We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes
He hated seeing her this upset. It made a deep pain come to his chest at just the thought that he could do nothing to help her. They were finally able to get the Hollow out of Hope. Free her from that complete hell.
And now?
Now all Hope did was sit in her room, occasionally drawing but barley speaking, and it was killing Klaus.
His poor, beautiful Littlest Wolf. Oh what he wouldn't give to take away whatever horrors she had witnessed… felt, while the Hollow had inhabited her body.
He and Hayley had tried everything to cheer her up, but alas, nothing seemed to do the trick. Not even a family viewing of her favourite movie, Alice In Wonderland, had been enough to get her out of her introverted state, and it was that thought that gave Klaus the idea that he was on his way to discuss with Hayley right at that very moment.
"Hayley!" He called her name as she instantly stopped talking on the phone to someone, he assumed was one of his sisters, to turn to him, uncrossing her arms and sighing as she looked at him in expectation.
She had a tired look in her eyes, one that he assumed he shared. He knew she was hurting from watching this destroy Hope as well.
"Klaus." Her words were meant as a greeting, but instead, they came out as a rough statement, her voice barely above a whisper. "How is she? Is there something wrong—?"
She was tired, and she was hurting. Hayley didn't even know which way was up anymore. Her life was nothing without the joy of her little girl.
"No, everything is okay, love… the same." He rushed out to relieve her worry as she sighed and nodded, closing her eyes for a second as the shared hurt came back to her.
The same.
Those words were nothing to be relieved about.
"Oh," Hayley said quietly, her voice thick with pain. "Then, what can I do for you?"
"I…" Klaus paused to take in a painful breath, rethinking if this was the best thing to offer in that moment but he quickly decided that it was. He would try anything to cheer up their Littlest Wolf and he knew Hayley would as well.
"I was thinking about throwing a party," He said in a whisper as Hayley's eyes quickly became glinted with confusion.
Hayley let out a slightly sardonic scoff at this statement. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked, genuinely confused. Now was hardly the appropriate time for a celebration. "Are you telling me that you want to throw a party when our little girl is upstairs, suffering and deeply hurt by what that bitch did to her? I'd hardly call that a cause for celebration, would you?"
Hayley found herself unintentionally pissed at the idea.
"Hear me out," Klaus rushed out to say, shaking his head as he watched her face become one of pure anger and disbelief. "This is for our daughter—"
"For her?" Hayley scoffed, shaking her head as she rolled her eyes. "This is the last thing she needs right now—"
"JUST LISTEN TO ME!" Klaus shouted, his nostrils flaring wide in his irritation at Hayley's refusal to listen to what he had to say. By Gods, that woman was infuriating and stubborn, even at the best of times. She really was just like him. Hell, maybe that's the thing he liked about her the most; their many similarities.
But that was another thought for another time.
Hayley didn't even flinch and he was reminded with yet another reason why he admired her. Was that the best word? He wasn't sure. She wasn't afraid of him in the slightest.
That truly was a rarity.
After everything he had done to her, after all the reasons he'd given her to hate him... Hayley was perhaps the person most on his side.
"Okay, Klaus." She gave in quietly, waiting for him to continue as he smirked in victory.
"Thank you for your 'approval' love," Klaus started to joke, but when he noticed the expectant look on the Little Wolf's face, his smirk dropped and his expression took on a serious tone. He took several steps towards Hayley and came to stand right in front of her. "You know better than anyone that there's nothing I wouldn't do for our daughter," he began, looking down briefly before meeting the younger hybrid's huge eyes. "And that is why I want you to help me throw this party for her. I want to make her favourite move come to life. We could all use a little bit of madness around here."
Hayley was shocked into a brief silence at his words. She knew what movie he was talking about. It was her daughter's favorite for as long as she could remember. She could still remember the first time Klaus had watched that movie with Hope after not seeing her for 5 years.
It was a memory she could never forget.
