10. Envy

The makeshift family sat in the lounge, each occupied with their own interests. Klaus read his book of poems, Elijah studied spells. Rebekah, she sat in a circle of light next to the large windows and painted her nails a particularly vibrant shade of red. Hayley sat and read too - What To Expect When You're Expecting.

The room was quiet, but not awkwardly so. It was almost… an amiable contentment. Which was a definite improvement on things. Elijah made his way back to his seat via the kitchen, offering her a fruit salad as he passed.

"A snack." He was always thoughtful like that.

She smiled her thanks, trying hard not to give into the temptation to track his movements across the room. Instead, he winked at her as she scooped a delicious, sweet spoonful into her mouth and continued reading.

She turned the page, half fascinated, half terrified after reading about what to expect during childbirth. But then she felt the wind knocked out of her a little and she doubled over slightly.

"What the-?!"

Three pairs of eyes fixed on her. Rebekah was curious, a red tipped brush poised midway between a bottle and her toes. Klaus had a frown between his brows, his hands primed to turn to the next page. Elijah, he began to rise from his seat, his eyes shadowed with concern.

"Hayley?" the latter asked.

Again she left the strong sensation. She frantically turned to page 52. "It's the baby. I think she's kicking."

Both Elijah and Klaus rose at the same time. Hayley missed the look of caution Rebekah shot to her older brother. Klaus reached her side, looking down at her with a look of wondrous bafflement.

"Oh!" Hayley laughed.

"Bloody hell. Does it hurt?" Rebekah called.

"No, its just… intense." She reached for Klaus's hand and he kneeled beside her, letting her place his hands over the firm mound.

"There! Do you feel that?" Hayley saw a small, cautious smile blossom into a much larger one.

"Indeed I did. There it is again. Looks like we have a feisty one on our hands, love. A little wolf I think," he said.

"Might be the nicest thing you've said to me yet. Miracles do happen."

"Just as hell does occasionally freeze over." He chuckled and she smiled back at him, pleased that they shared this moment. Too often they fought, or remained coolly distant, courteous, tolerant. But they shared this bond of parenthood. She was pleased when there seemed to be moments that allowed them to almost be friends.

Hayley looked across the room, her eyes searching for him. Elijah stood where he had been earlier, his feet planted firmly and slightly apart. His hands were in his pockets, but it was not hard to see that they were balled into fists. His eyes were fixed on Klaus, his jaw visibly tightening as he watched his brother run his hands over her belly.

She waited for his eyes to find hers, they always did. But it didn't this time. He couldn't or wouldn't look at her. But his brow was furrowed, his body taunt as a string on his violin. Her gaze travelled between him and Rebekah. The siblings seemed to be sharing a thought, one she was not privy to.

She wanted to call for him, but Rebekah interrupted, clearly reading the undercurrents. "If I may have my turn with my darling little niece, brother?"

Klaus nodded his accent, patting her belly gently before rising. "I have to go, plans in town." He looked at Hayley and gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

She was touched at the sincerity. "I'm not sure I can commit to any time, but I will say, no problem." He just smiled as he left.

She turned to look back at Elijah, wanting him to feel the baby move, but he was gone too. She felt crushing disappointment.

Rebekah was now kneeling in Klaus's place. "You are in quite a pickle I see."

"Excuse me?"

"Pregnant with one brothers baby, in love with the other. I swear this family is ever the damned soap opera."

"I'm not-" her face burned.

"Bloody hell if that isn't precious! And strong!" Rebekah smiled as the baby kicked. "Finally, another worthy female to help us balance the scale."

In a slightly more subdued tone she said, "It's not a judgment. I know that you and Nik are not quite Will and Kate. But by the look on Elijah's face, I'd say you have a jealous Original on your hands."

Hayley frowned. "Elijah? Jealous?"

"All kinds of awkward and complicated, don't you agree?" Rebekah just raised a brow. "I know my oldest brother. That defensive stance, that knotted brow, the broody aura... Men! Doesn't matter if they're a decade or a century old. They never fail to act like errant children."

"But he has nothing…! Klaus and I-"

Rebekah blew a kiss at the belly, shaking her head and moving towards the exit. "Forgive me, but I want no part in this baby daddy drama. I'm not the one you need to be having this conversation with." Rebekah gestured in the direction Elijah had disappeared to. "I'm going for a swim if anyone needs me."

Hayley bit her lip as she watched Rebekah leave. Elijah. Jealous?

She found him in the study. He sat behind the large desk, examining his mother's grimoire. It was obvious though that he wasn't reading anything. She knew this because his brow was still furrowed, how gaze fixed, the look on his face dark, troubled, irritated.

She raised her hand to knock and jumped instead because of the sudden ferocity with which his fist slammed into the desk.

"Fuck," he growled, low.

She bit her lip. What the hell? His neck snapped towards her, his features becoming impassive. He hadn't been fast enough though. She didn't miss the emotions he tried to hide.

"Hey. You left." It was lame, as opening conversations went. But she didn't know what else to say. Energy radiated off him. She was all the way across the room and she could feel it.

