A/N: thank you for wonderful comments. td Klaus and Hayely are 18 years apart and yes he was even older then her mother. All of your concerns are being handled in this chapter and I hope they are satisfactory. I hope you all like this chapter too.
She said "marry Hayley."
He thought he didnt hear her properly. He asked "pardon me mother?"
She said "marry Hay…." the door banged opened.
Multiple things happened at the same time. Esther finished her sentence "Hayley", the grip on her hand loosened and she dashed to Esther's bed, knelt on the floor saying "mimi. You will be okay. Everything will be okay."
Esther said running her hand on her hair "Hayley my child. I dont think I will get better. I …." but she cut her off oblivious to what that closeness to Klaus was doing to him "mimi, I dont have anyone besides you. Please dont leave me."
She followed her gaze and caught Klaus staring at her. She looked back towards Esther saying "you will be fine. You will see. you are fine" but she saw that Esther was still looking towards Klaus with pleading glance and then started to cough.
His world was turning upside down. He wondered 'how come he didnt know? Didn't he just see her recently? When was the last time he had seen her?' He wondered but drew blank. He wondered 'but whenever it was has she changed so much during this time? They lived in the same house. She always reminded him of Andrea but when did she start to look exactly like her? How did this happen?'
He shook his head trying to focus his attention to Esther. He looked toward Kaleb who slightly shook his head and startled when Hayley yelled "no. Uncle Kaleb make her feel better. No. No."
She got up and ran out.
As soon as the door closed, Esther said in between bouts of cough "Niklaus, she will need you. She appears to be brave but she is not that brave. She needs someone in her life and that person can only be you."
The door opened again causing him to turn towards it. He suddenly felt warm at seeing her. He gave a sad smile to her as she walked to Esther and sat next to her. She held her hand and said "everything will be all right Esther."
Esther said "I am worried about Hayley, Camille. She just refuses to get married. I want to see her safe and secure before I…"
Klaus was about to say something when the Kaleb said "Niklaus, can I talk to you?"
He nodded, gently pried his hand free of Esther's grasp saying "I will be back shortly. Camille is here to give you company."
As soon as he left the room Esther grabbed Camille's hand and said "I want you to do me a favor Camille."
Klaus asked "what do you mean she does not have time?"
Kaleb said "I… I am sorry Niklaus. She has just a couple of days, at most a day or two before she…."
Klaus opened his mouth to say something but his gaze went to Hayley standing a few feet behind Kaleb which ash white face. As he watched, she turned around and ran away from them before he could say anything.
Later that night he was in the study, staring at the words printed on the pages of the book, he was holding, absentmindedly, when he heard Camille say "Esther told me what she wants Niklaus."
He turned towards her, didnt say anything for a moment and then said "Camille dont tell me you agree with her."
Camille walked to him saying "I dont know that yet but I understand why and what she wants. You are the only one Hayley will have once Esther is gone considering you too dont want to get married."
He said angrily this time "has everyone lost their minds? She is Andrea and Elijah's daughter."
Camille said after a moment "and Elijah was not a blood relative to you Niklaus, neither was Andrea. There is nothing wrong if you and she…"
He said feeling frustrated now "stop! please Stop. She is old enough to be my daughter."
Camille said, calmly "yes she is but she is not. She is not your daughter. She is a nobody to you."
Klaus shouted "she is Andrea's daughter."
Camille said in same tone unhinged by his temper "and Andrea was just a friend to you."
He threw the books on the table angrily saying "you very well know that she was not. I loved her…"
Camille said on the verge of tears "I know but she never loved you back Niklaus. She only loved Elijah. I saw her with him and she loved him till the day she died. She didnt love you even though she knew that you loved her" her voice reducing to a whisper towards the end of the sentence.
Klaus stopped pacing at hearing that and turned towards her and asked in a barely audible voice "what? how?"
Camille said "Elijah overheard me telling Esther why you had left and he told Andrea."
Klaus ran his finger through his hair saying "no."
Camille said "she wrote to you about it in one of her letters but I chose not to send it to you. I didnt want to hurt you…."
He cut her off by saying "I need that letter right now."
She said "all right. I will give it to you but you have to remember, Hayley is not Andrea."
Klaus said laughing humorlessly "are you joking? She is exactly like her."
Camille said "except for her looks she is nothing like her mother Niklaus."
He said adamantly "I will not marry her Camille. What about Jackson, your brother-in-law?"
Camille said "he got married last year Niklaus. You were at his wedding too."
He said "I …" but before he could continued they heard a loud scream "No" causing them to startle.
Klaus ran out and headed towards the sound. He stopped when he saw Hayley crumpled on the ground crying with Lily kneeling next to her.
He asked "what happened?" but before listening to her reply he darted to Esther's door.
He took a deep breath of relief as he saw her chest rising and falling with Kaleb sitting next to her checking her pulse.
He went straight to her, sat next to her and in a minute realized that things have taken the turn for worst.
