus Mikaelson to know where WalMart was, nor was she expecting him to go inside with her.
“Do you just want to meet me back at my apartment in like an hour? That’ll give me time to get a few necessities.”
***
“I’ve never been there,” he said, maybe a bit snobbishly. “But I think it’s on the other side of town, so a cab would probably be the best way to get there.” He had no desire to go into the place, which was filled with what he considered to be the absolute worst of humanity.
He held out his hand.
“Give me your keys and I will meet you at your apartment.”
***
Pulling out her phone to make a note of her apartment number, Cami realized there was a ride share app, so she decided to use that. She gave Klaus her key and smiled. “I’ll be there soon,” she promised. This all still felt a little like a dream and having him at her side was grounding.
When the car arrived, she kissed his cheek and then slid inside. The lights and sound at WalMart were far too intense for someone with vampire senses and she did her shopping very quickly, picking up only the very bare necessities. As she grabbed groceries, she realized that she was going to need to figure out how to get blood here without causing any trouble.
She used the ride share app to get to the apartments and they were a little bland, but nothing worse than she’d lived in during her college years. It was easy enough to find her assigned apartment and she realized she’d have to knock on her own door since she’d given Klaus the key. Did that mean he would have to invite her into her own place? She was still learning how all that worked, but her memories of Aurora shoving her into the barrier of somewhere she wasn’t invited were still fresh, so she wasn’t taking any chances. “Klaus, it’s me.”
***
As the apartment had been empty and unlived in, Klaus hadn’t needed permission to enter. And his presence did nothing, being a vampire himself. He opened the door and stepped out of the way to let her and the bags she carried inside.
“There are better places to shop here. I’ll show them to you in time.”
He’d never been inside Walmart and he never planned to.
“Put your things away, and I’ll take you to dinner. On me.”
He doubted she’d want to cook her first night here, and he could explain everything to her while they ate.
***
“Could we order delivery instead?” Cami asked. “I’m not sure I’m ready to be out among a lot of people.” Her head already hurt a little from WalMart and she’d prefer to revel in the quiet of her apartment. Sure, there were muffled noises from the neighbors, but it wasn’t nearly as in your face.
She took a minute to look through the place, it was pretty basic and unassuming, before putting away the handful of groceries that she’d purchased. Her clothes could be taken care of later. “Also, what do you do about blood here?”
***
“Of course.” It didn’t bother Klaus, but he had a thousand years of experience dealing with crowds and people. “Most places here deliver. Just let me know what you would like.”
At her second question, he quirked an eyebrow.
“There are blood bags available. Many vampires use those.” He was not one of those. Blood bags were repulsive and he wouldn’t torture himself by drinking them. “I have an understanding with a succubus. You could also simply compel the humans to forget. I showed you how to do that. Do you think you can control yourself? Killing is still frowned upon.”
***
Cami shrugged. “I can try,” she said. “But maybe I should stick with bags. At least for a little while.” It wasn’t like she’d had years of practice in feeding without killing or compelling people.
She didn’t want to cause any trouble for anyone, so she’d do whatever she needed to do.
“And, uh, I’m good with whatever food wise. You know what’s good,” she said. “Do you mind if I grab a quick shower?”
***
“If you can stand them,” Klaus replied, making a rather disgusted face. He definitely couldn’t stand them. He’d rather starve. Well, not literally, although almost that as well.
He nodded when she mentioned taking a shower. He’d go ahead and order them some food, and it would be well on the way before she got out. He made sure that she had what she needed then made his way to the living room and ordered them some Mexican before sitting on the couch and scrolling through his phone.
So far he’d kept the emotions at bay, but it wasn’t easy. He didn’t know how to feel about having her here...it was terrifying and wonderful at the same time.
***
Since Cami had never tried blood bags, she had no idea if she could tolerate them. “I’d rather not risk hurting someone,” she said with a shrug. “How bad can it be?” Okay, in general, blood was pretty gross and if it was cold, she imagined it would be worse, but it was still better than accidentally killing someone and potentially getting arrested or worse.
She grabbed the bags she needed and headed into the bathroom, trusting that Klaus would handle food. As she stood under the spray of hot water, her mind filled with random thoughts. What was this place? How long would she be here? Did Klaus still have feelings for her? Would it even be safe for them to possibly explore that sort of thing here? So many unanswered questions and so many questions she wasn’t sure she could even pose to him. He’d mentioned some others in town and maybe they could help her sort some of this out.
By the time she finished in the shower, her stomach was rumbling and she hoped the food would be here soon. Blood could wait until tomorrow. She donned a simple t-shirt and a pair of leggings, braiding her wet hair to keep it out of her face, before heading back to the living room. The apartment was sparsely furnished, but it would do for now.
“I feel much better,” she said.