The bonds of family

22

Arkyn was having fun talking to Caitlyn. Like her sister, she was very curious and seemed to want to know the answer to everything. He just liked having a friend.
"Excuse me." He said, after his phone rang for the twentieth time. He answered, pulling it up to his ear. "Yes, Nik? What trouble have you found yourself in now?"
"Finn's trapped the wolves and vampires in a boundary spell."
"Really?"
"And he's cursed the vampires with a ravenous hunger."
"I'm not a witch, what can I do about that?"
"I just told him where he can find Esther. Go, intercept him and try to stop him."
"Where did you leave her?" He sighed.
"Saint Roch Number 1 the Delphine tomb."
"I'll be right there."
"Another thing." Klaus stopped him. "I just got a call from Elijah. Rebekah's not in the body she's supposed to be. She's missing."
"Talk to Kol, he did the spell. I'll take our other brother." Ark hung up.
"You have to go?" She asked and he nodded.
"But first, let me walk you home?"
"It's fine, I'm cool. You have a lot to get done. Go." She said and he nodded speeding away.

He sped to the cemetery, to where Klaus had directed him.
"Finn." He calling, walking in to find his eldest brother sitting by Esther. Finn stood up and looked at him.
"What are you doing here?"
"I thought we could talk. You and I. No Klaus and co. No Mikael." He peered around to look at Esther. "Too much to ask for no Esther?"
"Look at what he did to her."
"He gave her more choice than she gave us. She chose to drink the blood, Finn." Esther knew better than to speak.
"Why are you helping him? You loathed him, and now you're his soldier."
"Because no matter his faults, he lost his child. I know how I felt when I almost lost Alexis and to have actually lost her would've killed me. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. Not even Niklaus."
"Yes he certainly seems to be mourning."
"Don't you get it Finn? Esther doesn't care. She would take a child from her father and a father from his child, even if they're her own blood. That's why I would much rather align myself with Nik than with her. His concept of family might be out of sorts, but he'd never truly try to kill us."
"He killed her."
"She came after his daughter. In my opinion she got what she deserved." Arkyn's glare hardened.
"Yet you wouldn't let them keep me in a coffin."
"Come home, Finn. You're our brother. You've been shoved in a box for nine centuries, and believe me I understand the hatred- the anger. But after a thousand years, maybe we can be a family again? I will talk to Nik. You don't even have to stay with us. I'll help you make a life for yourself as close by or as far away from him as you want. Live out your life in that body, or we'll put you in your vampire one if you wish. You can fall in love, have children of your own."
"You don't get it. There is no redemption for Klaus, and the longer you humour him, the more you'll end up his victim."
"That's my mistake to make, isn't it?" Finn's gaze hardened and he clenched his hand. Arkyn tensed, his body rigid as though something took hold of him. "What are you doing?"
"Reminding you just who your enemy is." He focused and memories started attacking Arkyn's head.
"No, Finn. Stop, you don't know what you're doing." Arkyn plead but Finn ignored him. He closed his eyes, wincing in pain as Finn continued to bring forward memories of all Klaus had done to him. The fear that had haunted him, the first time he woke from the dagger. How Klaus seemed to be lurking in every corner, how Elijah didn't seem to care about anything except for helping Klaus. He was attacked with memories of how overwhelmingly trapped he'd felt suffocating, drowning, dying over and over in his coffin. How confinement can seem to bring out his worst fears. How the ocean, as vast and open it is, could manage to make him feel like he was a small child unable to cling onto his lifeline. Memories of when Klaus had murdered his friends and almost the entire village just so that he'd feel the same pain he'd felt when he though Mikael had killed off Marcel. He remembered how long it took him to mourn, how he couldn't be anywhere near the village, afraid of seeing the destruction Klaus had wrought- that Arkyn himself was responsible for. He should've known better. He shouldn't have gotten so close to anyone, or should've at least covered his tracks. He should've gotten there in time to save them. By the time Finn was done with him, Arkyn was unconscious.

When he came to, Klaus was in front of him.
"Ark?" Klaus asked, but he didn't reply. He slowly stood. "Brother."
"Heh." Ark let out a scoff, snarling at his brother.
"What did Finn do to you?" Klaus asked, and Arkyn rushed at him, pushing him to the ground. "What's wrong with you?" Klaus asked, standing back up but Arkyn geared up to attack his brother again. Klaus was ready for it this time and snapped his neck before Arkyn could truly hurt him. "Great, you just had to get all vengeful and angry right after I've alienated the witch."