Esther hitched "Niklaus please grant me my last wish. You once gave up your happiness for this family. To this day my heart aches at the thought that you felt the need to pay for what we did for you but right now I want something from you if you, in all these years, even for a second, you considered me your real mother."
He looked around when he heard a sob. Seeing Hayley standing there, looking devastated, confused him. He said turning back towards Esther "mother I…"
But stopped as she started coughing up blood. Suddenly he was pushed aside by a forceful hand and she knelt next to her saying "mimi everything will be all right. I am here with you. I will stay with you. I will always be with you."
She leaned in, fell on her chest hugging her but Klaus could see Esther's eyes fixed on his. His eyes darted between Hayley lying on Esther's chest and Esther.
At last, seeing desperation, pleading on Esther's old face, he nodded thinking that he was giving a dying woman her last wish, thinking what is the harm in letting her think that he will marry Hayley, thinking this is the least he could do for her after she took him in when he needed a mother most, thinking he will find someone for Hayley soon and get her married to him.
As she watched she smiled and closed her eyes.
His heart sank and a moment later, he realized that Hayley had felt that too. She slowly lifted her head from her chest. He was unable to see her expression but the tensing of her body was all he needed to see to know how she was feeling right now. She slowly stood up and started to turn towards the door when he impulsively said "Hayley."
Their eyes met for a moment, his witnessed the wetness in hers but without saying anything she continued towards the door.
Once she closed the door behind her, she crumpled on the floor and broke down.
He startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder followed by Kaleb saying "I am sorry for your loss Niklaus."
He nodded, turned to Camille and asked, heart broken at losing the woman who was a mother to him for the past 24 years "can you go and see how she is doing?"
Camille nodded, wiped her eyes and left the room. He looked towards Esther knowing exactly how Hayley was feeling right now. They both had lost all parental figures in their lives today. But at least he was independent, able to take care of himself. Who did she have?
He walked to her bed and sat down next to her thinking of how peaceful she had suddenly looked when he had agreed to her demand. He looked towards the door when it opened again and a crying Lily entered the room. He asked "where is Marcel Lily?"
She said wiping her tears "master, he must be in the room. Do you wish for me to call him?"
Klaus said "yes."
Camille looked down at Hayley sitting on the cold floor crying nonstop. She at last knelt down and hugged Hayley saying "Hayley, everything will be all right."
Her heart broke when Hayley asked in a teary voice "where will I go now aunt Camille? I dont have any place to live. Mimi is gone. I am all alone."
Camille said "Hayley, You have me, Kaleb and you have Niklaus…"
As soon as the words were out, she felt Hayley body getting tense up. She felt a pang when Hayley separated herself from her saying "I dont want to …." she stopped talking causing Camille to turn around. Her eyes met Klaus's grieve stricken eyes and she looked back towards Hayley when she said "I don't want to talk about him."
Klaus could feel her hazel brown eyes boring into his. He at once knew she was talking about him. Before he could say anything she got up and walked away from them with her head down.
Later that night Camille walked to her bed, sat on it and after a moment started crying. A moment later she felt arms around her pulling her towards him.
She said crying "I loved that woman. She was like a mother to me."
Kaleb said "she will be missed."
He paused for a moment and then said "you are worried about them?"
SHe looked up into his eyes and said in a weepy smile "you know me too well."
When he smiled, she said "yes. What do you think?"
Kaleb asked "about what?"
Camille said "what Esther asked from Niklaus?"
He caressed her face and said "I think it is not a bad idea. I have now known him for the past fourteen years and I can guarantee one thing. If there is anyone with whom we can be sure that she will be safe and secure it is him."
Camille asked "what about love?"
He asked smiling "did we love each other when we got married?"
She smiled and shook her head saying "no but you were willing to make this marriage work."
Kaleb said "we both worked on it and they have to learn that too."
She asked "she is too young. They have a age difference of almost twenty years."
He said "yes that is there… that is the only thing I am concern about. Will she be able to live with a man so older then her or will he be able to live with a girl that younger to him…." he paused for a moment and then continued "I think it can work. Maybe Hayley is what he needs in his life. He needs someone to bring some lightness in his boring and dull life and she needs someone who can provide stability in his life. He is also older then her so he will take care of her a lot."
She sighed and said "I talked to him in the afternoon but he does not agree to it."
Kaleb said "does he have someone else in mind? Caroline maybe."
She said "no. They broke up six months ago."
Kaleb asked "do you know why?"
Camille said "Niklaus told me she demanded him to leave Hayley and his mother. She said they were not his responsibility considering he has no blood relationship with them."
Kaleb said "hmm" but didnt continue.
Camille kissed him saying "I love you."
He smiled and said "I love you too. So what are thinking?"
Camille said "I am going to do what Esther asked me to do."
Kaleb asked "what?"
Camille said "yesterday when she told me what she wanted, she made me promise that I will do everything to make sure Hayley and Niklaus find happiness in life and right now I think getting married to each other is the only thing that will at least give her a secure future and maybe a promise to the future."
