In the previous chapter, Klaus and Freya had a long talk about the consequences he would have to face for his cruel actions towards his brother and towards Hayley, who has now lost her connection to the wolves and her marriage to Jackson has been broken, due to the curse being broken. Freya suggested eight steps in order for Klaus to find his happiness and clear his conscience. The first step was having a long talk, a hard one, which had no results in Klaus' mind, but a big impact on Hayley.

PLOT: After another week of confinement for Hayley, and people offering her space, she finally finds herself ready to be once again active as the compound starts filling up with people, with the reconciliation between Marcel and Klaus. Elijah informs Hayley of the special precautions he has created in order to protect her pack. Meanwhile, Marcel organizes a party at the compound, in order to celebrate the new partnership between him and Klaus. After Freya informs her brother of the second step towards forgiveness, Klaus tries a different approach with Hayley at the party.

"GET OUT!" Hayley screamed this time, keeping her hands close to her body, afraid that her towel might fall. In anger, she lunged at him and he caught her hands before she could do anything. "NO!" he yelled back in her face, as the frustration hit him. "You will listen to me." "I told you to let me go and leave!" "I did what had to be done…" "YOU BASTARD!" Hayley yelled out and grabbed her hands back and started hitting his chest with her fists, and tears streaming down her face. His heart was breaking at seeing her like a true mess that she was, after six months of living in the body of an animal. She stopped struggling after a while and said, "I want my daughter." "Hayley…" "NO! I WILL SEE HER NOW!" Klaus breathed in deeply as he got out of his bed and looked out the window. The compound was silent, as it was three in the morning.

Running a hand through his hair, he took a shower, understanding that he would not go back to sleep, after envisioning her in his mind. It had been a week since the little wolf had returned, husbandless, and with problems bigger than that to control. Her pack no longer saw her as their Queen, due to her staying in the compound as Elijah had arranged for them houses in the bayou. He was even more frustrated at the thought of how she had fought with Elijah in the past few days, wanting to be with her pack, even though they felt no connection towards her whatsoever. Her hybrid senses once again kicked in and he knew she felt a strong desire to help her family. They meant everything to her, just as their daughter meant everything. He had tried speaking to her, but she wouldn't have it, wanting to be alone in her room, or in the nursery, feeding Hope and talking to her, often singing her a lullaby.

Hearing her soft voice brought him warmth and he would often sit on the floor outside of the nursery when he could hear her singing softly to their baby. Guilt was ruining him on the inside, as he realized that as much happiness the little wolf brought in his life before Dahlia, as much sorrow she brought to him now, as she was a constant reminder of how he had failed his loved ones. He had abused their kindness and their loyalty towards him and even though he had been daggered, Klaus could now see the reason towards his siblings' betrayal. Fear. He frightened them. He started wondering what would have happened, had he told everyone his plan before he put it into action. Rebekah would have probably stayed, Marcel would have continued to be his supporter, Elijah would have offered him council and Hayley…they would have found a way to look past their different ideas on how to protect their child. She would have trusted him. She wouldn't have run in fear with Jackson. Klaus closed his eyes with regret as he kept the back of his head pressed against the wall, hearing the lullaby.

Freya had congratulated on his first attempt to try to make things right, but he knew just as she did, that it was not enough and he would have to work harder, to earn her forgiveness. He didn't wish to know the second step, not yet, as Freya had told him he needed to offer her space after what he said to her, and he had. For a week they hadn't spoken, not that they had before, but he refused to say anything to her, afraid of how his choice of words might affect her. "You're doing well." Freya told him one day with a smile, and he sighed in frustration, not being able to continue this way for long. At the end of the week, at nighttime, he pressed his head against the wall near the nursery and closed his eyes as Hayley started singing the regular lullaby to Hope. Her voice was bringing him comfort, but there was too much pain detected in it. He needed joy. He couldn't bear the torture any longer. Sighing, he walked away from the nursery and pulled out his phone.

