n// wow I haven't updated since last year omg I'm so sorry but I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

"So you're dad is... okay with all of this?" Marcel asked, gesturing between Darla and Kit. "Because if I know Klaus Mikaelson, and trust me, I do, I know that he doesn't respond well with handsome devils like this coming into the women he love's lives."

"Yeah, apparently." Darla laughed, looking at the charming boy beside her. "I'm just as surprised as you are, if I'm being honest."

"What?" Kit laughed after taking a bite of his ice cream. "Was he going to greet me at the door with a shotgun or something?"

Marcel and Darla shared a look, both of them wishing Klaus were that sane.

"...Something like that."

"Why is he so protective?" Kit inquired out of pure curiosity. "I mean, I get the whole 'don't hurt my daughter' thing, and he's a great guy, but why is everyone so afraid of him? I cannot tell you two how many times I heard something about that man being 'dangerous', or whatever, and now here I am, having ice cream with his hot daughter and best friend. He's a totally nice guy ― why does everyone hate him?"

Marcel shot him a little bit of a look at his choice of words concerning his little sister, subtly telling the boy not to overstep his bounds. And that was well received, judging from the fact that he shrunk back in his seat a little bit and continued eating his ice cream. Darla, on the other hand, didn't notice a thing, but instead focused herself on trying to answer his question.

"They fear him because he has the power to make people afraid," She spoke carefully. "In the most non-sociopathic way there is, of course."

"He's been running this city since he was able to, kid." Marcel smiled, grinning from ear to ear with pride. "New Orleans is in his blood. He isn't just some rich guy with a funny accent ― he's one of the reasons that this town is still afloat. People fear him because of his influence. He knows all the board members, all the city hall representatives, and everyone in between. He's a great man, Klaus Mikaelson, and if it weren't for him, I wouldn't even be alive right now."

Kit nodded, now having a newfound respect for his girl's father, and dropped the subject. And soon enough, after dropping Kit off at his house, Marcel and Darla were on their way back to the Mikaelson Mansion.

"I pray to whatever god there is that that kid doesn't end up doing something stupid, D." The vampire chuckled. "Whether it's for your wellbeing or his is up for debate."

"Glad to see you care so much about me, Marcel." Darla rolled her eyes with a little grin. "But why is dad like that? Kit is right — his behavior is way past the whole 'protective dad' trope. What the hell happened to him that made him like this?"

"What do you think, D?" Marcel asked rhetorically. "Klaus Mikaelson has been hunted and targeted since the day he was born. The people he love? They're nothing more than potential leverage. There are bad people out there, kid, and no matter how much it hurts to think about, they want your dad dead. And granted, he isn't the most perfect man in the universe by any means of the word, but he's still your dad, and you're stuck with him. But the fact is that it's damn near impossible to kill an Original, and if the closest thing to that is killing those of which he loves? They will do that, no problem. You're the biggest target of all. Hell, in my own opinion, I think Klaus is out of his damn mind for letting you even be here, let alone enrolling you into a public school, letting you date some outsider, and even let you walk home without any form of protection or supervision. Do you know how dangerous it is here? People know your father, and now they know you. And if you're not careful, Darla, there will be yet another casualty. And I don't think your dad can handle that kind of heartbreak."

Darla was silent at his words, because she knew that he was right. It was naive of her to think that she was safe in the slightest. Yes, her father would always be there for her when she needed him most, but that wasn't always the best case. He would do anything he needed to do to protect her, even if it meant killing himself. And that was the last thing she wanted in life. She loved her father more than anything — if he died, she wouldn't know what to do. Especially if his death was her fault all because she couldn't be a little more careful due to her stubborn independence.

And so she stayed silent for the rest of the ride, only speaking when Marcel bid her goodbye as she walked into the house.

"Hello, Darla," Kol chirped, putting his phone down to greet the girl. "How was school?"

