Battle of egos

by NostalgicUniverse

A/U: Hayley Marshall, daughter of Duke in Britain in 1746, got herself pregnant with lord who left her with the baby so her father asked her bodyguard, Niklaus Mikaelson, to take the responsibility but why would he take that responsibility when he is engaged to be married to the love and mother of his child, Camille O Connell? Klamille and Klayley.

4. Chapter 4 Ego and Control

-continued-

Much later that night as he laid next to Camille as she slept, he realized that she was on a self destructive path and she will not change. A fear started from the pit of his stomach that if she keeps at it she will cause damage to herself and the child she was carrying and hated. At the thought of that child, he wondered 'wouldnt it be good if her father raises the child considering she does not even care about it but how will she be able to give her flesh and blood to her father? Will he himself be able to stand aside and watch him take that child from her arms? What will happen to her after the baby will be born for he will not live with her after she has her child.' He thought in frustration 'eight years of protection! will he be able to wash his hands off of her just like that. Maybe he can….' but he was able to finish his thoughts and then he said to himself "he is worrying unnecessary. She herself must be waiting for the baby to be born so she can break this marriage and get away from him so that shouldn't be a problem but for right now for the sake of the child and his sense of responsibility he should try to be nice to her."

He felt calm about his decision before he drifted off to sleep with his hand on Camille's stomach.

From that day onwards he ignored all her taunts, insults and pushing him around during their sex which after a a couple of times he realized that he had started to like now that he was making a conscious effort to tolerate her. Her getting some control and giving him pleasure in ways that he had never realized and one day he was shocked to realize that he was actually looking forward to having sex with her and that day he didnt go to her and stayed with Camille and made love to her so passionately that it took her off guard.

Hayley noticed the change in his behavior towards her and that started to worry her as she realized that he might notice something so she started to annoy him more and in front of Camille which she didnt dare before but the more she tried, the more he was ignoring her behavior. She often wondered has Camille told him to do that as she realized that Camille was also going out of way to include her into her life. In the beginning she used to come to her room but ever since Eve had taken over she had stopped visiting but now she had started again. Often she would come into her room with some sort of wool in her hand and settle down on the chair and continued to knit something which she realized after a couple of days was some sort of sweater for the baby making her wonder if she should be doing it for her child to but then she would remind herself that her father will take her baby from her so what is the point. Sometimes she would tell her about her childhood in the village before joining the castle. Hayley would listen to her stories about how and what women did in villages. She listened to her with fascination when she told her about quilting bee and decided that if she is still with Klaus by that time of the year, she would host the event at her house. Seeing her in her room was making her more and more uncomfortable as she recalled her suspicion that Camille knew about her feelings towards Klaus but they never touched the topic and knowing that Klaus was coming to her once every other week must be hard for her too. Sometimes she would just look at Camille in amazement at how could she tolerate her seeing that because of her stupidity Klaus was forced to marry her. With them spending so much time together, sometimes it seemed that their old friendship was coming back. They both had started to become comfortable around each other like they used to. Camille had even started calling her by her name occasionally when they were alone but she had always maintained the level of respect between them for Hayley's annoyance- the level of respect that she wanted to leave behind in the castle and then she got flu and their interaction reduced somewhat. Hayley spend her days writing in her journal, doing the chores that Camille had been ignoring the maid's request about not doing them. After the day carrying water, gathering fresh fruits and vegetables for the day's meals from the kitchen garden, getting the milk to the house she would feel really tired but she made it a point to visit her room once a day whenever he was not in there. She had often noticed that none of the neighbors visited them so one day when she asked Camille about it she just looked at her not telling her what she was thinking and then it hit her that because of their living situation Klaus did want a lot of strangers coming in their house. But then she started noticed a woman coming to house visiting Camille a lot. One day as she was going to his room, she saw that woman again leaving her room. They exchanged smiles and then she went inside and the woman left. Camille was not in her room. She thought for a moment and then walked to the bath chamber. As she stepped in she saw Camille sitting in the tub filled with water and Maya sitting at her head washing her back. She smiled, walked to her and motioned Maya to get up. Maya stared at her in surprise but got up. Hayley motioned her to leave as she took Maya's spot and resumed what she was doing. After a moment she asked "who was that woman who left your room?"

