Elijah traveled to New Orleans for the first time in over seven years. It felt wrong to return to a city he had fled all those years back. Hayley reassured him if he stuck to the outskirts of the city and avoided being seen, everything would be fine. Elijah knew he was being selfish by risking it, but he couldn't help himself. He had tried to legislate his feelings for Hayley for sixteen years to no avail.
Unfortunately for Elijah, it was a long drive back to New Orleans. It gave him too much time to debate his decision. He almost turned the car around multiple times, but the thought of Hayley's smile as she walked away down the alley kept him moving forward. He missed seeing her that happy and relaxed. His family had caused her so much pain over the years, she deserved to be happy, and Elijah would do everything in his power to keep her that way.
He had stopped in a town not far outside of New Orleans to eat before heading to the bayou. He wasn't sure how often Hayley went to their home and replenished it. As Elijah was compelling the waitress to forget his visit, he felt his phone buzz.
He read the message as he headed to his car, a smile crossing his face as he saw it was from Hayley.
I'm picking up gumbo and a bottle of wine. I can't wait to see you.
Freya drove as Hayley and Hope sat in the back seat; Hayley's arm wrapped protectively around her daughter. Hope was still shaken up by everything that had happened over the last couple of weeks and needed the comfort of her mom. Hayley also needed to just hold her daughter and remind herself that they would all be okay. She was still struggling herself but as long as her daughter was safe, she could get through anything.
Klaus had promised to astral project as soon as they got back to the house in New Orleans to visit with Hope. They would be driving through the night so Klaus planned to have a buffet of beignets waiting for them when they arrive. Hayley knew he was trying to do everything he could to make up for the years of no contact.
"How is my brother doing?" Freya asked from the front seat. It had been quiet for a while and Hayley felt that Freya had been wanting to ask that the whole time. While Freya had often visited Rebekah in New York and Kol wherever he happened to be at the time, she had not gotten to see Klaus since he cut communication.
"You've talked to Klaus as much as I have." Hayley responded. Although that wasn't completely true, Klaus hadn't revealed any personal information in any of their conversations. His sole focus was on Hope.
"Yes, I will make sure I interrogate that brother when he visits later, but that was not the brother I was referring to." Freya smirked, looking at Hayley in the rearview mirror.
Hope seemed to sit up a little straighter at this. Hayley looked out the window for a moment. The guilt for kissing Elijah was already seeping in. She never wanted to hurt Declan and she shouldn't have drug out their relationship as long as she had. It wasn't fair to him.
"Is something going on with you and Elijah?" Hope asked, sounding offended.
"No." Hayley replied quickly. "We just got lunch today while he was in town."
Hope didn't seem to believe this, and Hayley didn't want to lie to her but she needed to figure it out herself before having her family weigh in on it.
"What about Declan? You know your boyfriend, the man who was like a father to me for the past few years."
Hayley knew how much Hope liked Declan, it was the main reason she started dating him. Declan had come into their life when Hope was only nine years old. He came to New Orleans to investigate Cami's death and wound up staying. Because of his job at Rousseau's, he seemed to always be around. He took to Hope quickly and would often look after her as Hayley met with the factions at the bar.
Declan had been asking her out for years, but it wasn't until more recently that she had finally agreed. It was hard to be alone for all of these years. She wanted someone to lean on for support and Declan was always there. It wasn't fair to him, but Hayley couldn't help herself. And now she had made a mess of it all. Again.
"It's complicated Hope." Hayley tried to shut down the conversation before it got too far. She felt Hope shift away from her. Hayley sighed; she really didn't want to have a fight with her daughter right now. It felt like all they did recently was fight. She had hoped this mess would give them a little reprieve from that.
"It's not though." Hayley wanted to blame Hope's attitude on Klaus, but that look in her eyes was all Hayley. "You have a boyfriend and now you're asking after your ex."
"Hope, that's not fair. Elijah is more than an ex and we haven't seen him in a long time. I was just catching up." Hayley attempted to sound innocent. It was mostly true.
"'Just catching up?' What does that even mean?" Hope's temper flared even more. "Are you going to break up with Declan?"
