Who: Granpa!Kol and Kayla What: there are children Where: their house When: beginning of the kid plot (morning of Aug. 12th) Warnings: medium. Brief mentions of a murder, but no graphic details. A lot of grief. Mentions of vomiting Status: g-doc
Kaya woke up early with a headache. She’d had some nightmares the night before and apparently clenched her jaw all night. The clock read 7:04 and the teen knew she wouldn’t fall back asleep. Given that she didn’t work today, Kayla figured she’d make breakfast for the house before she went rollerblading. Today didn’t feel like a gym day, but a workout outside kind of day.
She needed coffee. Badly. As she walked into the kitchen, Kayla stopped short. Who…what? Kayla never shouted in the house, given her dad’s enhanced hearing, but the teen went on instinct only as a girl she didn’t recognize stared back at her. “Hi Mom.”
“Dad! I need you in the kitchen!” She blinked. Again. Nope, a girl still stared at her looking as equally confused as Kayla.
Kol was already up, freshly showered and dressed, by the time Kayla’s voice filled his ears. He didn’t need to sleep and he’d wanted to make an early start on the day. However, it wasn’t just Kayla’s voice that filled his ears. It was the sound of heartbeats and there was one more than normal in the home. Frowning, Kol slipped from the bathroom in a blur of supernatural speed and made his way to the kitchen.
He came to a stop beside Kayla and his eyes immediately landed on the other person in the kitchen. Who the hell was this?
“What’s going on? Who are you?” Kol asked, looking between Kayla and the young woman who looked eerily similar to his daughter.
“I have no idea what’s going on. I was going to ask if I have some Pacific Islander sibling you forgot to mention to Mom and me.” Sometimes Kayla called Allison Mom these days, and sometimes by her first name. It really depended on the day, but it had changed after the family vacation.
The girl looked at the pair and threw herself at Kol. “Grandpa! Where’s grandma?” Then her eyes went to Kayla. “Mom, I’m your daughter? Laney. My other mother is Rowan.” Kayla’s eyes widened. ”Mom?”. No. And who the hell was Rowan? “I’m…how? You look like you’re half my age!”
Laney rolled her eyes. “I’m eleven.” Well…if nothing else, that eye roll seemed classic Kayla.
Kol was still getting used to Kayla calling Allison “Mom.” He didn’t mind it, but it was an adjustment all the same.
“Definitely not,” Kol replied. His chocolate brown eyes studied the girl curiously. She couldn’t have been older than twelve with tanned skin and curly dark hair. Her build was similar to Kayla’s but her facial features were not. Before Kol could fully comprehend what that meant the girl flung herself at him and called him…Grandpa?
Kol looked shocked and he glanced over at Kayla, unsure of how to respond. What the hell was going on? The girl looked over at Kayla too and explained that she was her daughter with Rowan? Kol's expression shifted to confusion as he glanced between them. So, this was Kayla’s daughter with Rowan?
“I’m guessing this is something Dome-related…” Kol trailed off. Despite the situation, he found himself amused at the eye roll all the same.
Truthfully, it was an adjustment for everyone. But Allison deserved a title. Kayla felt strongly about it. However, now did not seem like the time to worry about how she referred to Allison. At this point, she’d kind of started throwing Aunt and Uncle in front of those Kol considered family.
She had to laugh, though, at hearing anyone calling Kol Grandpa. Kayla tried to see parts of herself in the girl calling her Mom. The chin reminded Kayla of her mother and her hands.
Kayla started water in a kettle for the French press. “I hope it’s Dome related.” She sounded a bit off kilter and… “I named you Laney?” God, Kayla missed her friend terribly. “I need a drink.”
Laney, “You gave up drinking.” Kayla stopped. And her…daughter squeezed Kol again before she stepped away and tilted her head. “After the person you don’t talk about back in New York.” What.