Camille turned around and looked at her in shock and said "what are you doing lady Hayley?"

Hayley rolled her eyes and said "lady? really? Why dont you just relax and let me do what I am doing."

Camille thought for a moment and then turned back putting her back against the tub and said "Amaya is a village doula. She is preparing me for the birth. You should meet her too. She will help you with your baby too. Next time when she comes I will introduce you to her."

Hayley asked after some hesitation as she moved the loofa on her back "how do you feel about it? It is almost time."

Camille looked back at her face remembering how she doesn't care about her child and said "I cannot wait to hold my child. Nurse him. Dress him in the sweaters I knitted. I just want to hold him. Look at him asleep. See him grow up to be a gentleman like his father."

Hayley asked softly "what if it is a girl?"

Camille smiled touching her stomach "Even then. We don't care what we are having. We just want it to be healthy."

Hayley smiled as her gaze went to her hand on her stomach and then startled as the door opened and he came in.

Klaus entered the room, shaking the rain from his eyes. He walked to the bathroom wanting to take a warm bath but stopped as she saw Hayley with loofa and Camille sitting in the bath. He recalled past couple of days when he had started noticing that she and Camille were getting close but never ever had he imagined in his wildest dreams that she would be helping Camille with her anything. He turned and left the room. Hayley jumped up and started to leave but stopped when Camille held her hand and asked "why are you doing it?"

Hayley turned to her and asked "what?"

Camille said "trying so hard to make him hate you."

Hayley said "because I hate him too."

Camille said with a smile "no you don't."

She felt her hand getting tensed up and said "as much as it pains me to admit it but I can see it in your eyes and now that I think about it, I think it had been there for a long time now. How long Hayley? I am surprised that he never noticed it."

Hayley said "I don't know what you are talking about Camille."

Camille let her hand go and said "you do. Your secret is safe with me lady Hayley but I think you should tell him. He thinks you hate him."

Hayley looked at her for a minute and then left.

While on one hand she was bonding with Camille on the other she was trying her best to tick Klaus off but was being unsuccessful and at last one day she succeeded in making him mad when she said "if you were half the man an average man is, you wouldn't take this much insult from me. It seems that you like to be insulted like a servant does. When will you… " but was unable to finish her sentence as a slap landed on her face.

She said in a cold voice "yes, that is the solution to this. Hit me."

Klaus looked at her and with clenched fists he left the room. She wiped the tears from eyes and went to her room too. She said to Eve "prepare a bath for me."

She tried to relax herself as she felt the loofa on her back but could so after sometime she got up saying "I am done. Thank you Eve. You can leave for tonight after handing over my robe to me."

Eve handed her the robe and left.

For the next two days, Hayley and Klaus avoided each other but she was spending time with Camille. On the third day morning when she came out of her room, she saw him pacing outside his room. She started towards the kitchen ignoring him but then she saw that he was worried so he walked to her and said "this worry is normally as a result of something I would do. What happened?"

Klaus turned to her and said "Camille is having the baby."

Her eyes went to the room and asked "now?"

Klaus said "yes."

Hayley felt excitement shot through her but she didnt say anything else seeing his anxious face. She looked towards him as he was pacing while they waited for the news from the room and then they heard the sound of the baby crying.

She smiled and went back to her room while Klaus went to their room to see the baby. As he entered the room he stopped when he saw what was in front of him- Camille propped up against the bed with their child at her naked breast. Amaya walked to him and said in a soft voice "she has lost a lot of blood."

Klaus asked in confusion "what does that mean?"

But it was Camille who said to Amaya "bring lady Hayley to me."

She nodded and left.

Hayley ran into the room and said "she said…" she darted to the bed and sat next to Camille ignoring Klaus who was looking at Camille helplessly. She held her hand and said "you will be fine. You have to be. Your baby needs you."

Camille said looking up from the baby nursing at her breast "lady Hayley …" she paused and then continued "Hayley promise me you will take care of him. He needs a mother and considering you are his father's wife he needs you."

Hayley said panicking now "no no. He needs you, not me."

Camille said now getting really tired "I cannot" and her eyes started to droop. Hayley turned towards Klaus and said in a loud voice "do something."

Klaus walked to Camille and held her free hand and kissed it which Hayley looked at with anger "is that what you are going to do? Kiss her! Do something to make her better?"