The look on Hayley's face told Hope all she needed to know. She turned away from her mom, glaring out the window. Hayley looked up to the front and made eye contact with Freya in the rearview mirror. Freya mouthed her apology at Hayley who just shook her head. This was an inevitable conversation.
"Hope, I never wanted to hurt Declan, but you know why I refused to date for so long. We live in a dangerous world. These past couple of weeks are evidence of that. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to Declan because of me. He's already lost both his cousins and his uncle because of the supernatural. It would be best if he left New Orleans."
Hayley wanted to tell Hope that she could still stay in contact with Declan, but that would defeat the whole point. He needed a clean break, even if Hayley had to compel him to do it.
"It's not fair." Hope sounded on the edge of another breakdown. "Why do I lose everyone I care about?"
Hope curled into herself, pulling her feet up onto her seat. Hayley moved over and pulled her daughter back into her arms.
"Baby, I know you've been through so much and it's not fair. I wish I could take away all of your pain. But this is what's best for him."
"No, it's what's best for you." Hope snapped, pulling away again.
"That's not true." Hayley tried to argue.
"You're going to get back with Elijah and run off and just forget about us, just like he did." Hayley's heart broke at that. She always knew having her family separated hurt Hope, but she hadn't considered Hope would be angry with Elijah as well, after all she was so young when it all happened.
"Hope, you know your uncle did that to protect us." Hayley said calmly.
"He didn't even say goodbye and now you all are just forgiving him and letting him come back like he didn't do anything wrong."
Hayley hadn't realized that Freya had pulled the car over at a rest stop and was now turned around to look at Hope.
"You know, the thing about Elijah is he thinks he knows what's best for everyone." Freya started and Hayley raised her eyebrows at her, curious how this would help. "Since he was a kid, he was always expected to take care of his siblings and he has had to make some very hard decisions in order to do that. For a thousand years he hasn't had to consult anyone, he just made decisions and suffered the consequences. While this isn't an excuse for his recent behavior, I promise you he wouldn't have done it if he didn't think it was best for this family. If it wasn't what was best for you."
"You're right." Hope's face turned cold. "It's not an excuse."
Hayley sighed. This family could never just be simple.
When they arrived in New Orleans, Hope had calmed down a little. Freya had pled Elijah's case, even offering to call Elijah so Hope could speak with him, which Hope refused. Hope's mood greatly improved when she walked into the courtyard and her father, or at least an astral projection of her father, was standing there waiting for her.
"Dad!" Hope ran up to her father but stopped short, realizing that she couldn't actually touch him.
"Hello, my littlest wolf." Klaus smiled softly at his daughter. It had been so long since he had seen her properly. He never wanted to go that long without seeing her again.
Klaus led Hope over to the table that was, as Hayley had anticipated, covered in food. More food than any of them could hope to eat.
Hayley ate as she watched Hope and Klaus talk and catch up. Hayley couldn't help but feel left out. Hope was pointedly not including her mother in the conversation, whether Klaus was aware of this, Hayley couldn't tell.
Hope only saw the best in her father, while her and her mother tended to butt heads. Hayley knew this was normal for teenage girls to idealize their fathers, but it still hurt to see Hope interacting so casually with Klaus while ignoring her. So, Hayley spoke with Freya, while she listened to her daughter rattle on about her school.
"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Klaus asked after Hope was done updating him.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Hope said stubbornly.
"It's nothing, Klaus." Hayley didn't want to get into it, especially not with Klaus.
"They're fighting about Elijah." Freya said casually. Hayley and Hope both turned to glare at her, but she only smiled.
"Our brother has had his memories back for less than a week and he's already causing problems." Klaus smirked at Freya. "Why are you mad at your mother, Hope?"
Hope looked like she wasn't going to answer, but her father gave her a look and she changed her mind, "Mom is going to dump Declan and go running back to Elijah like he didn't abandon us for seven years."
Klaus looked over at Hayley briefly and then focused back on his daughter. He remembered when Hayley was pregnant, his biggest fear was that his child would grow to see Elijah as more of a father than himself, but now it broke his heart that his child didn't even view his closest brother as an uncle.