Kaleb said "just take care that neither of them gets hurt in the process."
Camille said "I will but will you stand by my decision."
He nodded and pulled her towards her and kissed her hard, his hand caressing her body and bringing her down with him on the bed.
Next afternoon, after the funeral Klaus was pacing in his room totally distraught and not knowing what to do. Surprising his thought were going to Hayley against his better judgement and her devastated face when he had seen her with Camille followed by what he had overheard was flashing in his mind again and again. He stopped pacing at the knock on the door and said "come in."
When Camille entered the room he said "thank you for staying Camille. Please convey my gratitude to Kaleb."
Camille gave him a sad smile saying "I will."
She paused for a moment and then said "Niklaus, have you seen Hayley?"
He felt flustered for some reason and looked away saying "she must be in her room."
Camille said "no she is not and apparently no one has seen her since the funeral."
That made him turn around and he asked in confusion "What? Where is she?"
She said "I don't know. I too have not seen her since the funeral."
He picked up his coat and headed out saying "I will go look for her. Ask Marcel to look for her too."
Two hours later, he started feeling frustrated that he was unable to find her. He looked towards the grounds where snow had started to fall and his worry at where she might be in this weather increased. He got off his horse, shook the snow flakes off of his hair. He yelled in frustration and banged his hand on the rails of the stall. He stood there looking down for a moment and then thought of going out to look for her again. He was almost out of the stable when he heard a sound of someone's crying. He hastily followed it and then took a deep breath of relief when he saw her lying on the hay. His relief at finding her immediately was replaced by the sudden anger and he shouted "where the hell were you?" causing her to startle.
She looked up towards him, hastily wiped her eyes and got up but didnt answer him. She started to walk away from him when he noticed that he was not wearing any coat. He took off his coat as he grabbed her arm and said angrily "answer me right now."
Hayley said in an icy tone "what do you care?"
He snapped "you are my responsibility now so yes I care where you were."
She continued to look towards him without replying. He couldnt continue to stare into those icy hazel brown eyes so different from the warm eyes of her mothers' and he let her go. When she continued to walk towards the exit, he said "you are not going anywhere except for home."
Hayley stopped walking for a moment and then said "I dont have a home anymore"
His heart ached for her even though it was full of anger for her. He said, harshly "take this. it is cold and your dress is not appropriate."
She turned towards him, stared at the coat in his hand and then without saying anything, not taking the coat from him, she continued to walk towards the manor.
He continued to look towards her walking toward the manor in that deep snow, her light blue dress dragging the snow around her, her hair flying in the air. He thought for a moment and then ran after her and caught up with her. He put his coat around her shoulder ignoring her silent protest and walked beside her towards the manor.
Considering her bare feet were freezing, and she was starting to shiver, her heart was heavy, she wanted to cry some more she resigned and took his coat.
The moment they entered the manor, Camille, pacing in the hall, dashed to her. She pulled her in a hug first and then asked angrily as she pushed her away form her "oh god Hayley, you are freezing. Where were you?"
Hayley took off her coat and handed it back to Klaus without looking towards him and said "I am fine aunt Camille" in a composed voice and headed towards her room when Klaus noticed that she was bare feet too.
During the next week, he didnt see her but Lily kept him informed of her whereabout so he knew that she was still in the manor. He missed seeing Esther everyday. A lot of people came for condolences. To his surprise Caroline started visiting him. Although he still remembered her reasons for breakup with him, he let the past be past and embraced her visits. Camille came every evening and spend a lot of time with him and Hayley. She never brought up the marriage subject again to his relief. He didn't want to think about her but Esther's words kept on playing in his mind. One evening after Caroline left he tried to get lost in a book but could so he snapped it shut and started pacing. He realized that he should find someone for her if he wants to move on with his life. Now that Esther is gone, he should move from here too. There is nothing tying him over here. But what about Hayley? A voice asked him. Before he could address it heard the door open.
He looked towards the door and smiled as he saw Camille entered the library. He asked "when did you come?"
Camille said "A while ago."
She hesitated before continuing "Niklaus, I am here to talk to you about Hayley."
Klaus asked "what about her?" feeling dread in his stomach.
She said "have you thought about what Esther asked of you Niklaus?"
Klaus said "I…no Camille I cannot get married to her. I cannot even look at her without thinking how young she is or that she is Andrea's daughter. How can I marry her?"
Camille said "Niklaus, I understand you hesitation but I have told you before. Her being Andrea's daughter has nothing to do with you not getting married to her. Andrea was someone you loved once but she never loved you. And age difference is nothing. Kaleb and I are eight years apart and I am very happy with him. He takes excellent care of me. I love him. Age difference has never been an issue between us."
He said sternly "no…" but before he could say any further the door opened and she entered the room. She said "aunt Camille, can I talk to you for a moment?" ignoring Klaus.
Camille said "yes Hayley. I will be back Niklaus. Think about it. I need an answer from you today."