Klaus and Hayley have decided to spend a wonderful first Christmas with their daughter after they have finally managed to defeat their enemies, surrounding their city.
The two hybrids had grown closer and decided, for the sake of their child, that they should start a relationship, in a commitment, getting closer to one another and see if there could be anything between them. But there certainly isn't any peace in the compound, as there was in the rest of the city, as Christmas is drawing nearer and Rebekah is more determined to keep her family whole.
She opened her eyes and looked around the place. It was morning and Hayley could just make out the snowflakes that were falling on the windows and all over New Orleans. She could feel something keeping her in place, preventing her from leaving the bed. It was his arm, which was wrapped around her waist. Hayley rolled her eyes and pushed his hand off of her, getting up and putting on a robe.
The first place she would go each morning was the nursery, where their little daughter was sleeping. Hayley smiled as she saw the baby's eyes slowly opening and looking up at her mother. She picked her up and held her in her arms, deciding to breastfeed her.
He got out of bed as soon as he felt that she was no longer there. Klaus groaned as he did want to sleep more now than ever. He had had a busy week, dealing with vampires and witches. He was still the King, and every King had his priorities. He didn't have time to think about anything else just yet, expect perhaps his daughter. But with the way Hayley had been keeping her to herself, he hardly ever got to see Hope.
Klaus thought Hayley was downstairs, which is why he decided to make a run for the nursery. The sight in front of him stopped any words that would come out of his mouth. Hayley was there, and she was offering her milk to their daughter.
Their eyes met for the purest of moments and Hayley smiled as she saw the expression on his face. "Tempting?" she asked him with a giggle and Klaus snapped out of his trance, and put on a straight face. He did not appreciate making much sex jokes nowadays. It was his way of entertainment, not hers. "As a matter of fact, I came here hoping that I would get a chance to be with her alone. I had not seen her all week." Hayley nodded as Hope pulled her lips away from the nipple and gently burped.
"I know that. You have barely seen anyone since we came back here with her. It is like you are once again possessed by this city. It's controlling you." She said as she put Hope back in her crib. Klaus chuckled but he didn't seem like he was happy by her remark at all. "What you seem to be forgetting is that you and Hope are the two reasons why I am out there, taking care of business. I am doing it for you. Not that you appreciate the effort, little wolf." Hayley scoffed. "And we are back where we started."
Klaus came over to her and pulled on her arm, making Hayley face him. "What is that supposed to mean?" "It has been 13 days, Klaus." Hayley whispered. "13 days of what?" "Since we decided that for Hope's sake, we would try to make a commitment here." "And we have done so. We spend time together and we do share the same bed, love. I don't understand what the problem is." "It's pointless. I don't see anything between us happening anytime soon and I don't think you do either. What is the point of this?" "The point of this is what you so bluntly suggested, for Hope to see that she has normal parents in a normal family. I hate to break it to you; sweetheart, but we are no ordinary family here." "We would have been, just like Rebekah wanted us to be, had you stopped being so occupied with your work and spend more time with me and Hope." Klaus groaned. "Do not bring Rebekah into this, little wolf." "Why shouldn't I? She has been more than willing to help out with Hope around here, which is more than I can say for you."
"Is this what a commitment means to you? You wish for your daughter to see her parents arguing? Is that what you wish for?" Hayley looked enraged and huffed, "What I wish for is for you to start opening your eyes and realize what is really important, especially with the holidays now. Christmas is in 12 days and I want Hope's first Christmas to be something that she will forever remember. What I don't want her to remember is you acting like a dick in front of her mother and the rest of this family." Hayley made her point. "You don't have to worry about that, because I'm not sticking around for this." Klaus growled and picked up his coat, leaving the house before anyone else.