"You know I'm pretty angry with your Uncle Elijah as well." Klaus heard Hayley sigh loudly. He shot her a look telling her to trust him. "He made this decision that affected all of us without asking anyone, but the thing with being a Mikaelson is we are bound by 'always and forever' for a reason. We will outlive almost everyone we come in contact with and it can be a lonely existence. But we have each other, and we forgive each other, no matter how badly we hurt one another. And trust me, Elijah has had to forgive me more often than I have had to forgive him."
Hope looked down at her plate. She knew her father's history, she had learned a lot of it through Mr. Saltzman, and all of it was bad. But she also knew Elijah was right there next to him through it all.
"Mom is going to leave Declan and run off with Elijah, just like you ran off after him when he erased his memories." Hope said, dejectedly.
"Is that what you think?" Klaus looked into Hope's eyes. "That I left because of Elijah?"
"You've never been separated from him. In all of the stories, you two are right there with each other. He runs off and you followed."
"I hate to break it to you but those stories you've been taught are likely very biased." Klaus frowned, he did not like the idea that the school she was going to was teaching about his family's history. Especially when the teacher was Saltzman. "While it is true that in a thousand years, Elijah and I have rarely been separated, we have gone our separate ways and managed to survive just fine."
"Mom said he was always the voice of reason, if he had been around, he would have talked you into coming home." Hayley's heart broke listening to her daughter. She just needed someone to blame for her family falling apart and unfortunately Elijah was the easiest option.
"And he likely would have." Klaus smiled fondly. "He would have beat me until I called. But it is not Elijah's responsibility to always make sure I am doing the right thing. He is allowed to have a life outside of my redemption."
This made Hayley smile. She was proud of how far Klaus had come over the years. She knew a lot of it was still Cami's influence on him. He was determined to better himself for his daughter and Hayley could tell he was actually putting in the work.
"Can I still be mad at him?" Hope asked quietly. "For just a little while?"
"You sure can." Klaus grinned. "You can even help me kick his ass when we can all be in a room together again."
This made Hope laugh and Hayley could kiss Klaus for bringing that out. She couldn't remember the last time she truly heard Hope laugh.
"While we are on the subject, have you spoken to my big brother?" Hayley rolled her eyes at Klaus. "I'll take that as a yes."
"They had lunch together yesterday." Hope relayed.
"Interesting." Klaus smiled at Hope. "He didn't mention that when I spoke with him this morning."
"He probably had more important things to discuss with you." Hayley said, ignoring his looks.
"Ah yes, he mentioned he is staying State side for the time being. Does that have anything to do with your lunch?" Hope rolled her eyes at her father's grin.
"I'm sure he just wants to stay close in case he's needed." Hayley deflected.
"When are you going to speak to Declan?" Hope asked, trying to hide the sadness in her voice. Hayley noticed the pain flash through Klaus' eyes. He hated the idea that another man was there for Hope in a way he wasn't able to.
"I'm going to today. It's better to do it sooner rather than later." Hope just stood up and stormed out of the room.
"She'll be fine, Hayley." Freya assured her.
"I know." Hayley tried to smile. "I just don't want her to lose anyone else, but it's what's best for him."
"And it does conveniently leave you open to pick things up with Elijah." Klaus gave her his best devil smirk. Hayley knew he was teasing but it hit a little too close to what Hope had accused her of.
"I don't want to hurt him." She said defensively.
"I know." Klaus looked sad for a moment. "It's for the best."
They were all quiet for a moment. She knew Klaus was thinking about Cami. Wondering if they had never met if she would still be alive.
"I assume Elijah is close by?" Freya asked, trying to start the conversation up again.
"Yes, he's going to the bayou." Hayley said quietly. She felt bad that she was the one seeing him when she knew they wanted to see him as well.
"Good." Klaus smiled. "You both could use it. Why don't you take the day. I've got Hope. You've been through a lot and need to take care of yourself."
Hayley smiled at Klaus. She had missed having her family around. Freya and Keelin were great, but she missed Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah more than she could say. They were her first real family.
Hayley liked the idea of having the day to herself. She didn't want to fight with her daughter and knew Hope would appreciate spending the day with Klaus. She just needed to pull herself together after the last couple of weeks.
The first place Hayley went was Rousseau's. She needed to speak with Declan while she still had the nerve. She knew he would already be prepping the kitchen for lunch. And with any luck, he would be alone.
