Hayley sighs and looks away from her phone screen and down at the flowerbed in Rebekah's garden. Jack has been in the ground for two weeks and every day since his burial, Hayley has come to see him. At first, she felt stupid coming out to see him, she felt like everyone was watching her from the windows and judging. But when Elijah pulled a chair up next to her and handed her one of the cookies that Rebekah had made earlier and instead of asking her questions and expecting talk, just sat there with her in silence, she no longer felt stupid.
It has been about an half an hour since she came outside to sit with Jack and even though the clouds have just opened up and rain is slowly starting to fall, she doesn't want to move yet. After what he gave up for her, the least she could do is sit in the rain with him for a little while. She reaches behind her and grabs the hood of her jacket before she pulls it over her head. Her phone buzzes in her hand and she looks down at her messages to see a text from Elijah.
Might be home a little late. I'll bring dinner to make it up to you? xx
Smiling, Hayley types out her reply.
Chinese please :) xx
After sending the message, she puts her phone into her jacket pocket. She doesn't expect a reply; Elijah isn't one for texting. She puts her hands into her pockets and wiggles in her chair as she gets comfy. Half an hour and she will go in. A bit of rain won't hurt her, or the baby, but she still isn't too keen on risking getting pneumonia by sitting out in the cold for too long.
The rain falls increases and Hayley closes her eyes as she remembers running in the rain with Jack. He would jump into every puddle he could find and shake all of the water off as close to Hayley as he could. She remembers letting him off his leash in the rain at the park and watching him charge into massive, dirty puddles on the grass. He would almost be neck deep sometimes and he would turn around and look at her, letting her know that as soon as he had finished having fun he would be straight over there to flick water all over her.
Hayley feels a hand on her shoulder and opens her eyes. She looks behind her to see Rebekah stood there with a raincoat on and the hood up. Rebekah gives Hayley a small smile and then looks over to where Jack is lay under his homemade headstone. A week after they buried him, Elijah had vanished for about two hours despite still being on bed rest and had returned with a large, smooth stone. 'Jack. Forever missed and loved always' had been carved into the stone and Hayley had cried over it almost all day.
The stone now sits over his grave with his collar tied to it so no winds can carry it away. The police had brought Jack's collar to them about three days after they buried him. They had been keeping it because they were still doing tests on it and seeing what evidence they could get from it. Not that any more evidence is actually needed when they already have Kol and his accomplice Robert locked up.
Hayley bites her bottom lip as she looks over at Jack's grave. She loves it in an incredibly sad but also extremely grateful way.
"You know if you get sick from sitting out here while it's pissing it down I won't look after you". Rebekah says and Hayley smiles.
"I won't get sick", Hayley says, smirking.
"Good, because I can guarantee that if you get sick, Elijah will and then I will, and then Marcel will, and then we'll all be stuck inside with snotty noses and chesty coughs".
Hayley shakes her head in amusement. "Sounds like hell".
Silence fills the air between them and Hayley doesn't know whether she likes silence anymore. It never used to bother her. She used to like the loud and the silence, but now she isn't sure. Not with how the silence is always filled with her thoughts.
"Where's Elijah? At the office?" Rebekah asks.
Hayley nods. "Yeah. He's officially opening next week so, he wanted to go in and get ahead on some of his work".
"God knows how that man is a shrink when he can't even face his own demons". Rebekah says and sadly she is only partly joking.
Hayley doesn't say anything. There are a lot of things that she could say. She could say that Elijah faces his demons every day and that is why he is so desperate to protect everyone else from theirs. Or she could say that he has been through a lot and she understands that, and she doesn't mind all of his baggage. But she hasn't slept well and she feels tired, too tired to speak any sentences with that many words in them right now.
"Do you think he's okay?" Hayley asks.
Rebekah frowns in confusion. "Elijah?"
Hayley nods.
"Elijah is somehow always okay. Even when he isn't". Rebekah says, but the words feel like a lie on her tongue. No one is always okay, everyone knows that. "Why do you ask?"
"Just wanted a second opinion". Hayley says, even though what she really means is, 'he hasn't mention killing one brother and almost killing the other and that worries me'.
Rebekah sighs. Hayley doesn't have to tell her that this is about Klaus and Kol for her to know that it is about them.
"He has always had trouble with expressing how he feels. But from my experience, I would say that all you can do is wait for him to come to you. Which when it all gets to be too much for him, he probably will. Even Elijah breaks sometimes".
"Do you think he's sad about it?" Hayley asks, shivering slightly because of the rain and her damp clothes.