It was impossible not to laugh at Kol being dubbed “Grandpa.” Despite the weirdness of the situation, Kol cracked a grin at the term of endearment and playfully ruffled the girl’s dark hair. “I suppose it’s an honor then. Though, I never saw myself being called ‘Grandpa…’”
“I’m pretty sure it is, love,” Kol reassured her gently. “There isn’t really another explanation for it.” Kol wasn’t fond of the idea of Kayla having a drink, but perhaps he would allow her to put something in her coffee all the same. This situation was a lot to take in for everyone and even Kol was contemplating having a bourbon at some point following this entire interaction. A granddaughter? Who the hell would have ever thought?
As Laney released him and stated Kayla didn’t drink anymore, Kol took a step closer to Kayla. Anything regarding home was a lot for Kayla and Kol wanted to be near in case she required someone to lean on. “You okay?” He asked. Kayla seemed frozen to the spot at Laney’s words.
Kayla grinned at Kol ruffling her daughter’s hair. Still fucking weird to think and to see someone call her dad grandpa. “You didn’t expect Dad either and yet here we are.”
The teen felt about as ready to have a kid as she did a root canal. Which meant not at fucking all. When the kettle pinged, Kayla poured it over the coarsely ground beans already in the press. “Grandpa suits you, Dad.”
She couldn’t move or speak, but did shake her head. The teen swallowed, wondering what exactly her daughter meant and asked, even while regretting the words she spoke. “What happened?” Laney considered and noticed Kayla’s expression, but spoke anyway. “Sorry, Mom. I Googled my namesake and found out how she died. I only read the name Nick and I am really sorry. But you never talk about it and I got curious. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
And with those words, Kayla began to move like an automaton, pouring coffee and digging out her pistachio creamer. She didn’t trust herself to say anything and forget about words of reassurance. At least she kept Tylenol downstairs.
“Here we are indeed.” Kol never expected to be a father. Given how his father was with him and his siblings, part of Kol never wanted to be either. However, thanks to the Dome turning him and Kayla into father and daughter, Kol’s mentality had changed on the subject completely. He liked the idea of being Kayla’s father figure and being there to support her. While he didn’t know Laney well yet, he already felt rather protective over Kayla’s potential future daughter too.
Kol was about as ready for Kayla to have a child as Kayla was, but the Dome had decided to throw another bout of wackiness at them and they would just have to muddle through it.
He chuckled at her words. “Eventually.” Right now, it still felt as foreign to him as Kayla referring to Allison as “Mom” or his siblings as “Aunts” and “Uncles.” He would come around though because Kol was nothing if not fucking adaptable.
Kayla shook her head and Kol put a hand on her arm. Why did she bloody ask? Because she had to know. Kol knew he would want to know too. He could tell Laney was hesitant to respond, but, in the end she did. Not surprising to anyone in the room, it wasn’t good news. Kayla slipped from his touch and seemed to go on autopilot, pouring coffee and creamer into her mug.
The vampire was torn as to who to address first, but finally his brown eyes settled on Laney. “It’s alright, darling. You were just being honest.” It was a brutal truth, but Kol didn’t blame her for it. Kayla would want the truth even if it stung right now and it was clear it stung. Then Kol looked over at Kayla.
“Let’s all sit down, alright?” Kol tugged out two chairs from the table for the girls and then dug through the fridge for some water for him and Laney. He returned to the table and sat down himself, passing one of the bottles to his future grandchild. He considered returning with alcohol as well, but he thought it better left for when Kayla and him were alone. Drinking in front of Laney, especially after she just said Kayla did not drink in the future, felt like a bad idea.
Kol’s love language seemed to be protectiveness, which Kayla didn’t mind or she would not have started to call Kol Dad. Laney walked to the fridge and pulled out a jug of juice and poured herself a little. Her walk nearly broke Kayla because Laney’s gait looked so like her father’s. Not Kol. The one who couldn’t stand to look at Kayla, so she tried not to think about it.
“Definitely eventually. I think I should have a few steps in-between, like meeting Rowan? Maybe age up a decade?” Kayla liked the idea of kids in a very distant future.