It turned out Hayley did have some luck. She found him behind the bar, alone.
"Hey." She said, letting herself in.
"Hey." He came around the bar to greet her, pulling her into a hug. "Where have you been? I've been texting and calling you."
Hayley held him for a moment more before pulling away, delaying the inevitable.
"I'm so sorry. Things with Hope got kind of crazy."
"Is she okay?" Hayley loved how concerned he was for her daughter.
"Yes, she's fine. She's actually with her father right now." Hayley smiled.
"Oh." Declan seemed to sense Hayley's mood now. "Her family is in town."
Hayley had never told Declan the details of her ex, but she knew he had asked around and had a pretty good idea of what had happened, excluding the supernatural elements of it.
"Yes, they are." Hayley couldn't meet his eye, which told him everything he needed to know.
"I think we need bourbon." Declan went back to the bar to pour both of them a drink. It was still early, but Hayley needed one.
They both drank in silence for a moment.
"Is that where you were, with him?" Declan was looking down at the bar.
"No." Hayley smiled softly, trying to reassure him. How did she keep getting into these situations with Elijah? "I wasn't lying. Hope has been struggling so we regrouped the family to help."
"Hope has been struggling for a while and that didn't bring them back." There was an edge to his voice. Hayley knew he was angry at the Mikaelsons on behalf of her and Hope. She appreciated how protective he was, but he didn't know the real story, in his head, they just abandoned her and her daughter.
"It's complicated." Hayley said flatly. Their relationship was doomed from the start. How many times had she told him this same line?
"It always seems to be." Declan said, finishing off his drink. "And yet, you keep going right back to it."
"I don't expect you to understand. But they're my family."
"So, you're ending it to go running back to them." Declan met her eyes this time, almost in a challenge.
"No, I'm ending it because you deserve a better life than what I can give you."
"That's a cop-out and you know it." Declan was attempting to hide the pain in his voice, but she could hear it. "You know, I went back home to get my mother's ring."
Hayley gasped at that. She hadn't expected it. They had only been dating for a few months and she had just tried to end it with him before he left on the trip.
"I'm offering you a life Hayley, a marriage, a family." Declan's voice was full of promises of a future. And she could see it. They could have a happy life together. It reminded her of her naive hope she had when she married Jackson. And she knew exactly how it would end.
"I hope you do get all of that." Hayley looked into his eyes, focusing intently. "You're going to move on, leave New Orleans, you'll find someone who makes you happy and who you can have all of that with."
Declan's eyes were out of focus for a moment and then when he looked back at her, he smiled.
"I should tell you, I'm leaving New Orleans. I know it's sudden but I'm going back home." Hayley smiled at him. She knew it was wrong, but she also couldn't stand to see him be another one of the countless lives lost caught up in the supernatural war that seemed to be never ending.
Hayley debated what to do with the rest of her day. She had left Hope and Klaus painting at the Abattoir while Freya locked herself in the study once again, attempting to find a way to reunite the family.
Hayley decided to text Elijah. She wasn't sure what time he would be in town. She hoped he was still heading to the bayou. She knew he was likely debating if he should come into town. He was probably in his head about everything. She hoped her text would ensure that he made it all the way to their home.
She made her way out to the bayou. She initially planned to put the food in the house and go for a run in the woods. That was before she remembered, she could no longer run through the woods as a wolf. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her shaking hands. Her whole body seemed to shudder at the idea that she may never turn again.
So instead, she went into the home she had prepared for her and Elijah. She hadn't been to the home in a couple of years. At first, she thought if she kept it up, it meant she had faith she and Elijah would find their way back to each other. But after her trip to France, it was too depressing to return. Elijah had moved on with someone else and she knew she had to move on as well.
Hayley pulled onto the dirt driveway about an hour before Elijah would get there. She walked into the house and instantly regretted not having someone come and clean periodically. There was a thin layer of dust on everything.
There were cleaning supplies under the sink, so Hayley started to clean up the living room area. At least if she could get one room together, the house wouldn't look so sad. She put music on as she cleaned and got lost in the task.
She was so distracted that she didn't hear a car come down the drive or someone enter the house. It also didn't help that her other senses were not as sharp as they had been as a hybrid.