"Yes." He closed the book and stood. The defensive stance was back. She didn't think he even realised he did it. "I had some reading to finish and thought it best to move in here." His tone was cool, distant almost. She felt a barrier between them that had not been there – not even on the day they'd first met. "I'm sorry. I really must get back to these spells. I promised Davina she could have a look at another." He turned from her. Dismissing her?

Hayley cocked her head to the side and stared at him, her eyes narrowing. His brows rose at her intense scrutiny.

"Is something the matter?"

"Oh nothing much. Except the fact that you're acting like an asshole? That's usually your brothers role."

"I never professed to not possess any of Niklaus's… less desirable qualities. We are brothers after all. Its natural that the bad is mixed with the good."

She pulled a face. "Seriously? That's how you're going to play this?" She pressed her lips together and then shrugged, deeply disappointed. "Whatever." She turned to leave and was already around the corner when she heard him.

"I think about you," he confessed. "All the time. My waking thoughts are filled with contingency plans on how to keep you safe, what to do in a possible crisis. I think about the first time I saw you and how, under the care bestowed upon you in this house, you have flourished." She moved back to the doorway and looked at him. "Become even more beautiful," he finished.

Hayley swallowed, her throat dry. She didn't know what to say. He was pacing now, like a caged lion, unable to find enough space to breathe.

"I find myself proud of how brave you are, how courageous in the face of circumstances that must in reality be incredibly frightening. I catch myself, watching you, when I know shouldn't be. I come in search of your company, when I also know it might be best to maintain my distance."

"Elijah." She didn't want to hear more. At the same time, she wanted to hear nothing else.

"But mostly, I know that this could not possibly be the right time to pursue feelings of any kind. And yet… I am powerless to contain it."

A few tense seconds passed and then he chuckled, his hands running briskly over his face before falling to his side.

"I have been ungracious. And I've said too much."

Hayley stepped into the he room fully, coming to stand beside him. The quarters were cramped behind the desk, but she didn't mind. They had not discussed the burgeoning intimacy of their relationship. It was an unspoken tension, an unresolved issue they were both consciously aware of. She had feelings for him. And he had just proven that he had feelings for her too. The situation was not ideal, but they couldn't pretend it didn't matter.

"Elijah, perhaps I shouldn't be saying this. In fact, I know I shouldn't be saying this," she said wryly, watching as his attention settled on her. "But besides for this baby," her eyes flickered to his and then away, "you are the most important person in my life. Not your brother or Rebekah or even Sophie Devereux whose own life is still magically bound to mine."

He looked aggrieved. "Hayley."

"You are," she reiterated.

He almost growled in frustration. "You're carrying his child! I have no right to feel the way I do. Protective and… territorial." His eyes apologised for the word. "And yet, I cannot deny my own feelings."

She reached for his hands and placed it to her swollen belly. She felt the stiffness in his fingers, the tension still raging through his body. But then she watched his face, her own smile broadening as she saw the wonder, excitement and then the undeniable affection dance across his beautiful features.

"My brother was right. She is feisty."

"And strong, and stubborn too I'm sure. Traits she might very well inherit from her father's side of the family. Elijah…"

He looked almost sheepish. "I... was not prepared to see you and my brother together in such an intimate fashion." He grimaced. "I admit that the feelings took me by surprise. You will be parents to this child and I do not deny the importance of that bond. In fact, I encourage it." He thought for a moment. "I just did not expect to feel what I did when… he touched you."

"What did you feel?"

"Angry at myself. Irritated that he has the right-" at her look he amended, "the permission to touch you." Elijah shrugged. "Even after centuries, it seems I am not immune to jealousy."

Their eyes met and she felt as lost as he did. "This is complicated, isn't it?"

"You may have a talent for the understated," he teased.

Hayley rolled her eyes but held his hands to her belly. "Klaus-"

"I understand. I want Niklaus to be a part of this child's life. To be a good father. I just find myself conflicted where the child's mother is concerned."

Hayley felt her stomach do a flip. She reached out and touched his face and he turned to place a kiss on the inside of her palm.

She was simultaneously filled with the deepest longing and unending regret. "Elijah, until this baby is born, I cannot focus on-"

"Do not apologise. I know. Neither can I."

Elijah closed the short distance between them. He placed his lips to hers, pressing softly. Hayley leaned into him for a moment, their hands still trapped against her stomach. The kiss was slow, but deeply passionate. They pulled apart only slightly, their foreheads resting together.

She would be clear though. "But when she is born and things between Klaus and I are settled, I look forward to continuing this conversation."

"As do I," he whispered against her ear. A shiver raced all the way from the nape of her neck to the base of her spine.

It was a promise. And she fully intended to hold him to it.

a/n: jealousy, a suggestion by emerald-princess16. Looks like the dark chapter 9 was hard for most of you. Hope you enjoy this lighter offering. A reminder that these do not necessary follow any specific timeline. Some elements might link to other chapters, others might not.

I am happy to see so many Halijah shippers stopping by. I hope our little ship becomes an armada! Thank you for all the reviews and reads x