Hayley groans as she wakes up on Rebekah's couch. She is uncomfortable and has a throbbing pain in the back of her head that has refused to leave her alone since last night. She opens her eyes and sees that she has a light blue blanket over her. She stretches her legs and feels something under the blanket. She frowns and then looks under the blanket to see Jack tucked in between her and the back of the couch. She smiles and he turns his head to look at her, his tail wagging a few times before stopping.
"Hey."
Hayley pulls her head out from under the blanket to see Marcel stood by the living room door. He has his usual smirk on his face and has a flask of what smells like coffee in one hand, and a cup of coffee in his other hand. He starts to move towards Hayley.
"I was about to come and check on you" he tells her.
"Thanks, but I'm fine, you don't need to worry" Hayley says, sitting up.
"Yeah well, Rebekah told me to check on you and it's too early to be arguing with her so" Marcel says, smiling.
Hayley smiles back as he sits down next to her feet on the couch. He holds the cup of coffee out to her and she takes it happily, taking a sip, she closes her eyes and sighs as she welcomes the warm liquid down her throat and into her body.
"What happened to you is real shit. No one deserves that" Marcel says.
Hayley nods, "I can't actually remember anything, but Rebekah thinks I got attacked and then Jack attacked the guy who hit me."
"Yeah, she told me" Marcel says.
They both take a sip of their drinks and Jack pops his head out from under the blanket. He looks between them and lets out a huff when none of them give him their attention. He then jumps off the couch. He leaves the living room and heads for the kitchen, waiting for his breakfast.
"What time is it?" Hayley asks, rubbing the back of her sore head.
"Half seven" Marcel tells her.
"When did you get home last night?" Hayley asks.
"Like an hour after Rebekah brought you back" Marcel answers.
Hayley nods her head and stays silent for a few seconds.
"Do you know if Elijah came home last night?" She finally asks.
Marcel stays silent for a few seconds, he looks nervous, like he doesn't want to have this discussion with her.
"No. He didn't" he says. "But Rebekah said not to worry so I'm just taking her word for it. She knows him so, she's probably right."
"Yeah" Hayley says, despite the fear of what could of happened to Elijah burning inside of her.
Marcel takes another sip from his flask and looks down at his Apple watch. He presses something on it and then looks at Hayley again.
"Look, Hayley, I don't know for sure if Klaus got that guy to attack you, but I want you to know that you are safe in this house. You always will be, even when Elijah isn't here. After everything he's put you through, you need people around you to help. I'm here to help" Marcel says.
Hayley smiles at him and holds her hand out to him. He gives her a small smile back and takes her hand in his.
She squeezes his hand and says, "thank you, Marcel."
He nods to her.
Hayley then pulls her hand back and he stands up from the couch. He looks around the room awkwardly before looking down at Hayley again. It amuses Hayley to see this less confident side of Marcel.
"I've got to be at work for eight today, so I gotta go" he tells her.
Hayley nods.
"Yeah, it's fine, go" she says, smirking.
Marcel smiles at her and heads for the door. He stops when he gets to the living room door and turns to look at Hayley.
"Call me if you need anything" he says.
Hayley smiles. She knows Marcel never answers his phone, but it is a kind gesture.
"I will, thanks" she says, even though she won't.
He smiles at her one last time and leaves the house. Rebekah then walks into the living room and comes to take the seat Marcel was just sat in. She takes the cup from Hayley's hands and takes a sip of the coffee, letting out a sigh as she swallows the warm liquid.
"What was that about?" Rebekah asks.
"He was just letting me know he's on my side" Hayley says.
Rebekah chuckles and takes another sip from the cup.
"He was going to go out looking for clues last night. I had to remind him that he isn't a detective and he would only be contaminating any evidence he found" Rebekah says.
Hayley smiles.
"He cares more than he lets the world see" Rebekah says.
"That makes him sound like Klaus" Hayley says.