Hayley sighed and rubbed her forehead, pulling the robe over her breasts so they would not be seen. There were footsteps that could be heard coming to the nursery and for one moment, she thought that he came back to apologize. But it was not him. It was Elijah. "Is something wrong? I saw Niklaus leaving." He whispered and looked at Hayley, troubled. She shook her head and explained, "We had another argument over his work as King and his responsibilities towards his daughter." Before Elijah could answer, Rebekah was at the door with a phone in her hand. "Elijah, Gia is on the phone." She told him with a smirk and Elijah took the phone from his sister right away, leaving.
"What is going on?" Hayley asked and Rebekah grinned, devilishly. "Gia is falling head over heels for him. The poor girl." "I thought that she was into Marcel." Rebekah cleared her throat and Hayley wanted to take her words back at once, remembering that Marcel and Rebekah were once again seeing each other. "She is not. It might have been something to cover up her interest in my brother. I don't think he has any idea, but I do like the baby vamp. She could be good for him, after long and traumatizing years of pinning after Tatia and then after Katherine. I feel Gia actually gets him." Hayley smiled at that, reminding her of her own relationship with Klaus. "That's good, I suppose." Rebekah sighed and put down a catalog. "12 more days until Hope's first Christmas. There is much to be done."
"Tell that to Klaus. He doesn't even want to hear it." Hayley scoffed and Rebekah frowned. "Yeah, I heard you guys arguing up here. What the hell? It's 7 AM. You could have disturbed Hope, you know?" "Yes, I know. I am trying to be the best mother figure for her, even if her father happens to be a downright bastard." "You told me 13 days ago that the two of you were starting some sort of commitment together. How is that working out for you?" "Terrible. The only progress that we've made so far is managing to get through a night, sleeping next to one another without…" "Ripping each other's clothes off?" Rebekah asked and laughed as Hayley frowned at her.
"Yes, that's my point, but not with the baby in the room. Her mind is like a sponge nowadays and I don't want her to pick up any words that we will regret saying in front of her." "Alright, fine! I mothered her for a couple of months. I thought that you would give me some credit for it, Hayley." "What you did for me and Klaus is something that we both will never forget, but we still have to be careful." Hayley dragged Rebekah out of the nursery and the two of them plopped down on the couch in the living room just as Kol entered the room with a big jug of beer in his hands. "Time for a drink. Will anyone like to join me?" he asked and sat down with a big grin on his face. He has been happier than ever before since he had gotten back into his Original vampire body. The whole family was pleased to have him again.
Hayley shook her head and whispered, "If you ask me, you should be focusing on your relationship with Davina. I heard it's not going well." "Hey, darling, it's not my fault that she decided to have a fit over this. I told her how I felt in this body. It's my body, I was born this way. She has to accept that or…we can say goodbye to this stupid mojo." Kol responded and started drinking. "Davina deserves better and if you don't get back together with her, I am going to rip your head off, Kol." Hayley told him, warningly. Kol shook his head and said, "I'm not interested. In fact, I am having some company tonight. I don't want to be disturbed so if you'll excuse me…" he went up to his room and Rebekah shook her head.
"He is going to break her heart again. I just know it." "What about you and Marcel? Still going strong or are there more bumps on the road for your epic and forbidden romance?" Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Things are fine for us. But you know how Marcel acts. Even though he loves me, there is always his precious city to take care of. Sometimes, I have to fight to get his attention." "It's not fair for you to have to live with that." "I know that. At least Cami doesn't have to." Camille was now giving Finn a chance to redeem himself of his actions and they have started seeing each other more regularly, but nothing really happened between them yet. "We should be welcoming her into the family soon enough." Rebekah said as she put a cup full of eggnog to her lips and tasted it.
The hybrid stood up and grabbed the cookies that were on the table to taste them. "These are good. You sure know how to prepare something festive for us, Rebekah. With all the drama, we are going to need you now more than ever." Hayley explained with a smile as she could hear Hope's regular heartbeat from upstairs. It wasn't fair that she had to endure the fights that her parents shared each day almost. Klaus was not about to change that anytime soon and he looked like he was more than willing to let go of this starter of a relationship, just like Hayley was.