After a couple of rings, he could hear her voice, "Hello, stranger. Missing me already?" He chuckled and nodded, as he looked over the interior balcony and saw Elijah and Freya speaking. "As a matter of fact, I have. Why don't you come over?" he asked her and he could hear Cami's sigh. "I am not sure I am welcome there anymore, after the way your daughter rejected me. It's odd. She had never shown such resentment towards me before." "Well, you are an important person in her life, so I am sure she was not trying to be rude. She was simply missing her mother, but it won't happen again, love, I can assure you." There was no response coming from the other line. She felt his tone changing, as she asked, "Is she back? Is Hayley back?" Klaus took a deep breath as he watched Elijah leave the compound and Freya looking after him with a disappointed look on her face.

"Yes, love. She is back." He could hear Cami gulp as she asked, "How is she doing? Is she alright?" "No. But she is given time to be with her daughter, as she has missed her for the past six months." "Every mother deserves to be with her daughter, Klaus. You shouldn't have kept Hope away from her." "You mean, the way she has kept her from me?" When there was no response again coming from the other line, he asked, "Listen, I was wondering if you would like to come here…on a more permanent visit." He could feel her smile as she asked, "What do you mean?" "Come to live with me at the compound, love. I am sure that a comforting and familiar face such as yours is exactly what I need." "Oh no, I don't want to be any trouble." "No trouble at all, love." "What about Elijah? He is grieving…" "I have known Elijah for a long time. He will get over it." "Klaus, he loved Gia. I know he did." "Yes, I can understand that but what I did, what I sacrificed was for the good of the family and Elijah will soon understand that."

"If you say so…" "What do you say, love? Do you agree to join me here?" "Wouldn't Hayley mind?" "Why would she mind?" Klaus asked, frowning. "Because she has been through a lot, and I am sure that she holds as much hate for me as she holds for you." "And why would you say that?" "Because I am pretty sure she is going to figure out that I have been taking care of Hope with you for the past six months. She isn't going to like that one bit." "Why don't you let me handle her, love? Grab your suitcase and come to the compound. I will be waiting for you." He smiled as he ended the phone call and turned around to see Freya standing there with her hands crossed over her chest. "Niklaus, what are you doing? Why are you inviting Cami to the compound?" "Because I enjoy her presence. She offers me the happiness I need." "That's only the illusion you create in your mind and that is not what your heart…" "What did Elijah want?" he snapped, wanting to terminate this type of conversation. Freya hesitated for a moment before saying, "He wanted to go and visit Gia's grave." A low chuckle erupted from Klaus making Freya's eyes widen. "Why do you find that amusing, brother? He is hurting…really bad."

"I find it amusing that he has been fawning over Hayley for as long as I can remember and now, he finds no reason to live because a passing face just passed away." He chuckled but stopped when he saw the look on Freya's face. "I can't believe that you still feel no remorse for what you have done." "I had no connection to that girl. I barely knew her." "But Elijah knew her and he found someone he could really connect with." "Call me old fashioned, love, but I do not believe in such things." "Funny you should say that, given the connection between you and Hayley." The smile disappeared from his face as Freya hissed, "I don't know how you are going to manage to get that girl to forgive you, but I…" "SHE SHOULD FORGIVE ME! AND BETTER YET, SHE SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO ME!" Klaus let go of his anger, just as the door opened to her room and she walked out, heading to the nursery. Freya sighed and looked up, noticing her. "Just tell me when you want to know the next step towards forgiveness." With that, she walked upstairs.

…

With a knock on the nursery door, Freya startled Hayley but smiled when she saw that Hayley looked like her old self again, except with some minor difficulties in speaking to others. "How are you feeling?" she asked and Hayley shook her head. "I want to go back to my pack. I want to go to the bayou. I don't belong here." "Don't you want to be with your daughter?" "Yes, and that is the reason why I find it fitting to take her with me, considering that her father has kept her all for himself for the past six months." Hayley's hair was pulled backwards and turned into a long braid, as she wore a robe. They stood there, looking at each other for a long and silent moment before Freya went over to the crib and watched Hope play with her toys. "Have you spoken to Elijah?" Hayley asked her, as Freya looked up. "Yes, I have, and he misses Gia dearly. He has not stopped going to her tombstone since then. And he has kept her violin…in his room. It's heartbreaking but it's sweet nonetheless."