She had come back to the compound after a trip with Freya to the Cauldron to get some ingredients for one of the Mikaelson witches' spells (man, those spells always needed so many disgusting ingredients) and had walked past the library on her way to her room, only to find Klaus and Hope snuggled up on the couch together, both of them giggling happily at The Mad Hatter as he waved his teacup about joyfully on the screen.
She couldn't forget the way her stomach had flipped at the sight, nor could she erase the look on both Hope and Klaus' faces when she found them.
It had been a beautiful memory for her. Just seeing her daughter that happy and Klaus… she had never seen him like that before.
Hayley honestly didn't think she'd ever seen Klaus that happy, that at ease with anyone, well... ever. It was hard to believe that a monster as ancient and powerful as he could ever be so gentle, kind and caring.
She tried to think of any reason why this party could be a bad idea and she couldn't think of one.
The thought alone gave her life sudden meaning and purpose. It would be for their daughter, and Hayley knew that if anything was going to make Hope feel like herself again, then this was it.
"I'm in," she found herself saying before she could convince herself otherwise. "I don't care what we're doing, or how, but Klaus..." Hayley trailed off and looked up into his shocked face, resting a reassuring hand on his arm as she went. "I'm all in."
Klaus smiled, ideas running though him at all the possibilities of how to make this the most perfect night for his daughter.
He glanced over at the hand on his shoulder before going back to staring into Hayley's brown eyes that didn't have the sadness that he was so used to seeing in them, the sadness that killed him.
"This won't just be a party," he decided, his lips curving up slightly at the corners as he imagined the beautiful woman in front of him in some sort of fancy costume. "This will be a ball, and it will be the most magical night that The French Quarter has ever seen."
Hayley smiled back at him, real joy coming to her face at the thought. "Hope will love this…" She said quietly as her eyes drifted off and she imagined her little girl in a beautiful Alice inspired costume.
"The compound will be decorated like you have never seen it before," Klaus continued, letting himself get carried away with ideas that would please not just Hope, but Hayley as well. If anyone else needed a good dose of happiness around here, it was her. "Freya and the witches will use their craft to create floating punchbowls, and tables, and colourful bubbles that light up..."
Hayley looked back to him with a bright smile. "Can you imagine getting our family dressed up like that?" She let out a bubbly laugh as she let her mind imagine this.
Our family.
Klaus' mind got suck at those words.
Hayley saw herself as a Mikaelson. As one of them.
No more running.
And she was still his Queen, now more than ever.
No more trying to deny it. Who she was; who she had become.
"Well then there's only one question left to answer then, isn't there," Hayley said unexpectedly, snapping the older hybrid straight out of his thoughts. "Who's going to be Hope's favourite character? Who's the maddest? You or Kol?" She laughed lightly and the golden sound of her laughter brought a strange warm feeling straight to Klaus' chest.
He couldn't stop from laughing along. Seriously considering this question for a couple of moments.
"Well, it's certainly no secret that Kol is completely off his rocker, love," Klaus smirked. "That being said, I hardly think that allowing my baby brother to assume the identity of our daughter's favourite character would be wise.
"That's true." Hayley smiled and laughed once again as Klaus was feeling this warmth inside of him to see Hayley like this. Actually happy. Something he had not seen in quite a while. "So is that role designed for you then?" She teased with a curve of her lip.
"I can't see why not, after all, have you not seen me in a top hat? I appear more of a dashingly handsome rogue than usual." He laughed as Hayley snorted in mock disgust and gave him a playful shove.
"Wow, you really are full of yourself, aren't you?" She asked in a playful tone, eyeing Klaus' dimpled grin with admiration. Why did he have to be so good looking all the time? More importantly, why did he have to look at her like she was a glittering diamond lost in a sea of emeralds? Sometimes a simple look from Klaus was enough to send her weak at the knees. "Easy see nothing's changed in that department since we first met."
Klaus grinned at her; ah yes… when they had first met. He still remembered that exact moment up until the night he would not see her until weeks, or was it, months later. Everything had been such a blur back then, that the latter part of that statement, he could hardly remember.