He looked at her anxious face for the first time and saw the deep worry and fear on her face that he couldn't even imagine. Camille whispered "Niklaus listen" she gestured him to come near her.

Klaus leaned in until he was lip to lip with her when she whispered "kiss me."

Hayley's heart broke when she saw him put his lips to her lips, tears rolling down his cheek.

She stepped back and walked away from them as she watched Klaus holding her hand in his, her baby at her naked breast, their forehead touching each others and their lips glued. She felt her heart would explode with the impending grief. Her heart jumped when she heard Camille say "Hayley, will you hold him?"

Hayley stared at her but walked to her and gently took the baby, who had gone to sleep. She looked down at the small tiny thing in her hands and looked up to see her eyes closed and Klaus holding her head to his chest.

Klaus couldnt believe what just happened. He stayed there, holding her lifeless body against his chest for a while and then he laid her gently on the bed, covering her face, got up in daze, walked around the bed to Hayley and took the baby from her. As their eyes met, his filled with grief, hers with resentment, she hissed "you are a coward. You let her die. She died giving birth to your child and you couldn't do anything other then kiss her."

Before he could say anything, she stormed out of the room with tears falling from her eyes uncontrollably.

Klaus kept looking at Camille and then with a heavy heart left the room too. He saw Amaya standing outside the room. He walked to her and said "how should he be nursed?"

Amaya said "mother's milk is best for him. You can find women who nurse newborn babies. Laila lives on the other side of the village."

He handed the baby to Amaya and said "can you stay with him? I will be back in some time" and left.

After he left Amaya looked towards the room she had seen Hayley walk in a few moments ago. She walked to it and knocked at it.

When he came back just before the evening he saw Amaya sitting on the chair in the hall. As she saw him she got up and left saying "I am sorry for you loss. My son and some other neighbors can help you with the funeral."

Klaus nodded and went to his room. He was looking at his son with tears in his eyes when he stirred and started crying. He instinctively picked him up and swayed him so that he gets quiet.

Hayley was sitting on the bed thinking of what Amaya had told her and was wondering should she and if Klaus would let her and then she heard a tiny cry that broke her heart. She got up with determination and went towards his room.

He heard a sound, turned around and barked "what are you doing here? out."

Hayley stared at him for a moment, her heart breaking, tears threatening to fall, resentment for him for letting her die knowing well that it was not his fault. She could see he was hurting so she walked to him and tried to take the baby from him but he pushed her away causing her to stumble but as she stumbled his own hand caught her. She looked at him and then took the baby from him forcefully and cradled him. The baby was crying really hard so she said "he is hungry. He needs to be nursed."

But when he didn't say anything she sat down and starting pulling the strings at the front of her dress.

He came out of trance and asked in confusion "what do you think you are doing?"

But she didnt say anything and continued to do what she was doing and it hit him so he grabbed her hand and barked "stop that."

She looked up and said "then bring someone to feed him."

Klaus said "I will be back" and left.

He came back with a cup with some milk in it. Hayley stared at it but then took it. He said looking towards Camille "I have to take care of things. Will be back in a few hours."

She said picking up the cup "I am taking him to my room."

As soon as she knew he has left, she locked the door, put the cup down, sat on the bed and exposed her breast to him. She tried a couple of times and at last he latched on and sucked making her breath hitch. She was surprised to realize that she knew what she was doing even though she had never done something like that before and then she realized that it must be natural mother's instinct. She gasped as he started to suck aggressively as if his life depended on it and then she relaxed as she realized that he was getting something. She felt a kick in her stomach at the same moment and whispered "it is alright. You both are in good care."

She stared at him in amazement as his tiny fist landed on her breast thanking her luck that she was in a position to satisfy his hunger and for Amaya for suggesting it to her. She scooted back and continued to nurse him.

Klaus entered her room after a few hours and asked "how is he?"

He looked at him sleeping and asked "how did he go to sleep?"

Hayley said "he was tired so he went to sleep. Where have you buried her?" without looking at him .

Klaus stared at her back band said "the graveyard in the village. When he wakes up give him some more."

She wanted to hug him but she knew better. She wanted to apologize to him but the hatred on his face made her lose the courage.

