***
Niklaus's eyes slowly fluttered open. He realized he was in a hospital room, an I.V. dripping into his arm. There wasn't anyone else in sight but the T.V. was turned on on the adjacent wall. He heard the toilet flush and then the sink running before Neil stepped out and sat back in the guest chair.
"Good, you're away." Neil pressed the nurse button at the side of Niklaus's bed. "How do you feel?"
"Why am I here?" Niklaus watched as Cindy walked into the room. "What happened?"
"Niklaus, how do you feel?" Cindy seemed chipper to see Niklaus.
"I feel fine." Confusion spread on Niklaus's face. "Why am I here?"
"Do you remember yesterday?" Cindy walked over to the monitor, checking Niklaus's vitals. "When I was talking to you alone."
"We were talking about my scars, I just remember I couldn't breathe." Niklaus watched Cindy's movements.
"Woah, wait. How mad are his scars that you had to speak alone?" Neil still didn't understand why she had Neil leave the room yesterday.
Cindy looked to Niklaus, asking if it was okay to tell Neil about his medical record. Niklaus nodded, he knew Neil would have questions but the answers would have to wait.
"Niklaus has scars covering 60% of his body. When I asked him about them yesterday, he had what seems to be a panic attack." Cindy didn't want to press Niklaus on the scars any further after what had happened the day before.
"60%?" Neil looked over to Niklaus, the worry visible on his face.
Niklaus nodded again, shifted in the bed and rolling up his sleeves, he was still in his clothes from yesterday, showing Neil the same scars on his arms that he had shown James the day of the rescue.
"These aren't even the worst ones." Niklaus pulled his sleeves down as the curiosity and anger flashed over Neil's face.
"Why would talking about this make him have a panic attack?" Neil's gaze shifted back to Cindy.
"Well, after a thorough examination of Niklaus body and mind, it seems that this Blink, had Niklaus spelled." Cindy paused for a moment. "In fact, it seems that some of those scars are markings that bind the spell to Niklaus." Cindy walked over towards Niklaus, gesturing for him to sit forward slightly.
"Do you mind if I show Neil some of the marking on your back?"
Niklaus shook his head and raised the back of his shirt. Neil stood next to Cindy watching as she traced certain markings while she spoke.
"This one here seals your mind." Cindy moved her hand to the back of Niklaus's neck. "This one, you each share."
"What?" Neil felt the back of his neck, he traced the strange marking that he hadn't noticed before. "What does that one do?"
"We're not sure yet. It seems that it binds you both together, we think that it hides a shared memory." Cindy traced the mark on a paper and showed Niklaus.
"What kind of memory?" Niklaus lowered his shirt and laid back as Cindy stepped away to recheck his vitals.
"We're not sure. The energy that resonates from this marking, I believe that whatever it hides will either tear you apart or bring you closer together."
"Ominous, thanks." Neil rolled his eyes, what could a marking possibly hide. "When can he get out of here?"
"He should be good to go, but bring him back if he feels any dizziness or nausea." Cindy walked to the nurses table just outside of the room and handed Niklaus his discharge papers. Niklaus signed, handing them back and got up from the hospital bed. Neil threw his arm over Niklaus's shoulder.
"Ready to go bro?" Neil was happy he had someone from his past.
"Yeah, let go little brother." Niklaus was glad he wasn't in Blink's cells anymore. Glad he found his brother, even if he wouldn't be able to see the rest of his family again.
"Let's go." Neil and Niklaus walked from the room before Neil realized. "Wait. Little brother?"
"Yeah, I'm technically older than you." Niklaus remembered when they were young how it used to annoy Neil whenever Niklaus mentioned the small difference in their birth times.
"How much older are you?" Neil removed his arm from Niklaus's shoulder.
"Two minutes." Niklaus smirked.
"Two minutes.. really!?" Neil punched Niklaus in the arm.
"Hey, I just got out of the hospital!" Niklaus laughed as he watched Neil squirm in the realization.
"Whatever, let's just get back to the house. Harper's waiting on me." Neil got into the drivers side of the car and waited for Niklaus to buckle before starting the engine.
"So, you and Harper huh?" Niklaus chuckled, even as a kid, that was never something he expected if Neil.
"Yeah, two years ago I somehow ended up at the Red Vine's territory." Neil smiled as he remembered how he met Harper. "I was unconscious when they found me and found out later when I'd woken up in a cell."
"I know that feeling."
"Which feeling?"
"Waking up in a strange place." Niklaus stared out the window, watching as the beautiful countryside passed by.
"Oh yeah, anyways. When I woke up Atlas came to speak to me and realized I didn't know anything so he let me upstairs where I officially met Harper." Neil chuckled. "At dinner that night Cole told me how protective Harper was of my unconscious self and decided hitting on me was a good idea to test him, Harper went after him. Scarlett had to agree for me to stay in his room before he finally released Cole's headlock."
"That's amazing you found him like that." Niklaus found it slightly strange that they had been so close all those years and never knew, Neil and Niklaus had only been a four hours walk from each other for nine years and nobody knew. Except Blink.
Neil pulled the car into the driveway and put the car into park.
"Scarlett remade your room. She organizes when she's worried."
"That's cool, I'm gonna grab a quick shower before dinner. After nine years, it seems like I'll never be rid of all the dirt."
"I can imagine." Neil and Niklaus walked into the house together. Harper was waiting on the couch.
"Hey guys! How are you feeling Nik?" Harper hugged them both, lingering a little longer on Neil.
"I'm good. A little tired and hungry but I feel fine."
"That's good." Scarlett appeared at the top of the steps. "Dinner should be ready in a couple hours if you'd like to rest for a bit." Scarlett gave Niklaus a hug. She hadn't known him long but she figured since Neil would be her son-in-law at some point, she might as well think of Niklaus as a son too. "I found some more of Artie's clothes that I think might fit you. They're on the bed in your room."
Artie was Charlotte and Atlas's oldest son that had died. He had Atlas's natural dark hair but Scarlett's green emerald eyes. He died during a battle with a rival pack.
"Thanks. I'll check and let you know what fits." Niklaus smiled at Scarlett and walked up the steps, heading to his room. He checked the bathroom as he passed to make sure it would be empty, he grabbed a change of clothes and a towel before turning the shower on. He showered and changed quickly so he could nap as long as possible before dinner. He had gotten used to sleeping in a normal bed again and couldn't imagine how he possibly slept in that hard cell. It felt good having this newfound home.