"So, we've got you settled then," Hayley said when Klaus didn't respond. "What about me? Who am I in that movie?" She asked, a teasing look being sent her way is what followed in reply.
"I wouldn't say you're the Queen of Hearts," he said considering his next words with another little grin. "That role I leave to the lovely Rebekah, who as you well know, has had her fair share of both stomping on the hearts of others and breaking her own. But you, Hayley, are still a queen. You would be the White Queen; a powerful, strong leader that is both fair and kind. A queen, whose people willingly bow at her feet. That's who you are."
Hayley was shocked to silence. She had been almost completely sure that Klaus was going to leave that role to one of his sisters.
"Are you sure that... maybe Freya…"
Klaus thought of her as The White Queen? She could hardly believe it. It was perhaps the nicest thing that anyone had ever said to her.
Perhaps he made a mistake, she told herself firmly.
"NO!" Klaus all but shouted, reaching forwards to grab both of her hands in his as he stared into her giant eyes.
"You are beautiful, you are strong willed and do what is best for everyone around you. You are a Queen, love… you are her," Klaus said as he stared into her eyes with a determined look. "They will all bow down to you… as they already do."
"You are the true Queen, the only Queen. You always will be what you are: A rare and magnificent beauty, a queen powerful and kind beyond the measures of possibility, a mother, and most importantly... you remain the only person to have brought a vibrant light into the life of the darkest soul. You gave me Hope. That alone, makes you... her."
Hayley couldn't think, couldn't breath, somehow between his words his hand had moved to be placed softy on her cheek as he looked right into her now tear filled eyes.
"But..." she said, unable to say anything even remotely audible.
"You will be our Queen.. as you already are." Klaus said as his finger moved to stroke her cheek.
"You shall be The White Queen, and that will be that," he added, smirking slightly at the pissed-off look Hayley's eyes suddenly took on at his order.
"You do not order me Klaus," She snapped, shaking her head.
"Not an order." Klaus said, his voice sounding not phased. "Just a... request.. for our daughter."
Klaus sighed and moved closer still to Hayley. Now he was almost on top of her. "'Tis not an order love, but a truth I am willing to see and believe in with all my heart, even if you do not. Someone has to tell you what you deserve, and someone has to be willing to give it to you. I don't see anyone else lining up to offer you this deep truth, do you? And seeing as you are not so inclined to accept what I believe you are, then I am willing to boss you around if it means you get to shine as what you were always meant to be," he breathed out, his chest tightening at Hayley's refusal to believe what he was telling her.
She could only stare at him; wanting nothing more than to be pissed at him for his order. Or find any reason for the beating in her chest to stop its rapid pace. Not once had anyone ever told her anything remotely like this. Not with this much absolute honestly to their voice as Klaus had. Not Jackson and certainly not Elijah.
She couldn't respond.
What was she meant to say back to him at this? He was stubborn. And if she tried to deny it one more time this would only continue and with each word, as she was feeling now, her heart would melt.
Klaus sensed Hayley's emotional discomfort and decided in that moment to return to their playful banter as a means to help lighten the mood. "What is that quote that The Mad Hatter says about doing nine impossible things before breakfast?" he asked rhetorically, noticing the sudden confusion that quickly crossed the younger hybrid's face. "Because love... I've seen you do twelve."
She laughed, her emotions slowly levelling out as she thanked God he had stopped with her drivel about her being a Queen. She didn't believe it even with his words.
"I'll take that as a compliment then, Mad Hatter." She said, a joking streak to her tone.
"Good for that is how I meant it, my White Queen," He responded without missing a beat.
Hayley immediately rolled her eyes at his comment, even though something about his words made a foreign kind of emotion well up inside her heart. "You're not going to let this go anytime soon, are you?" She asked, one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"You know I'm not." He teased her as the brunette hybrid smiled.
"Besides," he added quickly with yet another little smirk. "As far as impossible things go, I can do at least fifteen." His tone had turned from light to suggestive at the drop of a hat (no pun intended) "You should see what I can do in the-"
"That's enough!" Hayley's now high pitched voice shrieked as she gulped and held up both her hands to stop him as he just laughed loudly.