He waited for her to refuse or anything to agitate him but none came which he realized was good because he was so ready to kill her if one wrong word came out of her mouth at that moment. He went to his room and saw the bed-sheet changed which he knew at once that she has done it and he found it annoying for some reason. He fell on the bed and let the tears fall which he had been holding since the time Camille had died. He looked to his side where she has been sleeping for the past 10 months but she was not there. He drifted off to sleep looking at that spot.

After he left Hayley sat on a chair holding her hurting breasts. She suddenly felt really hungry so she got up and went to the kitchen and found a loaf of bread and started munching on it after bringing it back to her room. He woke up four times that night demanding milk and she nursed him making sure that the door was locked. Every time he struggled to get some milk she felt herself hurting more but she knew by now that couldn't give up on him so she continued to help him and hope that he gets what he needs and eventually he did and after that he slept in a stretch of three hours.

It was late and he was unable to sleep. It has been three days since Camille had died after giving birth to their child and it still ached him. He still couldnt believe that she had gone. "She was so young and healthy. How could this have happened?" he asked himself thousandth of time. The baby had given some trouble in the beginning but then he calmed down. He and Hayley had not interacted at all during these three days except for when she had insisted on keeping the baby in her room since she was the one who was feeding him in the middle of the night. Seeing logic in it, Klaus had agreed to it even though he was extremely angry with her about her insulting behavior leading up to the day Camille died. Her remark on Camille's death was not helping him with the guilt that he had been unable to save Camille. But even in that anger he had realized during these three days that she loved his child. Perhaps because she herself os pregnant but then why does she not care about her child he wondered. He often saw her holding the baby and swaying him gently in her arms. Seeing her with a baby in her arms and another in her stomach which was now starting to show quite a bit was an amazing sight but his resentment towards her had reached a point that, had it not been for his son, he would have kicked her out of his home.

When he still couldn't sleep he decided to go and look at him so he got up and went towards her room through the adjoining door. As he entered her room thinking she might be sleeping, he saw her sitting on the chair with her back towards the door.

Hayley cursed herself for not locking the door as she saw him walk towards the crib and waited for his outburst but it never came. Instead he turned towards her and she saw panic on his face. He was about to ask her about him when he noticed a cloth on her chest. He walked to her as their eyes met. He removed the cloth from her breast as she averted her eyes and stared at his son resting in her arms, sucking at her breast. She took the cloth from his hand and covered herself again. He stared at her for a moment still in shock and then left her room. After a few minutes Hayley put the baby in the crib and noticed him standing at the door when she turned to lie down on her own bed. Their eyes met and she prepared herself for his wrath but when he didnt say anything she continued to her bed. She had taken a step when he grabbed her by her arm and pulled her towards him so hard that a painful gasp escaped from her mouth. He released her arm and asked coldly "what is it?"

Hayley said "nothing."

Klaus said grinding his teeth "answer me."

Hayley whispered after a moment of hesitation "it hurts."

He asked in confusion "what?"

Hayley said "my …. my breast."

He stared at her and then asked gingerly "because of feeding him?"

When she didn't say anything he asked "why are you doing it?"

Hayley said softly "because he needs me."

Klaus said harshly "no he does not. I will arrange someone for him."

Hayley ignored the hurt caused by his words and said coldly "when you find someone, do tell. Until then I am what he has" and turned toward her bed.

Klaus grabbed her by her arm and turned her towards him saying "no, I will get someone who can nurse him then. Until then he will have cow's milk. You are not to touch him again."

She stared at him in shock and then before she could stop herself she said "you would let a stranger nurse him but not me who can and is probably going to be his mother."

Klaus said with contempt "yes. Like I said I dont want him to depend on you and I definitely dont want to be in your debt. You and I are only together for the next three months hopefully less time."

She felt as if he had slapped her. Her yes went cold which didnt go unnoticed by Klaus but to his surprise she didnt say anything, just turned away from him and went to her bed and laid down. Klaus stared at her for a few minutes now starting to feel guilty. He looked back at the baby went to him, picked him up and took him to his room saying "he will be sleeping in my room from today."

Next morning when he woke up, he checked on the baby sleeping on the bed next to him and then he went to take a bath. After taking the bath, he put on his breeches and came out. He was wearing his shirt when she walked in.

As she entered the room, she stopped and instinctively turned around as she saw him putting his shirt on. He said angrily "this is not your bedroom where you can walk at anytime. Knock next time."

