Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
Elijah did as promised, he brought Hayley to New Orleans. He set up a meeting with a few members of the police force. He was asserting the Mikaelson hold over the city and would assure them the werewolf massacre was a one-time thing…unless another group threatened them, was the unspoken caveat.
The meeting was taking place at an upscale restaurant near one of the police precincts. Elijah made an entrance with Hayley at his side. Dark wood and expensive bottles of wine lined the walls.
Pulling a chair out for her, they sat. Elijah began to tell the humans what was going to happen next.
"I need to use the ladies room. Excuse me," Hayley said within minutes of their arrival. This was her time to act.
She slipped out through the kitchen and took a deep breath. Freedom felt good.
Her first stop was Rousseau's. She knew the Guerrera wolves bought it from the previous owner, but Cami stayed on as a bartender. They wanted that leverage over her due to her family history and friendship with both Klaus and Marcel.
"Hi. Is Cami working?" she asked the bartender when he finished filling a pitcher of beer.
"She'll be in at four. Can I get you something to drink?"
"Yeah, I'll take a glass of bourbon."
She took it and immediately downed it.
"Another," she said as he was still in front of her.
He smiled and did as she asked.
"Thanks. Can you tell Cami Hayley was looking for her? I'll come back tonight too," she said as she dropped some money at the bar and moved to a table in the back. He nodded in agreement.
Where to next? Elijah would have noticed her gone by now. She didn't check her phone. She turned off the ringer earlier.
She was startled to see a handsome black man standing at her table when she looked up. Immediately on alert, she prepared to fight.
"Sorry to bother you, but I believe I can help you,"
"Help me how? Who are you?"
"You can call me Josiah." He inclined his head. "You are looking for Esther, are you not?"
Hayley leapt from her seat, dragged Josiah out into the alley, and had an arm across his throat all within seconds. "Tell me everything you know about Esther."
He motioned to his throat as he couldn't breath, but didn't resist any other way.
She backed off to allow him to speak and crossed her arms over her chest.
"We can't talk here," he said and looked towards the end of the alley. Hayley did the same and that small opening was what he was waiting for.
Leaping behind her with his thousand year old speed, he snapped the neck of the silly hybrid.
Mother would be pleased.
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Where did Hayley run off to? He finished his meeting promptly when she didn't return. He looked at their New Orleans home and anywhere else he could think of. Jackson confirmed she hadn't returned to the bayou.
Considering she may have gone to Rousseau's, he entered the dimly lit bar. He did not see her anywhere, but he got his first clue when he compelled the bartender. Hayley had been there. One minute she was there, the next she was gone.
Trying her phone again, nothing. He didn't have a witch on his side to do a location spell. Or did he? He called his man doing the surveillance of Cassie. She had just returned home, alone. He'd followed her from the grocery store.
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"Hayley, time to wake up," Esther said near Hayley's ear. She didn't bother tying her down. She had a spell for that. Cassie's grimoires weren't as good as her own, but they had enough for her to get by for now.
Hayley groaned, waking up from a broken neck for the first time. No wonder Caroline was still bitching about it.
"I'm Cassie. I believe you were the one who brought me back. Thank you."
"Why can't I get up?"
"You have a lot of enemies out there. Josiah and I want to help and I wanted you to be safe. Here, you can get up now."
Esther removed the spell and Hayley was free to get up.
Hayley was wary, unsure of what was happening, but she stood and moved to the side of the room, finally being able to see all of it. It appeared to be where the coven lived, but desperately in need of cleaning. There were a few pieces of furniture through the space. Josiah was on the other side of the room, silently watching.
"He snapped my neck." She pointed at him.
"He follows orders a little too well sometimes." Esther moved to stand close to Hayley and put a comforting arm on her. Hayley flinched and pulled away.
"I wanted to talk to you in private. It's not safe out there. I had not yet returned when Hope was killed, but I believe you are looking for Esther. Is that right?"
"How did you know?" Hayley asked.
"Elijah asked me about her. I want to help, but I don't trust him. I thought maybe I could talk to you. Woman to woman."
Esther sat down and waited for Hayley to do the same.
"If you know something about Esther, you need to tell me. She killed my baby," Hayley implored as she stood over Cassie.
Not yet, Esther thought. She didn't reply until Hayley sat down.
"I want to help you, but I need something in return."
"What?"
"I can perform a location spell to find her. Esther has given the rest of the New Orleans witches a bad name and I want to change that. By helping you, I'm hoping you'll put in a good word with Elijah and Klaus."
"If you're being serious, I'll do anything for you," Hayley agreed.