But Darla was too consumed in her own thoughts to give him a proper answer, just walking up the stairs and up to her room, without so much of a word to her family.

Hearing the sound of her door closing, the Mikaelson siblings looked at each other in confusion.

"What's wrong with her?" Freya asked.

"What did you do, Kol?" Elijah inquired afterwards, staring at his brother in confusion.

"First of all: I just find it rude how you just assumed that I did something, 'Lijah." Kol stated with an attitude. "And second of all, I didn't say anything! I asked her how school was. And third of all? For beings with supernatural hearing, you're all rather hard of it."

"Rebekah?" Klaus asked, disregarding everyone's conversation. "Has anything like this happened before?"

Shaking her head, Rebekah furrowed her brow in concern, thus putting everyone else on edge as well.

"Maybe I should go up there—"

"No, Nik," Bekah interrupted. "Let he'd be alone for a while. "After dinner, then go up there. Just... give her some space."

And begrudgingly, Klaus agreed and went along with the previous activities of making dinner for the family. It was awkward and tension filled, and it was obvious that all of them were just trying to finish as fast as they could do that they could see what was up with their Darla Hope.

Finally, after the last dish was cleared, Klaus prepared a bowl of pasta and a bottle of water for his daughter, and ascended up the stairs quietly. Knocking lightly before entering, he peaked his head in and saw Darla leaned up against the headboard, deep in thought.

"Darla?" Klaus spoke softly, snapping her out of her little trans. "I've prepared some food for you, love."

Walking in and shutting the door behind him, he placed the food on her bedside table before sitting down on her bed. But what Darla did next surprised him. She leapt on him in a needy hug, clinging onto her father for dear life. Klaus didn't know what was going on, but he did know how to make his baby girl feel better — by showing her she was loved.

He held her in a strong, firm, warm embrace, cradling her head and wrapping his other arm around her torso. He recalled holding her like that the first day she'd come home as she cried into his chest. But this time was different. There were no tears, or adjustments needed to be made. It was a father comforting his daughter after a seemingly rough day.

"Is everything alright Darla?" He asked quietly as she held him tighter.

"Would you do anything for me?" She asked urgently instead.

"Of course I would, love." He said soothingly, stroking her hair.

"Then no," She answered. "I am not alright."

Furrowing a brow, Klaus loosened his grip on the girl and pulled away so that he could get a good look at her face. Her eyes held something that he could not place, but he knew that it wasn't good.

"What do you mean? Where is this coming from?"

"Eventually they're going to use me to make you do whatever they want, daddy." Darla spoke, on the verge of becoming hysterical. "They're going to make you lose everything you've built, or make you kill someone, or even kill you. I don't want that to happen just because you don't want me to get hurt."

"Woah, woah, woah, love," Klaus spoke, calming her down a bit while he wiped the eye that had managed to let a tear slip. "Nothing's going to happen to us, got it? Nothing. No one is going to hurt you, and no one is going to hurt me. I'm the Original Hybrid, sweetheart. There isn't a damn thing that's going to separate us. Not again. Never again. No god, no human, no hunters, no old enemies — nothing. I will keep you safe, and I will keep myself safe. Everything is going to be okay."

"Promise?"

"Always and forever is that promise, my little wolf." Klaus spoke in a little whisper, kissing her on the forehead. "Do you want me to stay?"

Nodding her head, she sniffled and fell into her dad's side as he kissed her on the head.

"We'll talk more about this later, yeah?" Klaus stated, picking up the food and drink he had brought up, handing them to the girl. "But as for now, eat. Going to bed on an empty stomach isn't a good situation, darling. Especially since you have school tomorrow."

"Actually..." Darla trained off as she looked down at her pasta. "Could I stay home tomorrow?"

"Of course," Klaus said in concern. "Anything you want, love."

Nodding in thanks, she began to eat her dinner slowly, still thinking about her conversation with Marcel all while Nik was wishing that he could know what was going in that pretty little head of hers.