Willoughby Lake Bar

The Willoughby Lake Bar wasn't a venue that begged a pitstop from any random passers-by, and I figured that's exactly how Hollis liked it; he served the immediate community, and they kept him comfortable with their business. The bar itself was um...quaint, rustic...and the kinda place that would cut the music, cut their conversations instantly and snap around to silently oggle the stranger who'd just stepped inside.

There was this janky juke box in the corner of the bar that deceptively looked like it was on its last legs, but we could hear the country music blaring all the way out in the parking lot as we pulled up. I couldn't help but smile, and feel a small comforting sense that I was doing the right thing coming back here.

Klaus could not keep the intense look of dissatisfaction and disgust off his face as he took in the bar's ambiance; he instinctively walked closer to us. Hope cooed and smiled at the patrons as I searched for a familiar face; the bar wasn't exactly heaving at this hour, but I couldn't find one. I couldn't see any sign of Hollis, and I didn't recognise the bartender; a grouchy-looking, middle-aged man serving up some serious stink-eye.

"Well, I can see why you wanted to come here. I feel safer already," Klaus sniped, sarcastically, "on a scale from one to ten, exactly how much am I going to despise this little plan of yours?"

I scrunched up my face and thought for a moment before concluding, "I would say...a solid eighty-five."

Klaus rolled his eyes, petulantly, and grumbled, "pray tell why we're on a scenic tour of Methamphetamine Country, and not compelling a jet to some far-off, preferably tropical, destination?"

"Look, I'm not the one with an army of pissed-off vampires coming after me. So, you need to pipe down-" I hissed back.

"We're closed," the bartender scorned at us, tersely, and returned to cleaning his glassware.

Klaus glanced around the establishment, theatrically, and noted, "you don't look closed."

"We are for you," the bartender hit back, sternly.

"Ah. Well, perhaps you failed to notice the hat?" Klaus scoffed and gestured to the ridiculous cap I'd treated him to at the gas station: a black and white number with 'Mother Trucker' emblazoned upon it.

"I'll take a bourbon," I interrupted their stand-off, "unless Hollis is still serving that moonshine of his?"

Just then, as though I'd said the magic words, Hollis emerged from the back, and mirrored my delight at finding a familiar face.

"Well, I'll be damned!" he grinned, and patted the bartender on the shoulder, "I got this, man."

I turned to Klaus and passed Hope over to him so that I could fully embrace the guy. Hollis was a big man, and big on embracing. Hope would've been a pancake.

"It's been a long time since you danced on my bar, Rosie Gilbert!" Hollis beamed.

"It's been a long time since I danced on any bar," I laughed, sheepishly, avoiding Klaus' bemused gaze, "I get in a different kind of trouble these days."

He chuckled heartily and I turned to introduce him to his newest patrons, in order of importance, "Hollis, this is Hope, my god-daughter."

"Oh my, look at her! What a doll," Hollis beamed and then extended his hand to Klaus, and assumed, "and this must be, Elijah? Gosh, you never told me he was City Boy."

Klaus was clearly tickled by the mix-up. He shook the man's hand, and responded in a mocking tone, "never underestimate the allure of indoor plumbing."

I jumped straight in to mediate, after Hollis' face fell in confusion, and I corrected him, "this is actually Klaus. He's...my god-daughter's father...it's a long story."

"Pleasure. You know I love me a long story. Where's your partner in crime at?" Hollis asked, glancing over at the window, absentmindedly.

I felt a sharp pang in my chest, and I vaguely replied, "part of that long story."

Hollis, visibly confused, narrowed his eyes but didn't press me on it. He looked over at Klaus, who returned the cautious look in kind before giving him a small smirk

"We just...need a place to lay low, for a little while," I told him.

Hollis didn't seem all too pleased by this request, and though he sighed, he smiled at me anyway, and he shared, "you picked a pretty rough time for us around here. A lot of folks are giving up on the pack altogether."

