Chapter One: She Could Feel Him
Somehow it was fitting that it was raining when she left the Salvatore School. It fit her mood—because she wasn't hopeful, and she knew what she was doing should be…hidden. The clouds overhead and the grey all around felt like cover, as Haley's hazel eyes scanned the dark, slick road to the small airport outside of Mystic Falls. The sky was keeping her secret.
The nervousness she had felt for months, as she contemplated her need to see him completely abated on the flight to France. Not because she felt all was well. But because she had decided it wasn't, and it was probably never going to be again, and oh fucking well.
She needed to just see him.
It had been five years, and the ache for him had never left her. Five years knowing he didn't remember… It was best that way. She wanted him to be happy after all, didn't she? Elijah should be happy. Or at least have peace.
The last letter Freya had Keelyn pass to her from Klaus hinted that he knew something of Elijah's life now, and that he was ok… Hayley knew he'd broken the rules. Klaus—he'd seen him, somehow. She could read it between the sad lines of his letter. Poor, lonely Klaus…Unlike her, he couldn't see their daughter grow up and become all she was meant to become. He didn't get to keep even one thing he loved, one person he loved. Freya was with Keelyn, who acted now as the communicator for the family, keeping everyone's secrets and assuring all that the rest were well. Even when they weren't, not exactly… Kol had Davina. Rebecca had Marcel. But Klaus, who could never stand to be alone? He had no one he loved, or more importantly—who loved him. Not anymore.
So who was she to judge how he made it through? How do you spend a thousand goddamn years loving someone, only to be forced to give him up? She could hardly deal with five fucking years. So fine, Klaus spied. She couldn't blame him.
But ever since she realized it, she couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like just…to see him. Even if she never let him see her.
Elijah.
When she landed in the south of France, and the sky was azure, and the air smelled like lavender, she tried not to think it meant anything. It's not a sign, Hayley. It's France. He had, after all, told her it was perfect, hadn't he?
We will leave this place.
Oh, yeah? Where will we go?
When this is over, we will go to the south of France, this perfect little village I know… Venosc. Beautiful hills, beautiful buildings, blue skies. We will drink wine, and soak up the sun. I promise you…
She hadn't forgotten. How many nights had she drunk wine without him, and remembered? Imagined this perfect place? Fallen asleep with the vision of his promise in her minds eye? Too many to count, in five years. And now she looked out of her hotel window, watching the light play surreal colors of pink and orange across the sky that had been blue. The building's he spoke off looked drenched in rosewater. She smiled sardonically to herself. Well, if he's not here, at least it will be a nice change of scenery, girl.
But she knew he was there. He was somewhere out there, down one of the ancient cobble streets. She knew.
She could feel him.