Hayley nodded and whispered, "She made him happy. I could see him being different around her." She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I am not going to be kept here like a prisoner. I want to go back to the bayou and be with my husband. Jackson may need me." "Hayley, you are not married anymore. He is no longer your husband." "Either way, I still care for him and I want to see him." Hayley stubbornly replied to her. "I want you to understand that this is your home, Hayley. This will always be your home and that is always going to be your little girl, no matter what Klaus says or does." Hayley shook her head as she felt the tears brimming in her eyes. "If he thinks that I am going to forgive him after…" her voice trailed off as she brushed her hands over her cheeks to stop herself from feeling more pain. She didn't want to appear weak, as she cried. Freya knew, because she didn't want that either.

"Marcel has called and he has decided to finally move past what Klaus has done and start a new partnership with him. Davina cannot be persuaded to join them because she wants to bring back Kol…" "Davina is helplessly in love and love is blind." Hayley concluded as Freya nodded. "Yes, that is true. Love is indeed blind." Hayley sighed and asked, "What is going to happen now?" "There is going to be a party tonight in your honor for escaping the curse and of course, in honor of the reconciliation between my brother and Marcel." "People are in the mood to have fun after everything that has happened?" "People are willing to put aside their differences for the beauty of this city. They want to evolve, to move on from evil and bad experiences. Maybe you should do the same. It would do you and the baby some good." "Fine. If this is a party organized in my honor, then I would like the whole pack to be invited. It seems only fitting, doesn't it?" She said to her firmly.

Freya sighed and shrugged, saying, "That is not up to me, Hayley. You will have to talk to Klaus…" "The hell I will talk to him!" "Well, you should know as everyone else around this house that I am not planning on being anyone's mailman. If you need to say something to either one of my brothers, you tell them to their faces tonight. I will not be sending messages to you from them or to them from you. I hope we are clear about that." Hayley rubbed her forehead and whispered, "Okay, I get it. I'm sorry." Freya almost started feeling sorry for her as she continued to see the sad look on her face. "Cami will be coming over." Freya finally decided to tell her. Hayley looked up and nodded. "I know she comes here regularly. She must have been coming even more, now that Klaus trusts her more than he ever trusted me." She snapped, bitterly and Freya took a deep breath before saying, "She is actually coming here for good, as Klaus invited her to live at the compound."

Hayley looked shocked for a moment but frowned and asked, "Why would he ask her that?" "Because he likes her and they have…something going on." Freya didn't know how to put it. She saw the hurt on Hayley's face but it was immediately placed by laughter as Hayley shrugged and said, "I am sure that he has been searching for the perfect mother figure to replace me in Hope's life. To hell with him if he thinks that I will just step aside and let that girl be the mother for Hope." "I am sure that is not what he is trying to do." "He hasn't even bothered to bring me back. The only reason I am here is because Elijah has fought for that potion, and it got me here." "Hayley, no…" "And you defend him!" she exclaimed and Freya nodded. "He is my brother and I owe him." "Owe him? He hated you." "I know he did because I was under Dahlia's influence and he couldn't trust me but things are different now." Freya responded.