"I think that he is doing a very good job of focusing on you and ignoring everything else..." Rebekah says. "And maybe that is what's best for him right now. But I do think that a day will come when he will have to face what he has done".
"Do you resent him at all?" Hayley asks, quietly, as if she doesn't actually want to ask.
Rebekah looks around the garden as she thinks about the question. She could resent him and she would have a very good reason to, but she doesn't. Hating him would probably be very easy after everything and no one would blame her if she did, but she doesn't.
"No", Rebekah finally answers. "When I first found out about what happened, I was relived that he was gone. I could finally stop looking over my shoulder and worrying. But a few days later, I was cooking and I just started crying... and I couldn't stop". Rebekah pauses and swallows. "He was my brother and no matter how much I hated him, I still lost him".
Hayley nods her head. "I understand that".
"That doesn't mean I resent Elijah for what he did though. He did what he had to do to make sure you and that little baby survived and I couldn't ever resent him for that", Rebekah says.
Hayley looks down at her small bump now showing on her stomach and flattens her hands to rest on top of it in her pockets. She understands Rebekah's pain. When the reality of everything dawned on her, she had almost cried for her ex-husband as well. She hated him and she didn't want anything to do with him, she was sure of that. But when the dust had settled, she couldn't help but remember the good she used to see in him. The good that somehow, some where down the line got striped away from him and left him with nothing but drink, paranoia and hate.
"Do you remember when we firs met?" Rebekah asks, randomly.
"Yeah, best day of your life", Hayley jokes.
Rebekah smiles and fakes a laugh. "Best day of your life you mean".
"Depends on your point of view I guess", Hayley says, smirking.
Rebekah chuckles and playfully taps Hayley on the shoulder. But after a few seconds the smile slowly falls from her face.
"I thought you would be the one to change him. To make him be better", Rebekah admits.
"I did change him... just not in a good way", Hayley says. "What does that say about me?"
Rebekah shakes her head and squeezes Hayley's shoulder lightly.
"Don't do that to yourself, sweetheart. He was ruined a long time before he met you". Rebekah tells her and Hayley nods her head.
"I know". The brunette says, emotionlessly.
Rebekah squeezes her shoulder again and looks up at the sky as she hears thunder strike somewhere in the nearby vicinity. This rain reminds her of winter nights back in England when she was a child and they would all huddle around the fire and listen to Finn's stories of pirates, princesses and happy families. Mother would watch them happily, glad that for one moment the danger that constantly lingered because of their father and his antics was absent, and they were all safe, secure and smiling.
Little did their mother know, the danger was never absent. It was just lying dormant within her children, waiting for one of them to open up enough for it to take.
"Come on. Let's get you inside", Rebekah says. Elijah would give her a telling off if he ever knew how long she had let Hayley sit out here in this weather.
Hayley sighs and nods her head. Rebekah rubs Hayley's shoulder a few times before dropping her hand back to her side and waiting for Hayley to stand. Once they are both on their feet, Rebekah links her arm through Hayley's elbow and they walk back towards the house.
"I'm gonna make Elijah watch Game Of Thrones", Hayley says.
Rebekah smiles. "He'll like that better than Prison Break".
Hayley frowns. "Prison Break is a classic".
"Depends what you call a classic". Rebekah says, teasingly.
"Well, 90210 definitely isn't".
Rebekah's mouth drops open and she lets out an over dramatic gasp, causing Hayley to smirk.
"How can you hate on 90210 when you watch 13 Reasons Why?" Rebekah asks.
"Easily. One of them has a decent plot with good writers and one of them is 90210", Hayley replies.
Rebekah scoffs loudly and unhooks her arm from Hayley's as she steps into the kitchen.
"You are very close to being kicked out". Rebekah says, her voice serious, but Hayley knows that she is joking.
Hayley chuckles and kicks her shoes off before she turns to shut the back door. She wants a warm shower before she curls up on the couch to annoy Rebekah some more. Before she shuts it, she looks out at where Jack's grave is and she pulls down her soaked hood. She sighs and slowly shuts the door, locking out the cold and the damp, and hoping that her sadness stays outside as well.
Meanwhile Elijah is sat at a surprisingly nice, light grey, steel table inside the Orleans Parish Prison. The table isn't the only nice thing inside here and he finds it all rather interesting that these criminals have such comforts. Especially when some of them are murderers waiting for transfer to a larger, more suitable prison. He looks down at his watch on his right wrist to see that he has been sat here for almost fifteen minutes and he sighs. He loosens his light blue tie and opens the top button on his white shirt before he rolls his neck from shoulder to shoulder.