Elijah was standing in the entryway, staring at her with a smile on his face.
"You scared me." Hayley said when she saw him.
"Forgive me." Elijah strode towards her. "I thought you would have heard the car as I drove up, I didn't anticipate the music."
"I guess I forgive you." Hayley smiled back at him. He stopped a few feet in front of her and just stared at her for a moment. "Are you hungry?"
"You're always trying to feed me." Elijah smiled again. He couldn't seem to stop smiling at her. Hayley just blushed and looked away. She had been feeling so off since her wolf side was bound but being back with him made her feel a little more grounded.
Hayley walked past Elijah to grab the food, brushing against him slightly. He trailed after her. She plated the food as he poured the wine, commenting on her choice. She glared softly at him, telling him next time he could pick out the wine. His smile widened at the thought of 'next time.'
They ate in mostly comfortable silence with music playing in the background. They both just needed to feel safe for a little while.
After dinner, Hayley led Elijah to the couch. He followed her dutifully, as she leaned into him on the couch, not saying a word. She just needed to be held for a while. He took her hand in his, raising it to his mouth for a gentle kiss. Hayley took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. Something in that simple gesture broke her. Silent tears began to fall down her face as she tried to hide it so he wouldn't see.
Of course, this was impossible. He immediately realized what was happening and began to rock her, much like she had to Hope.
"I'm so sorry, Hayley." His voice was rough with his own emotions. She clung to him tighter, allowing him to pull her into his lap so she could bury her face in the crook of his neck. He kept rocking her, whispering soothing words into her ear.
When she finally calmed down, she pulled back so she could see him. His heart broke seeing the tear tracks on her face.
"I'm sorry I'm such a mess. This was supposed to be romantic." Hayley tried to joke.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Hayley." Elijah replied, with no hint of a joke in his voice. "You have been through so much, and not just this past week. You are the strongest person I know."
Hayley smiled slightly at this. She didn't feel very strong. In fact, she felt weaker than she had in over fifteen years.
She leaned up and kissed him gently. He responded at first but pulled away as soon as she tried to deepen the kiss.
"Hayley, we don't have to rush anything. We have all the time in the world." Elijah placed a kiss on her forehead. He knew she was in an emotionally fragile state and didn't want to take advantage of her.
"Elijah, stop being so freaking noble and kiss me back." Hayley demanded, pulling him to her more forcefully. This time he complied.
Hayley straddled his lap as his hands explored her body. Hayley started to unbutton his shirt and remove his tie. Elijah suddenly stood up, bringing Hayley with him. He vamp sped up to the master bedroom, pushing her against the door. She quickly finished her task with his shirt, unwrapping herself from him before shoving him on the bed. She smiled at the sight before her. Not many people had the pleasure of seeing Elijah disheveled and it was her favorite version of him. He seemed to sense her train of thought because he gave her one of his devastating smirks.
"Come here." He commanded and she was more than happy to oblige.
Hayley didn't even realize how tired she was. She had meant to go back and check on Hope after dinner, but she was far too comfortable in the bed to move. She felt so safe, being wrapped in Elijah's arms, feeling him stroke her hair.
She felt his hands stray down as he stroked her neck and then her back. His hands stilling over her birthmark, or the spot where it should have been. Because of her vampire healing, there was no scarring. It was just blank, like it never existed.
She could practically feel Elijah slipping back into his monster within at the sight of her bare back.
"Hey," She pulled herself up so she slightly hovered over him, looking into his eyes. "I'm okay."
"The death she suffered was far nicer than she deserved." Elijah nearly growled.
"Can we not talk about it right now?" Hayley asked. "I feel safe and happy for the first time in a long while. I don't want her to take that away from me."
Elijah's entire demeanor changed, as if he shoved the anger back inside. And after seeing the inside of his mind, Hayley figured he likely did.
"I apologize." Elijah kissed her hand. "You make me feel safe as well."
Hayley kissed his chest in return. She never wanted to leave this bed. But she knew that wasn't reality, so she would enjoy it while it lasted.
It turned out to be a much shorter time than either of them had planned. One moment they were laughing in bed together, the next they were fully clothed, standing in the courtyard of the Abattoir surrounded by their family.