"Okay, but like I said, I am not attending any party in my honor as long as my pack is not invited. All of them are going to join us, including Jackson." She grabbed her purse after having changed into more decent clothes and walked out of the room with Freya after her. "Hayley, where are you going?" "I am going to see the family that needs me." Hayley responded, before exiting the compound with Freya looking hopeless behind her. After a while, Freya could hear a husky voice behind her. "Well, she sure was in a hurry." Freya turned around to give him a scowl as Klaus had an amused look on his face and asked, "Where was she heading to?" "The bayou. She wants to see Jackson and she demands that all wolves are to attend the party you and Marcel throw for tonight." He chuckled and shook his head. "She is stubborn, that she is. She cannot seem to comprehend…"

"The second step, Klaus." Freya told him and he looked at her with a frown. "I am not going to continue. I do not need her forgiveness." "Really? Then why are you trying so hard to convince yourself that she means nothing to you and her situation does not bother you? You are trying to convince yourself of the opposite of truth, because you have feelings for her and I have seen them. You simply cannot look past what has happened and you do that because you are just as stubborn as she is. Now, at tonight's party, you have to make the next step. It has been a week since you talked to her. The second step is to admit your mistakes." "No." "Klaus…" "I will not admit anything to her. There is reason behind what I have done and I do not regret any of it because if that curse hadn't been placed on her, she would have been dead by now. It is her who needs to understand that." Freya simply shrugged and whispered, "You have time, brother. You have tonight. Don't let the moment go to waste. The second step is to admit your mistakes to her. After that, you come to me with the results." There was stubbornness in his indeed and he didn't believe that he would get through to Hayley in any way but as he watched Freya leave his side, he realized that perhaps, she was right.

…

The guests had arrived, as Marcel greeted them all that night. Klaus stood in the interior balcony, smiling from ear to ear at seeing so many people, finally supporting their new partnership. It has been months since the defeat of Dahlia and now, Klaus could feel the city being brought back to life. Marcel kissed Davina's hand as she lightly smiled, but of course, as frustrated with Klaus and his family, she refused to bear them any gifts, as the other guests have done. Klaus continued to look towards the door, hoping that he would get to see her. To his surprise, the doors opened again and Hayley was standing there, dressed in blue, with Jackson by her side, and the other wolves, dressed up and ready behind her. Their eyes showed nothing related to peace.

At that moment, Klaus turned around as he felt a hand on his shoulder and Cami was standing there behind him with Hope in her hands. "She is a bit restless." She said in a smile as she handed the child to Klaus. He looked down and met Hayley's gaze. He could see the fury in them as he finally said to Cami, "No, I believe she needs her mother." As he observed the look on his daughter's face, Klaus finally realized he could use their child as a best approach. He walked downstairs, excusing himself from Cami, and watched with fury as Hayley's hand slipped into Jackson's. He cursed under his breath and held his daughter tightly as he walked through the crowd of people. Reaching the wolves, Hayley immediately looked away as Jackson growled, "What the hell do you want?" Klaus chuckled, "My, my, even after all you've been through, you still don't know your place, lad." "I know my place and it is with Hayley, and my place is alpha of this pack." "If I recall, you are not the one with the Labonair mark on your shoulder now, are you?" "I am a Kenner!" Jackson snapped and Klaus shook his head. "I still do not believe it to be enough to run this pack." "Enough!" Hayley snapped and her eyes finally met Klaus'.

She pulled her hand away from Jackson and hissed, "What do you want from me?" Klaus looked at her innocently as he handed Hope to her. "She seems uneasy, according to Cami. I thought you might like to hold her." "What? Is she tired of playing Mom to my child now?" "It's our child, little wolf, or have you forgotten?" "Me? I haven't. It is you who kept me cursed and away from my daughter for six months." Klaus looked around and saw that the entire pack was staring at him with angry looks on their faces. "Little wolf, I want to talk…" "Go talk to Cami. She is your newest hummingbird now, isn't she?" Klaus frowned as Elijah stepped over to them with a disturbed look on his face. "Am I interrupting?" he asked. "Yes." Klaus said but Hayley said more calmly, "No." After a quiet moment, Hayley held Hope against her chest and whispered, "I want to talk to you, Elijah. Excuse me, Jackson." She whispered, looking away from Klaus and following Elijah in a more restricted place where they could talk. The Original Hybrid watched as she walked away from him. He should have known that he couldn't compete with his brother. He should have known that the moment Hayley would leave Jackson's arms, Elijah would be all over to win her back, especially since he had given him an open door by killing Gia.