Rebekah takes one last sip from the cup and then hands it back to Hayley.
"They are more alike than I think Marcel would like to admit" Rebekah says.
Hayley takes a sip from the cup and then bites her lip as a slight chill sets over her body. Hopefully, they are not too alike. Another Klaus is the last thing she needs.
"How's your head anyway? Want any pain relief?" Rebekah asks, looking at Hayley.
"It hurts a bit, but I'll live" Hayley says, touching her head wound gently.
Hayley wants to ask Rebekah about Elijah. She wants to ask where he is, if he has been in contact, why he isn't home yet. But from the looks of things, Rebekah is just as much in the dark about it as she is right now. Elijah could be on the next flight to another state and none of them would have the faintest idea.
Hayley can not remember much from last night, but she can remember the things that happened when she wasn't unconscious last night. She can remember Rebekah phoning Elijah twice, both times she got no answer and left a voicemail. She can remember the worry and fear in Rebekah's voice, both are emotions that the blonde very rarely shows. Maybe she should have phoned Elijah. She is sure he will let her off the hook for not phoning though considering she spent most of the night in and out of consciousness on Rebekah's couch thanks to a head wound and some extra strong pain relief.
"When do you think Elijah will get home?" Hayley asks.
Rebekah sighs and looks down at her hands.
"I have no idea, Hayley. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later, or else he'll miss breakfast" she says, trying to be a bit comical.
Despite knowing there is no point in asking, Hayley decides to ask anyway.
"Where do you think he went last night?"
Rebekah shrugs. "I don't have the slightest idea."
"Me either" Hayley says.
They sit in silence for a minute, or so, both wondering about Elijah's whereabouts. Eventually, Rebekah turns her body to face Hayley and puts her hand on her knee, in a comforting manor. She looks worried again and that makes Hayley worry even more,. In fact, all the worrying is making her feel a bit sick.
"Listen, Hayley, whatever Elijah did last night, it doesn't make him a bad person. He is one of the good ones. Even if he did something that he can't take back, he will always be one of the good ones" Rebekah says.
Hayley frowns slightly.
"What do you mean something he can't take back?" Hayley asks. "Did he kill the guy who attacked me?"
"No, of course not... well, I hope not. I mean, I doubt it," Rebekah does not sound very convincing. "But anyway, he is a good man. You know that as well as I do by now."
"Is this you trying to get me to stay with Elijah even if he has killed a man? If it is, it isn't working" Hayley tells her.
"I'm just trying to prepare you for the worst, Hayley" Rebekah says, quietly.
"What do you mean?" Hayley asks back.
Rebekah tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and looks down at her hands as she plays with her engagement ring. She shouldn't tell Hayley anything, she told father she would never tell a soul. But she has already told Hayley so much. She might as well just tell her everything. Besides, there is no proof anymore. All of it was disposed of effectively.
"When I was younger and I was living with my parents and the rest of my siblings, I use to see a lot of things. Father was involved in a lot of dangerous stuff and he often involved Finn and Elijah. Seeing them come home covered in blood was not something to be surprised by. Neither was seeing them dragging somebody through the house to get to the shed" Rebekah tells her.
Hayley swallows the vomit that she feels trying to get up her throat.
"You want me to be okay with him coming home covered in blood?" Hayley asks, confused.
"I'm not saying be okay with it. I'm just saying it's nothing new for him, or me... and if this Klaus thing carries on, it might become old news for you too" Rebekah says.
"This shit better not carry on then because I don't want to see him coming home every night like that" Hayley says, the thought of it quite upsetting.
"Don't worry. Elijah won't let it carry on."
"How am I suppose to not worry when I can see you worrying?" Hayley asks.
Rebekah sighs.
"I'm only worried because he isn't home yet. I'm not worried about him getting hurt, I know he can handle himself" Rebekah says.
"We all meet our match one day, Rebekah. What if he has met his" Hayley says, sick rising in her throat again.