Hayley turned to him angrily "if you didnt want me to walk in on you then you should have locked the door. Anyway I am here to take him to nurse him. He will be up soon."

She took a step towards him but Klaus blocked her path. She said angrily "Klaus, get out of my way. I am the only one he has right now. Camille wanted me to take care of him and I will until I can and if you try to do anything to stop me again I swear I will…."

He lost her temper and shouted cutting her off "you are doing this to get me under your thumb, to spite me but forget it Hayley. You will not touch my son."

All the tension building up in her with her constant effort to hide her feelings from him, Camille's death, guilt she had been feeling for having sex with him when she knew how much Camille and he loved each other, fear of losing her child and now him accusing her of something so cheap made her snap and before she knew it she was shouting "how dare you? I love you. I have loved you since the day I understood the meaning of love and you…." she stopped talking as she realized what she had said.

She started to turn but he grabbed her arm and turned her towards him and asked in shock "what?"

She wiped the tears running down her cheek and ignoring the pain that shot in her ribs said "nothing."

She tried to free herself from him but he pulled her towards him until she was inches from him and was unable to hide the truth anymore.

He continued to look into her tears brimmed eyes wondering how is it possible! And then he let her go. She walked away from him holding her head high but as soon as she entered her room, she doubled over with pain.

He stood there in daze and then all of their incidences since he had started working in the castle flashed through his mind and he wondered 'how.. no that cannot be. But what did she just say? Is it possible? No.'

He thought for a moment and then went towards her room. As he entered he saw her holding the stone wall of the hearth with her hand on her stomach. He darted to her and asked "are you hurt?"

She looked towards him with her hand on her stomach, eyes blazing with anger, tears sticking to her lashes. She jerked his hand away, shouted "get out" and stepped away from him holding her stomach.

He stared at her suddenly overtook by anger and headed out but then he heard her soft painful voice "Klaus…."

He looked around and saw her sitting on the floor holding her stomach. He rushed to her, to her surprise scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He turned to leave when she grabbed his hand and asked "where are you going?"

Klaus said grinding his teeth "to get Amaya. It seems you are in pain. You cannot be in labor so what could it be?"

At the same time they heard the baby cry.

She said getting tired now "bring him to me and I am fine. I get these pains but they go away in a while"

He continued to look at her trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not and should he let her nurse the baby or not.

When he didn't make an attempt to get him and the baby continued to cry, she started to get up but he snapped "bloody hell Hayley. Lie down I will bring him."

A few minutes later he looked at her back as she put the crying baby against her and in a second he got quiet to his surprise. She could feel his eyes on him so she turned around and saw him looking at her with confused expressions.

Their eyes met for briefest of the moment and then she looked away. From that day onwards he noticed the change in her. She stopped talking back to him, insulting him or even making insolent eye contacts with him which to his surprise he missed. She only talked when something necessary about his child or answered politely and to the point to something he asked from her. While she was getting sucked into her own cocoon he kept himself busy by doing all sort of chores even when he didnt have to so to keep his mind occupied.

A month after Camille's death one day when she woke up early in the morning, she was surprised to see him sleeping next to her and from that day onwards he moved in to her room. Even though they had laid with each other many times and they were husband and wife they had never actually slept together so it was really strange for her in the beginning but in just two days she got used to him, feeling his warm body against hers but feeling somewhat guilty as if she was stealing him from Camille.

He missed Camille terribly but life goes on, he recalled something that his mother used to say before she had died. So when he woke up one morning, a month after Camille's death, he was surprised to find himself in her bed but then he remembered that he was just there to check Kaleb, his son and had sat on her bed ideally afterwards and must have fallen asleep. When she didn't comment on it, he continued to do so and before he knew it he had moved in with her.

A week after he had moved into her room Hayley was fast asleep when she felt a hand on her waist. She opened her eyes and saw him next to her fast asleep. She turned towards him slowly and was staring at his face when he opened his eyes. She started to look away but he grabbed her chin gently and before she knew it, he was kissing her. Her stomach muscles tightened and she suddenly thought of Camille and felt guilty for some reason. She started to break the kiss but his hands had already moved to her back and he was pulling her towards him as his lips went to jawline and he rolled on top of her and was lifting her Shift. He looked into her eyes where he could see so many emotions that took him by surprise and he wondered how did he miss those? To his surprise she just laid there looking at him in that submissive manner that he always wanted her to show but now that she was showing it, he realized he hated it. He wondered if she was giving him full control because it was their first time after Camille's death - to make him feel better but soon he realized that was not the case; she had simply given up on doing things that irritated him that he had unconsciously starting to expect from her. After that first time he never had sex with her which was a huge blow for Hayley but she realized that he needed sometime to himself to coup with this huge loss. He had lost the love of his life after all and before they knew it another month went by.