Esther told Hayley what she wanted. It wouldn't be easy, but she was willing to do anything.
"You're free to go. Once you have it, let me know and I'll use it to find her."
Hayley finally felt like she was getting somewhere after weeks of nothing.
"Please don't let Elijah hurt me," Esther requested.
"I won't let him hurt you. Thank you, Cassie."
Hayley walked towards the door, Josiah watching her every move.
"Oh and Elijah mentioned Davina was killed by his father," Esther called out before she left. "I'm in hiding because I don't want to be the next witch he kills. Do you know where he is?"
Hayley turned back from leaving. "Mikael is dead. Klaus killed him. You don't need to worry." She walked out of the building, trying to find her way back to Rousseau's to see if Cami had returned.
Mikael was dead? She just found out he was back and he was dead? She would make Klaus watch his daughter die in front of his eyes along with Rebekah and Elijah for that.
"Finn dear, I believe we'll have everything we need very soon," she said as she tipped a vial of Hayley's blood she'd taken while the hybrid was unconscious back and forth.
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Caroline woke up on top of Klaus. This was getting ridiculous. Regular naps with the Big Bad Hybrid were not normal. She remembered climbing into the bed, but she was literally sprawled on top of him. Not her head on his shoulder and that was it. No, she was on top of him. Her head was on his chest, her hips were on his own, and her legs were tangled with his. When she woke, she didn't move. It should have been uncomfortable. It should have been more awkward. Why wasn't it?
Without lifting her head, she opened her eyes and looked around. He was quiet beneath her. She was lifted and lowered with his chest rising and falling. There was light coming in through the window sheers. There was no activity out in the hall.
She felt the effects of the alcohol just about gone. It would go even quicker if she had some blood. Slowly, she lifted her head and looked up at him. It was the same as the day before. Handsome.
Her eyes were drawn to his jaw and the pulsing jugular vein in his neck. She studied it. She knew what his blood tasted like, only because he hurt her, she thought wryly. It was potent. Compared to the blood from bags she drank regularly, it tasted like heaven. She thought about Klaus tasting her blood. Her insides squirmed at the idea. He did, once, when he bit her.
All of the ways they ended up consuming each other's blood came out of violence. Her mind traitorously thought about what sharing would be like if it came from someplace else. She couldn't help the movement of her hips. Her eyes flicked up to his face, but no change. He wasn't awake.
Her eyes again found where his jugular vein pumped the blood through his body. She felt the veins under her eyes darken and her fangs drop. She hadn't had a reaction like that since the werewolf battle and even then it bothered her.
She fought for control…and then she felt it.
His hand was directing her head to his neck.
She looked up, unsure he would allow such a thing. This wasn't about violence or for the curing properties of his blood. It was something she shouldn't take from him. She shook her head.
"Have at it, sweetheart," his sleep rough voice purred. His words recalled earlier times. She noticed he didn't call her '"love" very often. He still used it with other woman, but "sweetheart" seemed to be reserved for her.
She still didn't move, shaking her head, until he pushed her head again, prompting her to move forward. He kept his hand there on her curls and moved the other arm around her back, keeping her in place.
Giving in to every impulse she'd been denying regarding him and channeling it into this one act, she brought her fangs to his skin and pierced it. Sweet blood filled her mouth.
Her eyes closed to take in every sensation. Taste. Exquisite. Unforgettable. Sound. His short breaths and the sound of his blood pumping through his veins rose to her ears. Sight. If she opened her eyes she would see his stubbled skin. Behind her closed lids, she let the dark fill in. Smell. The scent of blood was in the air. Touch. Her arms were up around his neck for positioning. His skin was soft against her lips.
Amazingly powerful. That was the feeling when his blood entered her system. She could hear his indrawn breath as she suckled. She devoured him. She never drank from the vein. Ever. Her body was aroused. All of her sensations were heightened even more than usual, including her libido.
After moments where time seemed to stand still, she pulled back. Not ready to meet his eyes, she watched a few drops of blood roll down his neck towards the bed. She wanted to capture them, but they seemed to hypnotize her until she licked them away. The fang punctures disappeared before her eyes. She licked her lips, getting the remnants of the best taste she'd ever had, and she heard him groan again.
"Caroline."
He was the one who did the biting. He took. He didn't give.
When he woke and saw Caroline looking at his neck with the blackened veins, she who never let go of control was doing so, he wanted this. Letting her drink from him could be considered a goodbye. The gesture was supposed to be mean something from him to her. His blood was a gift when people were hurt. This blood was a gift because he wanted something bound between them.