He needs to stay calm and he needs to keep his emotions in check. The last thing he needs is to lose control of himself right here, right now. He has managed to go almost three weeks without having to acknowledge any of the crushing guilt that is waiting for him to open the flood gates, and he is not going to pay it any mind now.
A loud buzzer sounds and he looks up at the gate where he has seen the last three prisoners come from to see two guards stood there, waiting for the gate to open. The guards walk through the gate, one of them staying stood there while the other reaches behind him and grabs Kol's arm to direct him through the gate. The guard pulls a reluctant and slow moving Kol to the table where Elijah is sat and then lets go of his arm.
Kol sits down opposite Elijah and the guard grabs Kol's wrist. He then hooks the handcuffs around Kol's wrists to a short metal chain on the table before locking it. He then turns around and makes his way back to the gate, leaving Elijah and Kol at the table alone.
Kol raises his head and meets Elijah's gaze. He has a stubble which Elijah has never seen him with before, he has a cut on his right cheek and his eyes have large black circles under them like he isn't sleeping, the left eye also has a large black bruise over it. He looks about ten shades lighter than usual as well, not that he had much of a tan anyway, but now he looks ghostly pale. He looks a little thinner as well around his jaw and his neck. But you are bound to lose weight when you go from eating five star steaks in a casino every night to prison slop.
"You don't look good", Elijah says.
"You tend not to look good after being shot in the chest". Kol replies, no emotion in his expression, or in his tone.
"It was hardly your chest". Elijah says, knowing that he saw the bullet hit Kol's collarbone.
"It was close enough". Kol says, quickly.
Elijah sighs silently. He knows what he wants to say, but he isn't quite sure he wants to speak it now that he is here, looking into Kol's dark, dispassionate eyes. The last thing he wants is for Kol to know just how much he has had a hand in putting him and Hayley through. If Kol realises just how much he has managed to hurt them all then the light will return to his eyes and the sly smile that Elijah has always disliked will grace his little brother's face.
"How long are they giving you?" Elijah asks.
"Long enough". Kol says. He then looks down at his hands and sighs in an almost sad way. "Robert got a deal. Gave them everything he had on me in return for two years inside and a year on tag".
"They want you to serve life". Elijah states, confident that he knows that without Kol having to tell him.
Kol nods slowly, still looking downwards. He looks ashamed. Elijah knows that Kol will never feel guilt, or remorse, he never did when they were children and he does not believe that he is capable now. But he does look sad and ashamed. Probably sad that he was betrayed by his men and ashamed that he got caught.
"When's your trial?" Elijah asks when Kol continues to stay silent.
"Already had one. But with all the shit Robert handed them one wasn't enough", Kol says. "Guards say I'll be back in court at least twice before the end of the month".
"Looks like you've got a long road ahead of you". Elijah says, not really too bothered about Kol's multiple trials.
"Said they have about twelve witnesses left to speak up", Kol tells him. "There was nineteen in total. Didn't know I let that many witnesses live".
Elijah stops himself from telling Kol that he and Hayley have given statements to the courts to be read out during one of his trials. He doesn't want to anger his little brother. It will be impossible to talk to him if he's angry and if he raises his voice then they will never get to finish their conversation because he will be dragged back to his cell.
"Seems as though Father didn't teach you well enough". Elijah says and Kol lifts his head and meets his gaze.
"No need to brag, Elijah... we all know how well he taught you". Kol says with no malice in his voice where there usually would be.
Elijah looks at Kol's bruised eye and leans forwards, his elbows now on the table.
"How did you get that?" He asks, pointing.
"Rival gangs", Kol admits.
"You couldn't take them?" Elijah asks, knowing that Kol has training similar to him.
"Not when it's just me".
Elijah frowns slightly. "Just you?"
Kol nods and moves his hands onto the table. "They cut me. I'm an outcast".
Elijah lets his eyes roam over Kol's orange jumpsuit before he looks at his arms. He finds what he is looking for on the back of his left hand. A cut going right across the back of his hand, a symbol that Kol no longer belongs to a gang. And also an invitation to any rival gangs that he has wronged to come and get their revenge.
"So now you have nothing". Elijah says, careful not to sound as though he is trying to rub salt into the wound.
"Now I have nothing", Kol replies. "No gang, no friends, no brother and no life".
"You do still have a brother. You have two".
"No I don't". Kol says, shaking his head. "We are not brothers, Elijah. We haven't been for years".
Kol looks at the table and shakes his head again. Elijah can tell that he wants to say more, so he stays quiet. A few seconds later when Kol looks up with tears in his eyes, Elijah knows that he made the right choice by staying silent.