During this time living so close to her, with all her efforts of hiding it he managed to see how much she loved him perhaps because he was looking for those signs and that really surprised him. The fact that she was always there for his child's every need was making him impossible to hate her anymore and to his surprise, her changed attitude, was creating confused feelings in him and one night while looking at her sleeping next to him he realized that he wanted the Hayley he had gotten to know over the past eight years which was really confusing for him considering he hated that Hayley and then the more he thought about it the more he started getting confused about his feelings of hatred towards her. Often he woke up in the middle of the night and saw her nursing the baby. He would turn towards her and quietly observe her in that dim light of the oil lamp looking at his child as he nursed, often singing to him softly, sometimes catching his eyes while other times unaware that he was watching her.

At last he couldn't take her changed and cold attitude anymore so one day late at night after coming back from a pretty exhausting day teaching sword fighting, mowing the hay, caring for the livestock he stormed into her room with full intention of breaking her.

She was sitting on the chair holding a book ideally in her hand gazing into the dying fire when he walked in and snatched the book from her hand and started kissing her after pulling her to her feet. She didnt know what was happening but she had lost all will to show or prove him anything so she just politely returned his kiss without initiating anything that would risk annoy him. He broke the kiss, cupped her face and stared at her confused face and said "I want you."

Hayley looked into his eyes and said softly "you know you can have me at anytime. You dont need to ask."

He snapped "dont do that."

Hayley asked in confusion "what?"

He said angrily "be this submissive wife"

Hayley stared into his eyes with so much accusation in his eyes that made him feel guilty and then she asked "isn't that what you want?"

Klaus said desperately "not from you."

Hayley said bitterly "why? because you know now how I feel about you or felt about you. Is that a pity?"

Klaus stared into her anguished eyes and then he pushed her on the bed and for the first time ever started untying the strings at the front of her dress. She continued to look at him controlling her heartbeat wanting to feel him inside her again, wanting to feel his body against her naked body, wanting to smell the sweat of his hard and honest work. She wanted to take off his shirt but she recalled how much he hated that and clutched the bed sheet to stop her hands from doing something he might not like. He slipped the dress off of her shoulders. He knelt there on the bed and took his shirt off to her surprise never ever doing that before and then slipped off his breeches and pulled her dress down now leaving her in her shift. He started lifting her Shift up and ultimately took it off making her shiver. She thought of all those times when she had hoped for this to happen but never really thought that it would actually happen but now that it was happening she felt really self conscious. She hoped that he wouldn't see how his intense gaze were affecting her.

In the dim lamp light he stared at her pregnant stomach, naked breast, slender shoulders for the first time and felt a kick in his stomach. It just hit him very hard that she had been his wife for the past three months not to mention that he had known her for the past 15 years but it was the first time he was seeing her unclothed. He searched his memory trying to think if he ever thought of this ever happening between them but none came. His gaze traveled from her naked breast, to her pregnant belly and for the first time ever he felt like kissing her all over the body even though he knew he didn't love her.

He stared at her sad face and just wanted to take away all the pain she was holding in her. He pulled the sheet on them to her surprise, balanced himself on his hands not to put weight on her very pregnant belly, parted her legs with his legs keeping eye contact with her and he gently slipped into her. He saw her bite her lips for the first time ever and his heart skipped a beat as he realized that she had just controlled a moan. He looked at her lying there looking at him and whispered "if you don't take it I am never ever going to make love to you Hayley."

Hayley chocked on hearing the word make love to you and asked in a voice that couldn't mask her emotions "take what?"

He leaned in and kissed her gently on her lips taking her by total surprise at how gentle he was being with her. He whispered against her lips "take control."

Hayley shook her head saying "I know you like to be in control."

Klaus said "yes, but somehow not with you."

She stared into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity.