"Why?" I asked, earnestly.

Hollis leant against the bar, and Klaus took a seat with Hope in his lap. He told us, "rumors. Dwindling numbers. Other packs packing it in. Take your pick of reasons. You know, we haven't seen a Crescent representative out here in I can't tell you how long."

"They're um...laying low, as far as I know. Staying out of the...mess," I lied through my teeth. Mary had orchestrated a blanket ban on discussing the wounded, vulnerable state of the pack, in an effort to protect those who remained from an opportunistic attack. I didn't realise that extended to leading members of other packs, their lifelong friends and allies.

Hollis nervously rubbed his face before conceding, "well, for the reigning dart-throwing, tequila-shooting champ of Willoughby Lake? Hell if I can turn you away, kid. I just wish there were a few more people to give you a proper homecoming. You guys settle in. I'll pour the moonshine. Baby drinks for free."

I thanked Hollis, and took the seat beside Klaus; he was scoping out the other people in the bar, who'd since returned to their drinking, and playing pool; our friendly conversation with the owner was a big seal of approval. Hollis pulled out two mason jars and filled them up with moonshine.

The second that Hollis disappeared to tend to another customer, Klaus complained, "I'm quite sure this glass hasn't been washed in the past decade, which makes it the cleanest thing in this establishment."

"And you have hit your complaint quota for the day. Congrats. You are officially the worst," I whispered back.

The bar's landline phone started to ring, although it was barely audible over the juke box. Klaus' ears pricked up and he watched Hollis walk over to answer it. He peeled his skeptical gaze away from the man long enough to berate me, "I seem to remember you knocking on my door to join this little road trip. No one had a gun to your head. What was it...couldn't bear to spend another day giving Elijah the mournful doe-eyes?"

I cleared my throat, and assured him, "that is none of your business."

"Right. It's only my brother and the godmother of my daughter living under my roof, in my house in, oh yes, my city!" Klaus waffled on.

"Weird. It's almost like you're making this all about you again," I scorned back at him.

Hollis reappeared, looking a little overwhelmed and worried, and he whispered to me, "Rosie? If you're trying to be discreet...you could start by turning down the volume on the lover's spat."

My mind screamed EWWWW, but his demeanor was way more troublesome so I asked him if everything was okay. Hollis leant in closer and reluctantly told me, "someone tried to rob the Gas 'n' Save down by the highway. Kayla was there. I heard it went bad for the bad guy."

"Kayla McInnis?" I asked him.

Hollis nodded and whispered, "her first."

"Wait, no, she's just kid?" I asked him, incredulously.

"Fourteen-fifteen," Hollis guessed.

Klaus' piercing gaze snapped back and forth between Hollis and I, with no idea who or what we were talking about, so I elaborated for his benefit, "she's a girl that Hayley used to look after. Where is she?"

"The cops let her go home. Little trailer down by the creek," Hollis said.

"Okay," I said, and gave Hollis a knowing look that told him I had it from here.

Klaus made a face and grabbed my arm as I got up to leave, forcing me to look back at him. He scorned, "where do you think you're going?"

"Klaus, she's triggered her curse. She's just a kid-" I whispered back.

"And that's your problem how?" he scoffed.

"Hayley used to take care of Kayla when her mom was drinking. I've met this kid. If she ever needed someone to talk to, its now-" I implored.

Klaus sighed heavily, and insisted, "in case you've forgotten, we're supposed to be keeping a low profile. It's hardly the time to go play youth counselor to a bunch of misguided wolves."

"It's just down the road! I hardly-" I tried.

Klaus ignored my plea and cut me off abruptly, "in fact, I think this little experiment is over. I hope you enjoyed your trip down Memory Lane. But my life, my daughter's life, takes precedence. A fact you've clearly failed to grasp. She's my child. From now on, we do things my way."

Klaus finished buckling Hope into her car seat and affectionately told her, "always a good girl. Let's get out of here, shall we?"