"You weren't one of us. None of you were like us". Kol says, his eyes full of sorrow. "We were different, the rejects of the family. We were ignored and forgotten about while the rest of you were loved and treasured. So, don't pretend to understand cause you never will".
"Maybe you're right, maybe I never will understand. But loved is not the word I would use to describe Father's beatings". Elijah says, holding his head high. "He didn't love any of us. All he saw was more hands to help carry out his dirty work".
"His scars still litter my body", Kol says, quietly.
Elijah closes his eyes for a few seconds to compose himself.
"Mine too", Elijah admits.
Kol sniffles and looks down as a tear escapes his eyes. He isn't crying for them, or for what they had to go through as children. He knows Elijah took more beatings than all of them, some of them weren't even his to take and still he took them. He can remember being grateful to Elijah for that once upon a time. But now all he can think of is how he stole his most loved brother from him.
"You killed him".
Elijah swallows but says nothing. He knows that he should probably say something, but he has nothing to say, not on this subject. Kol meets Elijah's gaze again and Elijah tries to ignore the tears he can see in his brother's eyes.
"You killed him". Kol says again and Elijah knows this game. He won't stop until he gets a reply.
"He was going to kill Hayley", Elijah says.
"She deserves it for hurting my brother". Kol says and Elijah raises an eyebrow at him in warning.
"Did you know that Klaus was lying to you?" Elijah asks, desperate to stir the conversation away from Hayley.
Kol frowns and Elijah takes that as a sign to carry on.
"He told you he signed the divorce papers. He lied". Elijah tells him and Kol continues to frown. "He refused to sign the papers and Hayley's lawyer had to get the courts to step in".
"Why would he lie about that?" Kol asks.
Elijah shrugs. "I keep asking myself that same question... still no answer".
Kol looks down at the table, not wanting Elijah to see the betrayal he feels. Why would his brother lie to him? The only brother he has ever actually considered to be a true blood brother and still he lied to him. It makes no sense, but it makes his heart squeeze in a painfully tight way.
"That wasn't the only thing he was lying about", Elijah says. "He was working with one of your men behind your back. I don't know what the project was, but I know that you weren't in on it. And he was using".
Kol looks up at Elijah with tears in his eyes.
"Using?" Kol asks.
"Oxytocin and Valium", Elijah confirms.
Kol shakes his head.
"He wouldn't lie to me about all of that. We were brothers". Kol says, a croak in his throat.
"We're brothers and look at us", Elijah says casually.
"We are not brothers". Kol says, tensing slightly.
Elijah chooses not to answer, not wanting to anger Kol and have their meeting cut short when he still has a few things left to say. Kol continues to shake his head and looks down at the table again. His pulse is racing, his heart is clenching and his eyes are letting tears free and betraying him just like everyone else. He needs answers. He needs to know what man Klaus was working with and what on. He needs to know why he was using super addictive prescription drugs. But there is something he needs to know more than all of that right now.
Kol looks up at Elijah again, tears in his eyes and a scowl on his face. He almost looks like when he was a child and he would only be allowed one of Mother's white-chocolate cookies before dinner.
"How do you know all of this?" Kol asks. "Who told you?"
Elijah smirks. "A very reliable source".
"Who?" Kol asks again, almost demanding.
Still smirking, Elijah leans closer to Kol, making sure no one else over hears. Not that the people two tables over are likely to hear, but still, he likes the dramatic effect that is adds to everything. And he knows Kol will hate it.
"Nathan Folton".
Kol's eyes widen in shock. Nathan Folton. The man they hired to kidnap Hayley from the park. The man that no one has heard from since that night.
Elijah moves back once again and Kol stares at him.
"You killed him too didn't you?" He asks, knowing that Elijah will never give him an answer.
"I guess you'll never know", Elijah replies.
Kol is just about to say something else when Elijah suddenly stands. Kol watches as Elijah runs a hand through his hair before he fastens the button on his black suit jacket. He then sighs and pushes his left hand into his pant pocket, all while Kol stares at him.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kol asks.
"Home", Elijah answers.
"We're not done here". Kol says, his anger finally starting to reach the surface.
"I think you'll find that we are", Elijah says and smiles. "Goodbye, brother".
Kol dives up from his seat as Elijah makes his way towards the exit door. He wouldn't quite call this closure, but it is certainly better than ignoring that fact that his brother is sat here waiting for his trial to finish. He doesn't turn around, but he can hear what is going on behind him as he walks away. Shouting from the guards and Kol, chains making scraping noises and the alarm sounding as it signals the opening of a gate somewhere.
The last thing Elijah hears before he leaves is, "you are not my fucking brother". And for once, he thinks that he couldn't agree more.