She has no idea what is wrong with her, but she does not like this feeling at all. Hayley is not the kind of person to feel sick because she is worrying, or because the conversation gets a bit gory, or suggests gore. Maybe she is coming down with something, some kind of bug. Or maybe her head wound is messing with the rest of her body as well as her head. She isn't quite sure what it is, but she knows that if it carries on, she will be running for the bathroom.
"Elijah will never meet his match" Rebekah says confidently., taking Hayley's cup from her again.
"How do you know that?" Hayley asks, frowning slightly.
"Because he only starts fights he knows he can win. He is a smart fighter, not a reckless one" Rebekah says.
Hayley nods in acknowledgement. It is believable that Elijah would only pick a fight if he knows he will win. He is smart and clever in pretty much everything else that he does, why wouldn't he be a smart fighter as well? Maybe she shouldn't worry. But there is always that chance that he might not be okay.
Hayley goes to say something, but instantly has to stop and put a hand over her mouth. She is going to have to go to the bathroom right now because whatever it is that wants to come up, is coming up whether she likes it, or not.
Hayley shoves the blanket off her and runs out of the living room. She hears Rebekah ask her where she is going, or what is wrong with her, one of the two, she doesn't stick around to ask which it was. And she isn't really paying attention to what is coming out of Rebekah's mouth when she is trying to keep whatever wants out of her mouth in.
She races up the stairs, taking them two at a time when a strong dizziness hits her. She knows that it is because of how fast she is going while she is still recovering from last nights attack, but she really needs to reach the bathroom. She nearly falls back down the stairs as she reaches the top thanks to the dizzy feeling in her head. Luckily, she manages to push against the wall to keep herself up and allow herself to keep on moving forwards.
Finally, she reaches the bathroom. She throws the door open, drops to her knees and hangs her head over the toilet just in time for the contents of her stomach to come up. She hates being sick. She hates the retching feeling, she hates that her eyes water like a tap while everything she has ate and drank in the past twenty-four hours comes up, and she especially hates how weak and vulnerable it makes her feel.
Hayley grips the toilet with one hand and holds her stomach with her other, and more vomit makes it's way up. She feels Rebekah's hands brush against the back of her neck as she holds her hair back for her and gently rubs her back. She knows that her friend just wants to help, but nothing could possibly help how she feels right now. She feels like she has been sat here for twenty minutes already and it is literally none stop. Every time she thinks it might be over, more threatens to come. She would understand if maybe she had ate something, but all she has had today is half a cup of coffee, and yet it feels like she has been on an all weekend bender.
"It's alright, love. Get it all up" Rebekah says, patting Hayley on the back gently.
Rebekah feels sick herself just being in the same room as Hayley right now, but they are family and they stick together. Hayley needs her, so the bathroom floor next to a vomiting Hayley is where she will be found. She considers getting a wet towel, or something cold to put on the back of Hayley's neck because she is really starting to burn up, but she doesn't want to leave her yet.
Hayley pants when the vomiting stops. She coughs and tries to spit the disgusting taste that has been left in her mouth away. She closes her eyes and rests her head against the toilet, hoping that Marcel didn't pee on there this morning. Rebekah continues to rub her friends back, moving a bit closer to her to press the back of her hand to her forehead.
"You feel really hot, Hayley. I hope you're not ill" Rebekah says.
"I don't feel ill, well, apart from throwing up" Hayley says, eyes still closed.
"What the hell happened? Where did all that come from?" The blonde asks.
Hayley shakes her head and takes in a deep breath.
"I have no idea, but I need some water" Hayley says.
"I'll be right back" Rebekah says, patting Hayley on the back.
Rebekah gets up and walks out of the room, going to the kitchen to get Hayley some water. Hayley opens her eyes and sits up away from the toilet. She flushes the toilet and lets herself fall back onto the bathroom floor. The tiles are cool against her clammy arms and face and she embraces it gladly.