Unfortunately for him, as he slammed the back door shut, I was stood in front of him, with a face of thunder. I told him, "there is a scared kid out there, and I can't just turn my back on her."

"And, tragic as that may be, it's not my problem. Neither is it yours. Get in the car. We're leaving," Klaus demanded.

"We're not going anywhere," I assured him.

"And I suppose you're going to stop me? Perhaps you'll get Cletus and your other foul-smelling friends to help?" Klaus chuckled, derisively.

"Those friends of mine are helping us, Klaus, no questions asked, despite the fact they have problems of their own. And all you've done is insult them!" I scorned back at him, completely drained and exasperated by his selfishness, "you don't get it, do you? This is the exact reason why we're here. Maybe if you hadn't been a dick to, I don't know, everybody you've ever met, then we wouldn't even be on the run!"

Calling out Klaus Mikaelson on his faults wasn't a good idea at the best of times, but I was at the end of my rope. He hit back, angrily, "I have always done what I needed to do to protect my family from numerous enemies. I make no apologies for my methods."

I scoffed loudly in frustration and annoyance, and whined, "do you even hear yourself, Klaus? You're incapable of even pretending to be a good person. And you can justify it all you want with strategy, and 'us versus them', but at the end of the day, the enemies that you have are the ones that you made!"

He didn't say anything. It was weird. He simply glared back at me, so...I just kept on going.

"Is that what you want for your daughter? Is that how you want her to see the world?" I asked, and then I assured him, "I'm not gonna stand back and let you raise her to be just like you, Klaus. I'm gonna make sure she has Hayley's influence too."

"If it's your impulse to trust in the kindness of those outside the family, all the more reason you need my protection," Klaus said.

I had officially reached my limit, so I told him how it was going down, "I am gonna go speak to that girl, because she needs my help. You are gonna stay here and shut up. I've earned at least that."

"Rosanna, listen to me-" Klaus scorned.

I opened up the car door so that Klaus could see his daughter, who was watching us argue this whole time, and I reminded him, "there is a very good chance that one day, your daughter will be dealing with the same thing that Kayla is dealing with. Without her mother. And, if that day comes, I hope that someone makes it their business to help her, too."

He didn't fight me anymore, he just looked down at his little girl. I'd played the trump card.

"Being kind doesn't make you weak, Klaus," I whispered to him, before disappearing down the road.

Kayla's Trailer

Night had since fallen. I knocked on the flimsy trailer door and took a step back. Eventually, Kayla answered the door; she looked terrified, and devastated, but a small part of her trepidation disappeared when she saw a friendly face waiting outside.

"Rosie!" Kayla huffed out and rushed out to give me a hug.

I pulled her into a tight embrace and I told her, "I am so sorry, kiddo."

We instinctively walked over to the small campfire near her trailer and I got a better look at the girl; her dark hair had grown super long; she'd shot up a few inches; the mischievous smirk and the smart attitude wasn't there, but it was definitely her. She asked me what I was doing there.

"I heard there's not much of a pack left, so I thought you might need someone to talk to," I said.

"Where's Hayley?" Kayla asked.

"I'm sorry. She...she wishes she could be here," I said, truthfully.

Kayla nodded silently, but I could tell that she was still overwhelmed by everything that had happened, and what lay ahead for her.

"Hey, listen to me," I whispered, and crouched down to her level. I told her, "here's the thing you need to remember as you deal with all of this: you're a lot tougher than you think you are. You are stronger than you know. And, no matter how awful you feel, you are not alone."

I got a solid nod out of her, looked over at the fire, and plucked out a large branch to use as a torch. I turned back to the girl and said, "come on. There's someplace I want you to see."

Kayla looked confused, but followed my lead through the woods with the makeshift torch lighting our way.

