Chapter 4
Niklaus leaned against the counter, on hand braced against the marble as he downed his third straight scotch. He heard footsteps and groaned wondering who was coming to interrupt his brooding. It had been several hours since the incident with Aislynn and he was still amped up. He wasn't sure he could handle it if she left. No woman had ever made him feel the way Aislynn did.
Hayley padded into the kitchen, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Niklaus. She stopped next to him, taking the glass from his hand and sniffing it. "Isn't this what got us in trouble before?"
"Now is not the time to be a smart ass, Hayley. Go play your games with Elijah," he said irritably.
She continued to stand next to him, pouring him another drink. "But you are a much better partner, Klaus." She offered him the glass.
"Any arsenic in this?" He asked taking it from her.
"No, baby daddy, the only one I want to poison is that little tramp upstairs," she said. "You know they say it's better the second time around," she murmured pressing into him.
Niklaus looked down at her, disinterestedly. "It would just about have to be if memory serves,"
"Well I didn't hear you complaining afterwards!" she said haughtily.
"That's because I was too busy trying to gnaw my own arm off." Niklaus said moving away from her to sit down.
She glared at him from her spot by the bar, watching as he downed the scotch. Pasting a smile on her face she picked up the bottle and moved across the room. Leaning against him heavily she refilled the glass.
"Come on, Klaus. Let's have some fun. The bun is already in the oven. No harm, no foul, right?"
She sat the bottle on the table and pretended to trip, placing herself directly in his lap.
"For the love of all that is holy, Hayley. Be careful!" Niklaus growled as he caught her his arms.
"Hey Nik...do..." Aislynn said walking into the room and stopped short, her mouth hitting the floor. Her eyes, full of hurt, went from Niklaus' face to Hayley's and back to Niklaus'. "Never...sorry...I didn't mean to interrupt," she choked out before turning and fleeing the room.
Niklaus stood abruptly, dumping Hayley squarely on her ass. "You bitch!" He glared down at her. "You did that on purpose! I should just snap your neck and be done with you!"
"What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Elijah asked coming into the room, seeing Hayley on the floor with Niklaus standing over her with a murderous look on his face. "Niklaus. Step away from Hayley," he said calmly.
Niklaus glared at Elijah. "Why should I? I don't want her or her brat here. I never did."
"Nik!" Rebekah yelled coming up behind Elijah upon hearing the commotion. "How could you say that about your own child?"
Niklaus sighed in exasperation and threw up his hands in disgust. "One lousy mistake! One lousy night of mediocre sex and I am to be punished for the rest of my miserable existence!"
"Mediocre sex?" Hayley screamed grabbing the nearest vase and hurling it at Niklaus' head.
They heard feet running down the steps then the front door slamming shut.
Niklaus ducked just in time, the vase whistling past his head and smashing against the cabinet. He took a deep breath. "You," he glanced at Hayley. "Clean that up." He turned to Elijah, "You, get her under control or she is out on her backside. I am done with this."
He strode from the room in pursuit of Aislynn. He refused to let her go without a fight.
Aislynn ran from the house, tears streaming down her face. She should have known better than to believe him. The first time she walks into a room she finds the little wolf bitch in his arms. Niklaus Mikaelson was a lying bastard. She could hear him yelling her name so she picked up the pace running faster, ducking in and out tress that made up the wooded area behind the house. Before she knew what was happening Niklaus dropped out of the sky landing in front of her in a crouch.
She froze, a yelp escaping from her lips.
"And just where do you think you are going, little one?" he asked as casually as if he was inquiring about the weather.
"I'm getting away from you, you no good, lying, cheating bastard!"
"Aislynn, love, it's not what you think, Let's just go back to the house and talk about this. You don't even have your jacket and its freezing out here," Niklaus said holding up his hands as if calling a truce.
"Yeah as cold as your frozen heart," she said moving to walk around him.
His hand shot out, curling around her upper arm as he pulled her in front of him again. "Do you really think you can outrun a vampire, love?"
She tried to shake off his hand. It was useless. "You said I could leave if I wanted. Well, I want! I never want to see your lying face again!"