The Original Hybrid stood at the bar and gulped down something as he stared at Camille finishing up her shift early. "I have to get going now. I will soon be taking a Christmas vacation. I can't have myself work during the holidays. You are going to find yourself a new bartender, willing to fill you up like this." She told him and he smirked as he drank some more. "Off to my brother, I see." Camille shook her head and said, "It really is not what you think. Finn and I are trying to find peace within one another." "I know he cares about you." Klaus stated bluntly. "And I care for him too. But I don't see anything between us. But that doesn't mean that we can't spend the holidays together."
Klaus growled as he heard that word again and Camille noticed. "Is something going on at the house that I should know about? Maybe something to do with Hayley?" "No. And even if it did, it would be none of your concern, love." Klaus told her and went right on to drinking. "Oh good! Marcel, you're here. Keep an eye on this one. He seems to be one step away from turning into the Grinch of New Orleans." Cami joked, grabbing her bag and leaving Rousseau's. Marcel chuckled as he took a seat at the counter right next to his partner in crime and looked over at him. "What's going on now? Don't tell me that Rebekah is pressuring you with the Christmas shopping too." "I do not wish to hear any more of that holiday, Marcellus." Klaus whispered to him and drank another gulp of his wine. "Why not? It's not like you hate Christmas, even though you haven't appreciated it enough for a couple of decades."
"Well, forgive me for having more important matters to attend to, like making this town safe for my child." "Hope is safe enough around here. Her parents are the most powerful supernatural creatures in the world. They're the only two hybrids in the world. Who can protect her better than you and Hayley? You are the most powerful parents in the world." "Perhaps. But protection is still not enough for her to have a peaceful life. She would still be living in fear." "So, why do you push Hayley away?" Klaus stood up ready to leave, when Marcel stopped him. "Come on, man! I just want to get this straightened out." "Has Rebekah asked you to do that?" "No, she hasn't. But she did tell me about you and Hayley."
Klaus sat back down and frowned. "What do you want to know?" "How did it come to this? She asked you for the sake of Hope to start a relationship which is more than just co-parenting. Is it just not working out?" "She told me so herself, Marcel. She can't stand having someone like me around. I am sure that she would have been much happier had she kept her sexual relationship with my brother." Marcel made a face and slapped his hands on his jeans. "So now I get what's bothering you. You're still not over the fact that she and Elijah slept together that night, right?" "I am not bothered by anything. She can do whatever the hell she wants. What does bother me is that she didn't think of Hope when she jumped on Elijah. She was reckless." "She was vulnerable." Marcel protected her.
"I don't think so. She then made everything possible to make sure that I found out about that one time thing. She loved my reaction. She loved that I was angry. She slept with Elijah for a reason and that was to make me mad or show me that she is more than capable of having men grovel at her feet…" "…or to make you feel the way she felt when you were prancing around with Genevieve." Klaus slammed the glass on the table and stood up. "That was business and she knew it." "Either way, she was pregnant with your child at a time when you slept with two different women and she was feeling like your incubator." Marcel explained. "I never made her feel that way." "You rejected her and looked at her with indifference, occasionally thinking only about the child growing inside of her, and not her too."
Klaus smirked and whispered, "Now I know for sure that Hayley came to you, didn't she?" Marcel shook his head. "Look, man, I used to have some of these problems with Rebekah. I know from past experience. I look at you and I see that no matter how much you deny it, you have feelings for Hayley but you refuse to let go of your pride and give in to this." "I feel nothing for her." "And now you're lying to yourself. I say you should take this opportunity with the holidays to think it over. Think about what you feel. Think very carefully. And don't let a chance like this go to waste. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Marcels stood up and revealed a long list, a couple of meters long and chuckled, "I have some Christmas shopping to do." And went out of Rousseau's, leaving Klaus bewildered at what he said.
A/N: Next chapter will have more insight on each couple of this Christmas story. I guess, Klaus does act like the Grinch of New Orleans. Thanks for reading and please leave a review.