When she didnt do anything he started to pull himself back but then he smiled as he felt her arms go around his neck and tighten her hold on him. He said looking into her eyes "I feel like an idiot for being so clueless."

She pulled him close to her and let go. Tears that she had been holding since the day he had told her that he had found someone. She said in tearful voice "I love you so much. Do you know how hard it is to love a person who hates you and whom you want to hate?"

Klaus whispered keeping his weight balanced on his arms "forgive me Hayley. I don't know whether I hated you or not but you just infuriated me too much."

He heard a soft laugh in his ear and her say "that was the purpose. That may be you will notice me but you didn't. Then you found someone and I really got mad at you. Knowing that someone didn't help the situation either so I continued to insult you hoping that maybe it will help me hate you but I never could manage that. I read in books that men were very intelligent in reading between lines."

Klaus said smiling now "not when the girl is saying smelly as a pig, illiterate piece of vermin, you are starting to smell…. should I keep going on?"
Hayley asked with a smile on her lips and tears on her eye lid "you remember?"

Klaus said rolling his eyes "how could I forget them? Those insults were music to my ear. You did your best to make me hate you and you succeeded" making her laugh.

He continued "but the thing that infuriated me was your un-ladylike attitude."

Hayley said "that was the goal."

He lifted himself up as she unlinked her arms around his neck. His gaze went to her pregnant stomach and then her breast making her blush. He bend down and kissed her stomach gently and then looking into her eyes he said "I must say that you are more beautiful outside then you are inside" succeeding in making her annoyed. She tightened her muscles around him causing a moan to escape that he was unable to contain and he said "Oh God Hayley, I hate you."

She said trying not to smile "the feeling is mutual" but her tone deceived her.

He noticed a smile in her tone and knew she was back so he lifted himself up and looked into her eyes and said "you will find it odd but I missed you."

This time she did smile making his heart light. He asked "ready for me to make love to you for the first time."

Hayley said smiling ear to ear "yes."

Klaus said "but I want you to participate equally."

Hayley said with a twinkle in her eyes "dont you worry about me. You worry about you because I am going to make you beg by the end of night."

Klaus laughed and then he started rocking against her as his lips found the swell of her breast and started kissing her making Hayley release a moan of pleasure- first time letting her emotions known to him at the same time she grabbed his hips and squeezed them making him break contact and stare at her saying "is that all?"

She said "no I am just starting" and then she started moving with him matching his moves and satisfied smile appeared on her lips as she saw his eyes getting dazed. She whispered "you missed a spot" as she pointed towards her nipple and continued "and you need to finish this job before Kaleb wakes up" making him laugh softly. He bend to kiss her breasts gently as she matched his movement and sighed feeling content that she had at last found the first love of her life.

Later that night he held her close to him as he pulled the sheet over them to cover them. He was staring at the ceiling lost in thought while she moved her fingers ideally on his chest. He turned to her after a while and said "You know what is weird. Even though I was engaged to Camille, you have been the only constant girl in my life. The longest relationship I have with any girl. Isn't it weird?"

Hayley felt her heart sink at the mention of her name and she sensed a sadness in his voice and her heart ached for him but she said "and you are the only one who never left me whatever I did" making his heart ache for her and he pulled her to him a bit tighter. She leaned in and kissed his chest making him smile.

Next morning when he woke up, he saw her nursing the baby. Their eyes met and she smiled. She looked down at Kaleb who was falling asleep. She got up, put him in the crib and then walked to him.

Klaus looked towards her seeing her body through the see-through shift she was wearing. He raised himself on his elbows as she stopped right in front of him, held his hand and said "I need to take a bath."

He said "you …." and then realized what she was saying. He laughed wondering had he ever taken a bath with Camille but drew blank and before he knew it he was sitting in the tub with her sitting opposite him. As their eyes met he pulled her into his lap. Hayley smiled as she settled herself on his lap and started moving against him and before he knew it he was in her and she was moaning against his neck and his lips were on her breast with her hand in his hair. Later when she sat with her back touching his torso and he ran the loofa on her breast and pregnant stomach he knew that he could never let Hayley out of his life. With that realization he leaned in and kissed her on her neck making her moan with pleasure.