She sat down and stared into her coffee once she’d fixed it to her liking and took a much needed sip. At Kol’s words about being honest, Kayla nodded and finally found her voice. “It’s okay, Laney. Really.” Kayla needed to know the truth, just like her dad would, and while she hated the answer, the brunette knew she’d hate not knowing even more.
If someone said Ethan did something to Laney, Kayla would probably have been less shocked but…Nick? Her English teacher? The person she’d been seeing back home? What? Maybe Kayla should just go to not drinking in general. Lord knew she’d drank enough over the last year back home.
Finally, Kayla managed, “Nick is the English teacher.” She’d told Kol about him, but didn’t remember if she’d ever said his name.
Laney looked at Kol and then back to her mom. “I’m really sorry.” She took a sip of her water. “Thanks Grandpa.” She smiled gratefully at Kol and then back to Kayla, before pushing her hair out of her face and Kayla walked over and kissed the top of her daughter’s head before she returned to her coffee. “I think those are some good first steps.” Kol found he didn’t mind the idea of grandchildren, but he’d want it to be further in Kayla’s future.
Kol was relieved when Kayla assured Laney it was okay she’d been honest with her. He knew his daughter and she would want to know the truth. No matter how painful it could be. Kol didn’t push for more than that. He sipped his water and allowed Kayla time to process everything.
Finally, Kayla spoke up again and confirmed Nick was the English teacher. Kol was familiar with the English teacher, but he wasn’t sure he’d ever heard the man’s name before. He’d hurt Kayla’s best friend? Obviously the idea shocked Kayla and he couldn’t blame her for feeling that way. Her and Nick had been together. There were feelings there. Kol reached out and gently patted Kayla’s arm. He wasn’t sure what else he could say. “I’m sorry, love.”
It was obvious Laney felt badly and Kol managed a reassuring smile for her. “It’s okay, Laney and of course you are welcome.” He also knew it helped when Kayla walked over and kissed the top of her daughter’s head before returning to her coffee.
“Don’t worry. I don’t think you need to worry.” Unlike at home, with Nick, Kayla and Lo hadn’t slept together yet, and for once Kayla didn’t feel a need to rush it to feel some kind of connection. Who knew that a stable home environment helped with such things.
She sighed into her coffee and offered both her dad and daughter a weak smile. “Is that all you read?” Laney looked a bit uncomfortable. “Murdered her.” Kayla inhaled sharply and excused herself to run to the nearest washroom and puke. Great. Turned out Kayla really knew how to fucking pick them. She’d liked Nick, and not just the sex, but that he wanted to know more about her and just talk. Why the fuck would he murder anyone, least of all Laney? And who the fuck knew when it happened. Dammit, her and needing to know the truth. She would not be asking any more questions today pertaining to herself.
When she returned to the kitchen, Kayla found herself in survival mode, which meant she’d started to pull out ingredients for crepes. “Who wants crepes, and do you want sweet or savoury?” Kayla found herself remembering those words she’d spoken to Colleen. Do not love me and she felt them so deeply, like someone cut her open and stitched the words into her cells before they closed her up and sealed in the words. Laney looked like she wanted a hole to swallow her and Kayla managed “You didn’t do anything wrong, darling. I promise. I asked.” So apparently she sounded like her dad when addressing her daughter. In any other situation she’d probably laugh and tease, but she only said, “Guess the darling apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Dad.”
Luckily, Kol managed not to choke on his water when Laney told Kayla that Nick had murdered her best friend. Instead, he watched Kayla flee the room and the door to the bathroom slamming shut filled his ears. The vampire was torn between chasing after her and staying with Laney who looked close to tears herself. He opted to stay with Laney, squeezing her hand gently, as Kol tried to block out the sounds of Kayla throwing up in the bathroom. At least Laney couldn’t hear it. Kol felt terrible for both of them.