Hayley feels her stomach churn again and she stares at the wall sadly. She is desperate for the sick feeling to leave her alone, but from the constant turning feeling in her stomach, she thinks that she can safely say that this is just the start. This was definitely not how she planned to spend her day.
Rebekah returns with a bottle of water in her hand and she sits down on the floor again, holding her hand out to Hayley. She takes the blonde's hand and lets her pull her up into a sitting position. Rebekah then hands her the bottle of water and Hayley takes a massive swig from the bottle. She instantly wishes that she hadn't because the effects the water has on her stomach definitely do not feel positive.
"Want me to get some pain relief, or a damp towel, or anything?" Rebekah offers.
Hayley closes her eyes and shakes her head slowly.
"Did Marcel cook for you?" Rebekah asks.
"No, I've had nothing except coffee" Hayley replies.
"Good, because then you really would be puking" Rebekah says.
Hayley smirks and runs a hand over her face.
"What the hell could it be then?" Rebekah asks, more to herself than Hayley.
"I don't know, but I'm gonna be sick again."
Hayley swings her head over the toilet just in time as more vomit comes up. Rebekah is there for her again straight away, grabbing her hair, rubbing her back, trying to comfort her however she can.
She has no idea how she is able to vomit this much when she has literally only had a few sips of coffee. Something must be wrong. Surely, this is not physically possible, to be sick this much with practically nothing in your stomach. Whether is it possible, or not, it is happening and it is giving Hayley a terrible twisting feeling in her gut.
Finally after another ten minutes of vomiting, Hayley is able to move away from the toilet again. She lets her head fall against Rebekah's shoulder as she holds the cool water bottle against her cheek. She has never been a believer in god, but right now she is ready to pray that it stops and she doesn't have to be sick again.
Rebekah reaches up and flushes the toilet for her friend. She then wraps her arms around Hayley again and rubs her back with one hand, while stroking the back of her head with her other hand, avoiding touching her sore wound.
"Maybe the hole in your head is messing with you" Rebekah suggests.
"I felt fine when I woke up, bit of a headache, but I was okay" Hayley tells her.
"Have you felt dizzy at all today?" Rebekah asks.
"Not until I ran up the stairs" Hayley says.
Rebekah stares at the toilet in shock as a massive realisation suddenly settles over her.
"Hayley?"
"Yeah?"
"When was the last time you took a pill?"
Hayley frowns in confusion and sits up to look at her friend.
"A pill?" She asks.
"Yes, a pill, a contraceptive pill" Rebekah says.
Hayley's eyes widen as she is also hit with the same realisation.
"A lot of months ago" she says, staring at the floor.
"And you haven't had a period since you stopped taking them?" Rebekah asks.
"No, but you aren't meant to have them straight away anyway right? Doesn't it take like a few months for your body to get back to normal?" Hayley asks.
Rebekah gives her a sad smile.
"I think you'd have started your periods again by now, sweetheart."
Hayley puts her face in her hands and lets out a deep breath.
"I'm so stupid" Hayley says to herself. "I knew I should have started taking the pill again and instead of going and buying some new ones, I just thought I'd be like all those girls in high school who fuck their way around the football team and still never get pregnant."
"One of them always gets pregnant eventually, Hayley" Rebekah says.
"And I'm the unlucky one" Hayley says.
"Or, maybe you're lucky" Rebekah says.
Hayley takes her face out of her hands and looks up at her friend, waiting for her to explain how this situation is lucky for her in any way whatsoever.
"Elijah will stick around and look after you. You know that right?" Rebekah asks.
"After all of the shit he has already gone through because of me, believe me he won't stick around to play happy families" Hayley says, pushing her hair from her face.
"Then you don't know him well enough yet. Elijah will stay and raise that baby with you" Rebekah says.
She takes Hayley's hand in hers and gives her a small, reassuring smile when they make eye contact.