"I did say that, but not this way. You and I are going to talk. Like it or not. And then, I'm going to kiss you again. And if you still want to leave after that I will let you go with no argument."
"Nik...please...why can't you just let me go?" she whispered tears filling her emerald eyes. "This is for the best...you are going to be tied to Hayley for the rest of your life and I can't play second fiddle, maybe to the baby...but not to that bitch. I won't do it!"
He pulled her to him. "You could never be second fiddle to anyone, love. Hayley is playing games and I am sick of them. I won't lose you because of her. I refuse." He wrapped his arms around her and hoisted her over his shoulder. "We are going inside to talk. It is too cold out here, you are freezing."
Niklaus walked to the guest cottage that sat back in the woods. It had often been used for a hunting lodge back in the old days. He didn't know what kind of disrepair it was in but it was better than being out in the cold. Opening the door he walked inside and sat Aislynn on her feet before kicking the door closed. "Have a seat, love, I'll find a couple of blankets."
Aislynn stood in the middle of the room glaring at him refusing to do as he asked out of spite.
He found what he was looking for and turned to find her standing there. He sighed in exasperation.
He held the blanket out to her. When she continued to defy him he shrugged. "It's either this or me. I will not have your teeth chattering while I try to talk some sense into you."
Although curling up against him had it's obvious perks she was still angry enough to spit. Jerking the blanket from him she moved to the couch and wrapped it around herself as she sat down defiantly refusing to look at him.
Instead of taking the spot next to her he knelt in front of her. "Aislynn, please look at me. I did not lie to you. I will never lie to you. There is nothing between Hayley and I."
Aislynn blinked back tears. "It sure didn't look that way. One minute your upstairs holding and kissing me, the next you've got her in your arms," she whispered as the tears fell despite her effort to keep them at bay. "I don't think I've ever felt so cheap in my life."
"That was all Hayley, trying to bait me, make me angry. I'm ashamed to say that it worked, but that doesn't change the fact that I want less than nothing to do with her."
Aislynn finally looked down at him. Unable to resist she reached out and brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. "I don't understand why. You say she wants Elijah, why threaten and bait you. It doesn't make any sense at all."
"I think it's actually more about you than it is about either Elijah or myself. Jealousy is an ugly thing and when it rears its head, people get hurt."
Aislynn nodded. She saw it, felt it every day. She'd always prided herself on being above it but today, seeing Hayley in his arms all she had wanted to do was rip her hair out by its roots. "I understand, Nik. I just don't think it's good for any of us to live like this."
"You're right it's not. So let's figure out what we can do about it, figure out a way everyone can be happy and get along," he said taking her hand in his, kissing each knuckle on the hand he held.
"I've spent over a thousand years looking for you. I won't lose you now. You call the shots on this one, love."
She reached out and touched his face. "I don't want to leave you, Nik. I don't want to have to live without you."
He stood and held out his hand to her. "You will never have to. If it comes down to a choice, I will always choose you."
Aislynn took his hand and allowed him to pull her into his arms. "I'm giving fair warning, she touches you again, pregnant werewolf or not I will beat her ass!" she whispered slipping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest as his arms wrapped around her.
Niklaus chuckled. "I have no doubt of that." He hugged her to him tightly as his heart swelled almost to bursting. It was an unfamiliar sensation and he held her tighter.
After several minutes he whispered against her hair. "There is just one more thing, love."
"What's that?" she asked, her voice muffled against his chest.
He pulled back, loosening his grip only slightly. "I do believe I promised that I would kiss you again. May I?"
"I thought you'd never ask," she whispered tilting her head back so he had full access to her mouth.
He cupped her face in both hands and put all that he did not know how to say into that kiss.
Aislynn felt the now familiar wave wash over her and she forgot the need to breathe as his tongue slid across her lips, begging for entrance, which she willingly granted.
His hands moved back down to her waist, holding her tightly. When he finally pulled back, she was breathless-and fully aware of his attraction to her.
Aislynn drew in a ragged breath as she dropped her forehead to his chest and told herself to breathe deeply so she didn't pass out. "As much as I hate to leave here, we should probably be getting back before it gets dark," he said dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Besides, it is time to set some ground rules for our happy little home," he added as he pulled her into his side.