Clearing in the Woods

I relied on a hazy memory of this trail through the woods behind Kayla's trailer. By some small miracle, or maybe divine intervention, I managed to get us there, in the dark. We came across the clearing in the woods; various personal items were spread around, some weathered, some recent: a teddy bear perched under a tree, a pair of sneakers hanging from the branches, Mardi Gras beads dangling down. I used my makeshift torch to light several more of the torches fixed in the ground while Kayla silently took in her surroundings.

"What is this place?" she asked me.

"Hayley showed it to me, a few years ago. Her pack used to come here when someone triggered their curse. Not to ask for forgiveness, but...to accept what they had done," I explained, "to honor the dead in order to move on. She took me here, after I made a mistake, and...it helped."

Kayla looked utterly overwhelmed.

"Do you know his name?" I asked her.

She paused and then rummaged inside her jacket pocket, producing a wallet. She cleared her throat a little, and said, "I think this was his."

I huffed out a laugh, and raised a brow at her as I took the wallet from her, "you think, huh? You learned a new party trick since I last saw you."

"Perfected one," Kayla scoffed.

I took an ID card out of the man's wallet and I passed it over to Kayla, and I told her, "look, the turning is gonna hurt. I've seen my friends go through it. And your first full moon is gonna be a real bitch. But, like I said, you're tough. You can handle it. You can get through anything..." my words got caught in my throat, and I took a deep breath before continuing, "you'll never forget what happened, but...you can't let the past define who you are. You still have choices ahead of you, of who want to be. It's all in your reach."

I watched Kayla take my words on board, and then prop the ID card up in the tree, among the other artifacts.

"Let's head back," I whispered to her, after she'd had her pensive moment, "this place is still creepy, but way less creepy in the daylight, by the way."

"I know my way," Kayla said, with a smirk, "you actually took us a much longer route here. If you follow that trail there, you'll be back on the main road in no time."

I laughed, and hugged her goodbye; I gave her my number and I told her that she could call me, anytime, and that she should reach out to Hollis when she was ready to; he was really worried about her. I was quietly hopeful that I'd done what Hayley would have done.

You are stronger than you know. You still have choices ahead of you. Who do you want to be?

A long lost smile trickled its way across my face; my dad's words flew out of my mouth with such ease. And then a few of my own. I remember thinking in that moment, as I watched Kayla disappear down the trail: this is who I want to be. Strong, like my dad assured me I am. Kind, and generous with my time like Hayley was.

I took a deep breath and then turned to leave, and jumped right out of my skin.

"GAH! Wh...dammit, Klaus," I huffed out, in fright, and asked him where the hell Hope was.

"With Hollis," Klaus said, with neither snark, nor derision. He looked almost sheepish as he explained, "you trust him, I trust you...baby steps, as it were. I heard your little speech to the girl. Food for thought, indeed. It seems I owe you an apology, little one," he looked profoundly uncomfortable, but forced himself to look me in the eyes as he declared, "I've given you a thousand reasons to abandon me, to abandon this family, but you haven't. So...I thank you for that, for my sake, and for Hope's. I am not happy about how we got here, but...I am glad that you are part of this family, and I am glad that Hayley's legacy will continue on. I am glad that you are so stoic in that endeavour. Perhaps...it's time to start living, not by my decisions, not by yours, but by what we together decide. Partners. For Hope."

I was truly touched and startled and quite honestly baffled by Klaus' response, but I smiled back at him and I whispered, "thank you for saying that."

Klaus suddenly caught sight of the ID card that Kayla had propped in the tree mere moments ago, and his expression turned sour. He brushed past me gently to get a closer look at it.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"This was no random attack," he informed me, as he plucked up the Kingmaker Land Development Employee pass. He elaborated, "these wolves aren't just disappearing. They're being hunted."

"What?" I barely huffed out.

Klaus answered his jingling phone, and listened to the caller's piece intently. Exhaustion soon smothered his tone and he replied, "well, at least one of us has something good to report...because Rosanna and I have just made a rather unsettling discovery. Seems our friends at Kingmaker Land Development are still targeting wolves. What we don't know is why."