Seeing her as a vampire and not just a beautiful human aroused him. When he felt the pinch of her fangs and her pulling his blood, he didn't know why he waited so long to try. It was almost another version of sex. He was almost sorry she pulled back. He didn't feel weakened and wanted her to take enough for sustenance. Providing for her in this way soothed the primitive man inside.
She laid her hands on his chest and he knew she was moments away from getting up. The hand cupping her head dropped to join the other on her back.
He acted quickly to preserve their last minutes together. He knew he had to lighten things up or she'd run.
"How did you get up there?" he asked when he could get the words out without growling them.
She bit her lip in embarrassment. "No idea."
Her fingers began to play with the material of his shirt. She could feel the beads of his necklace under the fabric. The air conditioning kicked on.
"Elena opened a door and you practically ripped her head off, yet while you slept, I somehow climbed on top of you and you didn't wake up?"
She was curious if he had anything to do with it.
He grinned, protesting his innocence.
"Caroline, I swear I went to sleep on this side of the bed and did not wake up until I saw you looking at me."
"Klaus, I, uh, I probably shouldn't have done that." She couldn't look him in the eye.
"I let you," he said, tipping her chin up to meet his eyes. If she wanted to talk about it, they would talk about it. "I enjoyed it."
He was pretty sure she could feel how much he enjoyed it, but was ignoring it. For all he knew, he'd been aroused since she gotten on top of him. He thought that was very likely. The blood sharing certainly didn't turn him off.
"When's the last time you did it?"
Another question she wished she could take back. Stupid! What was she going to ask next, the number of partners he'd had?
"Nope, don't answer. Sorry I asked."
"I haven't ever done it before." She raised her surprised eyes to his and saw the truth. "You've had my blood from my wrist, but I haven't ever given it from my neck and never before for pleasure. I, I just wanted you to have it."
One of his hands moved to cup the nape of her neck under the smooth fall of her hair. Blue eyes met blue eyes.
"You're special, Caroline. Don't you know that by now? I do things for you I haven't ever done. I hope this isn't the last of them."
His hand didn't push, but she found herself drawn to his lips and closing the distance between them. She'd already had sex with him. She just drank his blood. Would kissing him really be that wrong after all that?
Nope.
She brought her lips to his as her fingers cupped his face in her hands. His lips were as soft as she remembered and it started out slowly, a tentative kiss. They both felt the sexual pull from the blood sharing and close physical contact, but when he added his romantic words it turned into something else.
Once they started though, all of the passion came to the fore. Slanting her mouth to get better access, her tongue slipped in and out of his mouth, dueling with his own, testing the push and pull. His hands moved her body upwards to get her closer. He felt the smooth skin of her thighs, her shorts providing little coverage. Her skin felt the prickles of his whiskers and it added to the pleasure of kissing Klaus.
She sucked on his tongue and he groaned. His hands slipped under the back of her shirt, slowing running up and down her spine. Goosebumps broke out where his hands moved. Her legs moved until she was straddling him and her hips shifted against his erection.
The shrill ring of Klaus' phone broke the sensual haze. She lifted her head in surprise, lost in the moment.
He kept his hands in place, knowing anything else could wait.
She resisted.
"You should get that," she said as she rolled over and off him. She sat up against the headboard and fixed her messy hair.
Frustrated, he sat up and picked up the phone. It was Elijah, speaking urgently before Klaus had a chance to say a word.
"I can't find Hayley. What if she's been abducted by Esther? She might be able to get the truth, Klaus."
Couldn't anyone get anything done without him? Reigning in the rage, he bit out commands and questions to Elijah, standing to pace and putting on his shoes.
"Call her to reinforce the protection. Keep an eye on what's happening and I'll be there as soon as I can. If Esther has her, Hayley should buy us time. I will want to know exactly how this happened, Elijah," he warned and threw down the phone to tie the shoelaces.
"What's the truth?" Caroline asked, able to hear both sides of their conversation, getting her own shoes on.
He stopped to look up at her. She was a distraction once again, although this time unintentionally.
"What?"
"Elijah said Esther might find out the truth from Hayley. What truth?" If all Esther wanted was to kill her children, why would she use Hayley to do it?
He had to tell her. He was leaving. He didn't know when he would see her again. Hiding this after he shared blood seemed ridiculous.
"Esther may torture Hayley to get this information and you want to know it?"
She stood up to him toe-to-toe, arms crossed.
"I can handle anything, Klaus. You have no idea." Shouldn't the last few days have proven it?
"I lied to you." He put his hands on both arms. "My child with Hayley, Hope, is alive."
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Cliffhanger!
How will Caroline react? Can he just tell her the truth and run away? Does he have a choice?
Tell me what you think!