"Hayley, believe me. If you are pregnant, he will stay."
Hayley jumps up and immediately regrets it because of the dizziness that hits her, but she remains steady. She sits on the edge of the bathtub and runs her hand through her hair.
"We don't even know if I'm pregnant yet" she says.
Rebekah points to the cabinet above the sink. "Well, I have about 50 pregnancy tests in there. I'm up for it if you are."
Hayley shakes her head and sighs. She looks down at the floor as her whole future starts to flash before her eyes. She could end up being in a happy little family, her, Elijah and their baby... or, she could end up a single mother selling herself to any man she can find just to make a few dollars to feed her child. Hopefully, it is not the latter.
Hayley closes her eyes for a few seconds and lets out another deep breath. She then looks up at Rebekah and gives her a small smile.
"Get a test" Hayley says.
Rebekah smiles back at her. The blonde then gets up off the floor and opens the cabinet. She pulls a test from one of the shelves and opens the box, tipping the contents into the sink. Two tests fall out with a letter with instructions on it. She puts one test back in the box and puts the instructions in the bathroom bin. She then turns to face Hayley and hands her the test.
"Do you want me to leave and give you some space?" Rebekah asks, despite being desperate to stay.
"Hell no. You're staying for every second of this" Hayley says.
Rebekah chuckles.
"Girls have gotta stick together right" Hayley says, smirking.
Rebekah smiles back at her.
They swap positions, Rebekah sits on the edge of the bath and Hayley stands near the toilet. She pulls her pants down, which she has been wearing since her run last night, she must remember to shower and change soon. She holds the stick under her and has a bit of a wee. She then drops the test in the sink and wipes before standing up again. Hayley flushes the toilet and puts the seat down before sitting on it.
And now, the longest two minute wait of her life.
She finds it quite ironic that Rebekah is the one who has always wanted a baby, always been trying for a baby and now she might be the one having one. She wanted kids one day, but she never excepted that day would come so soon. Maybe it isn't today though, maybe she isn't pregnant. She doesn't even know whether she hopes it is positive, or negative.
On one hand, Hayley can easily imagine Elijah nursing their baby. She would love to have a family with him, to watch him play with little teacups and plates with a daughter, to throw a football to a son before playfully tackling him to the ground. It would be her idea of perfect. But on the other hand, she can imagine him telling her that it is too soon. She can imagine him telling her he isn't ready yet, he hasn't known her long enough, there is too much going on... there are so many reasons he could use.
"Are you okay?" Rebekah asks, breaking the silence.
Hayley considers saying yes, but that would be a very obvious lie.
"I'm scared" she admits.
"What of, darling?" Rebekah asks, sweetly.
"My mum was never really around and my dad was a violent alcoholic like Klaus. What if I end up being a shitty parent too?" Hayley asks, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"If you are pregnant are you going to abandon that baby?" Rebekah asks.
Hayley shakes her head, "no."
"Will you ever hit your child, or get dangerously drunk around them?" Rebekah asks, causing Hayley to frown slightly.
"No never" Hayley answers.
"Well, so far you sound like a good mother then" Rebekah says, smiling.
Hayley gives her a small smile back.
"Now, stop keeping me in suspense and check your bloody test" Rebekah says, nodding towards the sink.
Rebekah loves children of all shapes and sizes, ages and genders, and the thought of having a niece or nephew is music to her ears. She would be the happiest woman alive to have a little baby crawling around the house, even if it is not her baby yet.
Hayley chuckles and sighs. She stands up and picks up the test from the sink. She looks at the back of it for a few seconds before she slowly turns it over, biting her lip as nerves run all through her body.
"It's positive."
Before Rebekah can react, they hear the front door slam and they both jump at the sound.
"Is anyone home?" Elijah calls from downstairs.
Hayley and Rebekah stare at each other in panic. It is just Hayley's luck that he would come home right now.