Aislynn blinked back tears once again. It had been a long time since she'd had somewhere to call home. But she knew where ever Niklaus Mikaelson was that would be her home. "Yes it is!" she agreed.
Niklaus pushed the front door open and bellowed for the other occupants of the house. Slowly they began to appear. First Rebekah, then Elijah. He growled and screamed Hayley's name again.
Finally she came down the stairs. She seemed a bit subdued and that put Niklaus on edge. "Let's all sit down in the parlor. We need to have a serious discussion."
"Can we do this a little later please? I'm not feeling so well." Hayley said with her hand on her stomach.
Rebekah rolled her eyes behind Hayley's back. "No." This time it was Elijah that spoke. "We definitely need to get some things out in the open."
Like a whipped puppy Hayley made her way to one of the couches and sat down with her eyes down cast. Aislynn took a seat next to Rebekah and Elijah sat next to Hayley while Niklaus remained standing. "Well let's get this family meeting going," Rebekah said with a sigh. She was really pissed at Hayley for causing so much drama.
"First off, I want it known that Aislynn is now a part of this family. She will be treated with common decency. I don't expect everyone to get along every second but there will be no more uncalled for rude behavior or snipping comments." He looked directly at Hayley.
"I suppose that goes for her as well?" Hayley snapped.
"Seriously Hayley?" Rebekah asked. "Aislynn hasn't been rude to one single person. You on the other hand wanted to put Arsenic in her coffee 5 minutes after meeting her."
Niklaus took a deep breath. "Yes, if hell were to freeze over and Aislynn was rude to you unprovoked then I would be upset with her."
Elijah cleared his throat. "I have something, I would like to say."
Niklaus nodded to Elijah. "Yes, brother?"
"You must not touch Hayley in anger again. Regardless of what she may or may not do, she is still pregnant and that is nonnegotiable. I gave my word and I will not break it."
Aislynn raised her hand. "I have something I need to say."
"Go ahead , love, the floor is yours." Niklaus said.
"Hayley, I understand that you and Nik are having a child together and I am fully supportive of that co-parental relationship and I will never interfere because it's not my place, but as far as relationships go, parenting is it. You will keep your filthy paws off of Niklaus and that is nonnegotiable," she said staring Hayley directly in the eye showing no fear whatsoever.
Rebekah snickered, she'd almost pulled off that little speech. Hayley glared at Aislynn. "It would seem you have some claws of your own, princess."
"Ladies, let's play nice shall we?" Elijah said calmly.
Niklaus cleared his throat. "Quite right, brother. I also want it made perfectly clear, so there are no future incidents like today, that there is nothing between Hayley and I. Beyond the child, we share nothing."
"So now that is all cleared up and we are one big happy family can I be excused since I had absolutely nothing to do with any of this...for once?" Rebekah asked.
"Is there anything else anyone would like to say before we adjourn?" Niklaus looked around at the others expectantly.
When no one spoke Niklaus smiled. "Great. I'm starving."
Aislyn looked up at him her eyes a little wide. "You mean..."
Niklaus' eyes darted from Rebekah to Elijah then back to Aislynn.
"I think tonight, we will eat in." He hoped that the other two got the message.
"No...it's fine go out...it's something I need to get used to. I just hadn't thought that far ahead."
Aislynn said feeling totally embarrassed now that she'd made a fool of herself in front of all of them. "I'm going to be upstairs if anyone needs me," she said with a small smile before rushing out of the room.
"Why don't you two go out? I will go when you return." Niklaus suggested.
"Yeah...umm...that might be best" Rebekah said glancing at the grin on Hayley's face. "I won't be long brother" she added as she passed him.
"Take your time, I'm in no hurry."
Elijah stood. "I shall return soon as well." He was a bit worried about the three of them being alone together. He needed to replenish his own depleted supply.
Niklaus left the room, heading to the kitchen. Elijah turned to Hayley. "Behave yourself. Do not provoke him."
"I'll be a good girl. I promise." Hayley muttered.