Just when he was about to excuse himself to check on Kayla, there was the sound of the toilet flushing followed by running water and finally the sound of the door swinging open. Kayla breezed into the kitchen and immediately started pulling out ingredients for crepes. She needed a distraction, something to take her mind off of it, and while Kol was supportive, he was also worried.
Laney still looked unsure even after Kayla’s reassurance and Kol squeezed her hand once more. Then he stood and covered the distance between himself and Kayla. “Hey. We’ll eat all the crepes you want to make, alright? But it’s okay. It’s okay if you're upset.” Before she could protest or fight against him, Kol pulled her into a hug.
“And you fell plenty far, love. Miles and miles. You can’t even see that tree.”
Laney sat and returned the hand squeeze trying to not cry. When her mom emerged, she looked a little worse for the wear, but wearing an expression Laney recognized and managed to respond with “sweet” when Kayla asked about crepe preferences.
Kayla shook her head and spoke quietly so only her dad could hear her, allowing herself to melt into the hug briefly, before she pulled back and returned to the task at hand. “I can’t be upset in front of Laney. Putting my feelings on her wouldn’t make me any better than Tim and you know my feelings on that subject.” Kayla tended to call her birth father by his first name when referring to him, so as to not confuse which person she meant. Kol was Dad, her father was Tim and never would they be confused. The teen continued: “I might not be ready to be a parent, but I know what kind I want to be. And she already looks upset enough. I promise I’ll acknowledge them and fall apart, but not yet.” Not until Laney couldn’t witness her falling apart more than she already did.
She did snort at his comment. “Maybe if I squint.” Laney walked over and looked like she needed a little more reassurance, so Kayla walked back over to her and offered her a tight hug. “Don’t worry darling. I’ll be fine.”
“It would certainly not be my recommendation to break down in front of her, but I hope you do let yourself have that moment at some point,” Kol replied, voice equally as quiet to avoid Laney hearing. “I’m holding you to that promise.” Kol squeezed Kayla’s shoulder gently. He knew how lecherous and poisonous those kinds of emotions could be. As much as it hurt to allow yourself to feel them, Kol knew it was also necessary. Keeping negative feelings like those inside could only end up killing you in the end.
The vampire chuckled at her retort about squinting. “I would say don’t waste your time. I have perfect sight, love, and I can’t see it.” He offered her a playful wink as Laney walked over. The girl certainly looked in need of a hug, which Kayla offered quickly along with further reassurances that she was okay. Kol shifted behind them and wrapped his arms around both young women.
“It’s alright, darling. We’ll make it through this. We’re family and family, for better or worse, always makes it through these things.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Laney’s head.
Kayla nodded. “I want you to hold me to that promise.” She knew first hand what those feelings might do, but if this was the Dome then she only had to get through…a week? More or less? Maybe Rowan could take Laney for a night so Kayla could break down then.
She laughed, preferring to focus on her dad’s jokes. “You know, Dad, I should buy you a book of dad jokes. Yours are too good for a dad.” The brunette would ignore what she’d learned until this ended.
“Thanks Gramps. And for…you know, supporting Mom.” Kayla leaned against her father and said, “We’re family of the always and forever type,” she teasingly corrected Kol.
Kol would certainly hold her to that promise. Hopefully, Rowan would be able to take Laney for a bit so that Kayla could have some time to grieve and process what she’d learned. Besides, usually these things only lasted a week, right?
The vampire gave a mock bow. “It’s a talent, what can I say?” He joked. Kol never saw himself being a father. Hell, he never saw himself finding love either or truly being happy in his immortal life. Coming to Madison Valley had changed a lot of things for the wildest Mikaelson.
At Kayla’s words, Kol opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, there was a crash in the living room. And two additional heartbeats filled Kol’s ears. He flashed Kayla a confused look before stepping away from the young women and darting into the living room.
“Well, it looks like we’re going to have a full house.” Two children stood there, a boy and a girl, and from their features, Kol could immediately tell they were his and Allison’s future children. This week just became a lot more complicated.