"But you would already know that, wouldn't you, love?" He continued, unable to help himself as he smirked at her.
"Eww, Klaus. Just... eww," she said, covering her eyes with her hand as she tried and failed to stop a little smile coming to her lips at the memory of that particular night.
"Eww? I hardly think that's what you thought back then, after all, if memory serves, it was you who tried so hard to seduce poor little old innocent me."
"Innocent?" She repeated sarcastically, unable to deny any other part of that particular sentence.
"What?" Klaus asked, feigning confusion. "You put me in a position to whence I found myself unable to resist your irrefutable charms. That sounds a lot like innocence to me."
She just hummed in response, smiling and rolling her eyes. "Keep believing that, Klaus."
"Are you denying your attempt at a seduction-"
"Attempt?" She asked before she could stop herself. "I'd hardly call it an attempt when I succeeded, as you so kindly pointed out not moments ago."
There, she thought, that ought to put the egotistical dick out to dry for a while.
Klaus opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before coming up with absolutely zero responses he could give.
"Anyway," Hayley continued after a beat, wearing a smirk made of pure victory. "You just said that you fell prey to my... what was it? 'Irrefutable charms', please Klaus, either you were incredibly affected by my presence and gave in because you wanted everything I was offering badly enough, or, you're quoting Robert Palmer."
Klaus smirked back at her, rolling his eyes as it was his turn to change to subject. "So… now we just need to figure out who Hope will be."
Hayley smirked, taking her victory with utter joy.
"The lovely little Alice, of course," she responded immediately. "Oh, and if you think for a second, that I'm not going to hold my win here over you for a very long time, then you've got another thing coming."
"Alice." He smiled as he pictured his beautiful little girl in a stunning light blue dress. "And as for the win.. I will /allow/ you to have this.. But only because I'm allowing it."
"Sure Klaus." She teased with a roll of her brown eyes.
"Excellent! So, it's settled then, Little Wolf. Let's set the ball for next Saturday; I'm sure Rebekah will need at least a week to find a suitable costume," Klaus' eyes lit up at the mention of one of his beloved sisters, and he carried on hurriedly. "Oh, and do remember to keep this a secret from Hope. I don't want her to know about this until the day."
"Agreed." She said lightly. She wouldn't have been able to keep the grin from her face if she had tried.
She tried to ignore the words "little wolf" because of the emotion and memories those two little simple words brought up.
"Klaus..." Hayley started, a sudden thought hitting her like a freight train. She'd been so caught up in the idea of this grand party, that she hadn't even considered the possibility that was haunting her more with every breath. "What if this doesn't work? What if... what if Hope stays like this? Forever." The thought alone almost killed her; she couldn't imagine if it actually turned out to be true.
"You can't think like that, sweetheart," Klaus rushed out to say though the possibility of her words hit him hard. No. He couldn't think like that. Neither could Hayley. This was their one chance at bringing some light back into their daughters life, even if it only lasted a night.. "She will love it." He reassured her, fake confidence to his tone.
If only Hayley could believe with all her heart, that Klaus was in fact, right. Although, when they had first watched Hope leave them under the feirce protection of Rebekah, it had been Klaus that had assured her that she would see her little girl again. And she had, just as he had promised. Maybe he deserved more credit than he was given.
In that moment, Hayley decided that she trusted his judgement enough to believe him, just as she had done years earlier, when he had been an utterly different person. "You're right," she breathed, hugging her arms to her body for reassurance. "Hope will love it; I know she will."
Klaus smiled, nodding his head in pure agreement. "Well then, love... we have a party to plan."
A/N: A new two-shot co-written with the amazingly talented KlayleyAddict! I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as we did writing it, guys! Please don't be afraid to review and tell us what you thought, and if you liked it, maybe you'd also like to check out our other multi-chapter fic, 'Tangled Up In Blue' which we also co-wrote! Thanks for reading.
Donna.