A/N- Klaus' actions have always been fuelled by his desire not to be alone. He daggered his siblings so that they couldn't leave him and he created hybrids so that he wouldn't be the only member of his species. At the end of the day he's a man trying to overcome the hurt child who was abused by his father and emotionally abandoned by his mother.

When Klaus finds Hayley she is crouched in an empty bathtub panting as contractions rock her body, she looks to him desperately as he kneels beside her soaked and sweating form.

"It's coming" she tells him needlessly as he gathers her up into his arms and carries her out of the house as Elijah's car pulls up to the curb,

"Don't get out" he orders his big brother as he approaches, Elijah ignores him and flashes around to open the passenger door as Klaus lowers her into the backseat. He murmurs something calming to the werewolf as she pulls the seatbelt across her large belly; Klaus looks back to the front yard where Marcel's body lies with a knife through his chest.

All too often younger vampires seem to forget that damage to the heart, whether from a stake or the organ being removed entirely can kill them.

Klaus feels a moment of loss for Marcel, when all things were said and done he'd been proud of the vampire he'd sired, the one who'd created a society for the supernatural in the French Quarter. But Fate just hadn't been in Marcel's favour. Klaus wanted power and the witches had held his unborn child hostage in return for the act of regicide.

"We'll need to take care of that" Elijah notes as they both climb into the car, Klaus nods absent-mindedly and turns in the seat to look at Hayley,

"Are you in much pain?" he asks as the car starts moving, she's pale and wide-eyed but shakes her head,

"All those years of turning into a wolf every full moon" she chuckles, "Always wondered if they'd be good for something"

Elijah laughs gently, more for her benefit than from actual amusement, Klaus meets his brother's eyes, "Take us to Ochsner Medical Centre" he tells him, showing him the address on his phone. His big brother furrows his brow, "Are you certain? Hayley certainly needs medical attention but the child...we can't be sure it will resemble a normal human being"

"I compelled the entire maternity ward there when the witches told me to expect a home birth" he informs them both, "I have no idea what to expect tonight but none of the humans on the ward will remember it and worst case scenario we can summon a witch"

Hayley grunts in pain and Klaus offers her his hand to squeeze, he doesn't feel anything beyond distant friendship to her but she is baring his child and for the last seven months has been kept in less than ideal conditions. The witches refused to take her to the hospital for check-ups or ultrasound relying instead on magic to ensure the baby was healthy. Neither she nor Klaus even knew the sex of their child and the only maternity possessions she received were supplied by himself, not that he begrudged the cost he even bought her favourite ice-cream when she mentioned one afternoon that she was craving it.

Being a vampire, the only time Niklaus visits hospitals is when he wants blood bags and those occasions are very few and far between. He had no idea what the current state of the health care system was but he assumed like most other things in life, the more money one offered the better the service. Therefore he'd compelled the staff on the maternity ward to think they were being paid very well tonight when Hayley was wheeled into the most well equipped room they had in the building.

It isn't until Hayley is changed into a hospital gown and lying back on the bed that Niklaus and Elijah realise they have no idea what to do next. Niklaus has some fuzzy memories of having to wait outside with his father and brothers while his mother birthed Kol and then Rebekkah. Of course that was millennia ago and the etiquette has probably changed by then, he looks to his eldest brother who swallows and turns to Hayley,

"Would you like us to stay?" he inquires politely as a nurse and the head gynaecologist come into the room and start checking her vitals, she fidgets nervously as they inject her and when they check her dilation she cries out in shock,

"Buy me a drink first" she snaps as the doctor's head re-emerges, "You're almost ready"

Klaus finds himself standing beside her before he even realises he's moved and he offers his hand again, she smiles bravely at him and settles back on the pillows.

"I'm really glad we made it to a hospital" she tells him and he hums in agreement,

"Much more preferable to a salt circle in the middle of the Bayou surrounded by chanting witches" he concurs and she nods, gripping his fingers as another contraction passes through her,

"Don't go anywhere" she warns him, "I think this is going to be quick"

She was right.

Klaus wasn't by any means a judge of short labours but an hour later he heard the wail of his child entering the world. He was dimly aware that the nurse was congratulating or cursing them, he wasn't particularly sure his entire attention was focused on that small body held in the doctor's arms. They had already brought in the equipment to wash the baby and it was quickly wrapped in a blanket and placed in Hayley's outstretched arms. He helped her unwrap the blanket so they could run a preliminary check for any supernatural signs, ten fingers and ten toes, a replica of Hayley's birthmark on his right shoulder. Klaus took an edge of the blanket between his fingers and noticed the colour.

Blue.

Blue meant male.

"He's a boy" Hayley pointed out, weeping as she cradled the exhausted baby to her chest,
"He's beautiful" Klaus noted running his hand over the dark brown tuft on his head, his little face settled into a frown and Klaus snatched his hand back, worried he'd hurt him. The baby turned his head minutely and opened one eye to peer at him.
"He has your eyes" he told her, she smiled and kissed his head before glancing shyly at him,
"Do you want to hold him?" she offered and he frowned unintentionally revealing the resemblance between him and the baby. Carefully he held out his arms and Hayley slowly shifted the newborn into them, he was so small that Klaus easily cradled his head in the crook of his arm while studying every inch of him. The nurse came and took Hayley for her bath and when Klaus refused to let them take the baby away they moved the tiny bed into the room for him.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" she asked as she was filling out the details.
The only decision that Klaus and Hayley had made in that area was to eliminate the names of their every acquaintance from the running.

The baby squirmed in his arms and Klaus clutched him tighter worried he would drop him, he exhaled and it seemed an eternity before he inhaled again. He sighed and tried to mimic Hayley as he bent his head and kissed the child gently on the brow. He opened an eye again and reached up with his tiny little hand brushing it against Klaus' chin,
"Hello" he whispered, as some long lost part of his psyche start to re-emerge. "I'm you father"