Few weeks later:

Before they knew it few more weeks went by and she was almost there to give birth to her child. They grew so close to each other that it was hard for them to even imagine that Klaus once hated her. Kaleb was growing up and so was Hayley. Hayley had started to mingle with neighbors. She would often invite them to her house for Quilting Bee, the event Camille had once told her about. Whenever she would look at them, she would feel sad at the loss that both Klaus, she and Kaleb had to endure. Women would would piece their quilt tops exchanging conversation while men would talk, drink and be merry and then dinner was served to all. She wanted to cook but being in the last months of her pregnancy none of the women let her so someone would bring food for everyone. After dinner, there was very often country dance where he would hold her in his arms and sway her gently on the dance floor whereas their friends would do the traditional country dance. Even though she knew a lot things but she had never had to do them but now she felt pleased with herself when she did spinning wool into yarn or flax into thread, sewing or repairing her or Klaus's clothes if needed be. Often at night she wondered what would happen to her after the baby will be born but then she would deliberately stop thinking about it just like she had stopped thinking about the child she was carrying as the days to giving birth were nearing and her fear was intensifying.

Sometimes when they would lie on their bed late into night holding each other's hand talking about their past and their present, he would think in amazement was it the same obnoxious Hayley he hated so much. It was a shock to him that somewhere along the line, he had fallen in love with her and the baby she was carrying and he knew that he couldnt let Duke Andrew take the baby from them. He realized that even though he already knew at the back of his mind that he would move heaven and earth before separating her from her child but now that he was developing a bond with the baby he was sure that he wouldnt let that happen.

The most surprising topic in their conversations was when she would bring Camille in their conversation so casually that he would just stare at her but then he started to respond to those conversation and the more they talked about her, the more his pain lessoned and then she went into labor.

Amaya was preparing her for giving birth when he started towards the door Hayley said "no stay."

He looked towards her shocked and then towards Amaya who was looking at them in surprise too but she grabbed his hand and said "stay. I want you with me" as she groaned in pain.

After a few moments he started to feel bad for her secretly marveling the strength a woman processes to birth a child.

He looked at her face tired of the effort of pushing and removed the sweaty strands of hair from her forehead. He felt the squeeze on his hand and heard her scream in pain as she pushed, so hard that he could actually feel that she was breaking his hand. Before he could stop himself the words were out "Hayley love you are breaking my hand."

Hayley looked at him in anger and hissed "something to remember me by when I die giving birth to this child."

As soon as the words were out she regretted saying when his eyes flashed in anger but before Klaus could say anything, she felt another contraction and started to push again, squeezing his hand again causing him to groan in pain and then she heard a sound that swelled her heart.

She laid there as Amaya cleaned her up after handing her child to Klaus who took the baby from her arms feeling very overwhelmed.

She raised herself on her elbows and asked Amaya who was plopping the pillow behind her "what is it?"

Amaya said "a girl." Klaus looked towards her just in time to see her slumbered back on the bed with a soft relieved laugh immediately followed by "oh god thank you."

She looked towards Klaus and said "you have no idea how much I prayed for a girl."

Klaus stared at her and for the first time he understood her uncaring attitude towards her baby. He walked to her with the baby in his arms and put her in her arms, sat down next to her as her body slumbered against his and whispered "you really didn't think that I would have let him take your baby from you."

She looked down at the innocent face trying to open her eyes moving her small fist in the air said with a smile "I hoped that you wouldn't but I dared not raise my hopes."

Klaus kissed her head and said "you can trust me with anything Hayley. This baby even if it were a boy, would have been yours. No one could take him from you."

Hayley sighed, putting the baby to her breast and said "you don't know my father Klaus. He would have taken him from me. And then I was not even sure about why you agreed to marry me."

Before he could stop himself he said in a soft voice against her hair "he threatened me that if I didn't ,he would kill you."

He felt her body getting still and cursed himself for not using his head. He turned her towards him and said "Hayley I am sorry. I wish I can do something to lessen your pain."

Hayley said "you have done it. You saved me. He would have killed me. Not just me, my baby too."

He touched the baby's cheek gently with his finger and said "you are beautiful Hope Mikaelson, just like your mother" as Hayley felt the baby suck hitching her breath.

Hayley turned to him, smiled and kissed him.

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the end.

A/N: Hope you liked it. I really enjoyed writing this one too…. Maybe I will whip up something again. Not promising :)