…

Hayley watched him as he whispered, "I talked to Davina and she said that she placed a protection spell on the wolves. No more curses, especially none coming from my brother unless she wants it to happen and believe me, she has nothing against the wolves." "But she is against the Mikaelsons now. Why would she help you, Elijah?" Hayley asked as Hope snuggled into her neck. Elijah smiled slightly as he caressed the baby girl's face and whispered, "She did it for you, to protect you from Niklaus' wrath. She didn't do it for me." Hayley nodded and whispered, "I can understand her pain. She wanted Kol back." "She has a new plan now, apparently and she is determined to try again without having anyone stop her." "She does? She can bring him back?" Elijah responded, "Yes. She leads a total of nine covens of witches now with the help of Vincent. She may do anything she wishes."

An idea popped into Hayley's head at that moment as she asked him, "How are you feeling, after Gia…" "Hayley, it is not a matter I wish to discuss!" he snapped at her, with an angry look on his face but eventually, he shook his head and whispered, "I am sorry. I shouldn't have…" "It's understandable, Elijah. You loved that girl very much and she didn't deserve her death." "She couldn't wait to start over with me. She told me, that she wanted to go to Paris…I said we would leave this city together if things went wrong. She wanted to stand by my side but I knew that she would be a weakness for me so I told her to go. Niklaus found her…" "What he did was disgusting and vial! Don't ever forgive him!" Hayley snapped and Elijah slowly shook his head. "I was not planning on doing that, Hayley."

Freya approached them at that moment and took Hope in her hands with a small smile, "Hayley, my brother wishes to speak to you." "Tell him that I am not interested in anything he has to say." "Please…" Freya replied. Without saying anything else, she took Hope away as Klaus approached them and Elijah groaned under his breath, whispering, "I cannot bear to look at him." And left. Hayley felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to face him with a scowl. "I thought your main purpose was to ruin people's lives. What do you want from me since you already ruined mine?" "To confess." Klaus simply responded. Hayley looked as if she was lost for words. "What?" "I said that I wish to confess, meaning admit my mistakes."

He took a deep breath and against his pride and judgement he whispered, "You were right, little wolf. I wanted to punish you. I wanted to make you suffer so you would see how you made me suffer." "In other words, you feel no remorse for what you have done." "Do you not feel any remorse for what you…?" "DAMN IT!" she exclaimed, making a lot of people look at her from her outburst. Her eyes were red now and she was breathing heavily as she hissed, pointing at his chest. "You went along with your plan and kept me in the shadow. You decided to tell Cami about it, but not me, the mother of the child you claim you want to protect! You have done all in your power ever since I became pregnant with that baby that to you, I am lower in your head, than a bartender!" Her eyes let go of the tears she had been holding, shocking him greatly. "Little wolf…" he reached out to her but she slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare! I am tired, Klaus! I am holding on for dear life and I have been, always, because of YOU! I came up with my own plan, seeing as you couldn't trust me with yours! And YES! I acted as any mother would have! I wanted my baby away from this whole family drama! I wanted her to have a normal life and not to live in fear the way I had! What I did was for the best for my child! What you did, by cursing me and keeping that child to yourself for six months was purely out of selfishness and greed!"

Klaus took a step back from her as she came forward. "You don't dare come to me and tell me that I brought this on myself for being a MOTHER and not YOUR SLAVE!" She wiped away her tears and waited for him to say something anything. Klaus took a deep breath and whispered, "I have done wrong by cursing you, and I admit that…but you do not represent innocence here, little wolf." They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment as many people stopped and stared at them. Hayley turned around and stormed away from the party, locking herself in her room.

A/N: To be fair, I believe that both Klaus and Hayley are at fault for what happened. But Klaus is a little guiltier in my opinion because of his cruel ways to deal with his family. I admit that even though I can understand the pain Klaus felt when he thought Hayley was going to run off with their child, I can understand Hayley's actions more and I am on her side. The next chapter is going to be calmer though, don't worry.

Thank you for reading and please leave me reviews!