Hello, my lovely readers. Okay, this chap took a loootttttttt longer than I expected it to take. Sometimes I get stuck when we're this close to the end of a story. On with the show…

Chapter 25: Don't Kick In the Sandbox

A walk. Elijah needed a nice, long walk. He needed to clear his head. He needed to not think of all things that worried him at the moment. However, the world did not seem to want Elijah to take a break. The world wanted to press into the each and every cranny of Elijah's mind until he slowly lost his mind. It had started with e-mails. His phone ringing incessantly. The fundamental lack of logic on his boss's part. His father's lies that had begun to collapse around him. And it ended with a stick that held two lines. Now, Elijah wandered the streets of Chicago, attempting to find a reprieve.

~0~

Going into work that morning, Elijah sat down behind his desk. He turned on his computer. He adjusted his chair into his favorite position. Then he went about doing what he always did on a Monday morning; Elijah proceeded to open his e-mail. His eyes drifted over the subject heading. Nothing to worry him or give him pause. Simple.

Subject line: Mikaelson Company Memo. Why on earth anyone would desire to forward a Mikaelson Company Memo to Elijah; he did not have a clue. It must be that someone noted his name being Mikaelson and forgot that he worked in the prosecutor's office.

Deciding he would forward the Memo back to where it came from—later in the day—Elijah proceeded to pursue the contents of the morning's e-mails. An invite to a book launch. An invite to a charity function. A detective who wanted to discuss an unsolved crime, dating back three years. Something from Katherine, which Elijah would deal with during his lunch break.

Elijah continued to scroll downward until he saw Mikaelson Company Memo. Over. And over. And over again. Memo. Memo. Memo. No. Someone meant for him to see these.

Tapping his fingers on the mouse pad, Elijah debated on what to do next. The moment he opened these e-mails he could not un-see what he saw. What if they hurt someone he cared about? Rebekah. Finn.

Sighing, Elijah moved his cursor to hover over the last Memo. His eyes went to the ceiling. He twirled his chair to face the window. He steepled his fingers under his chin. He debated the efficacy of deleting each and every one of them.

Pulling out his phone, Elijah made a call, "Rebekah, hello. I just wanted to know if you'd e-mailed me about a party…"

"No?" Elijah nodded. "Never mind then. My mistake." He chuckled and hung up.

Closing his eyes, Elijah opened them and then dialed the next number. "Hayley. Good morning."

"Hi, Elijah. I'm kind of swamped. Can I call you later?" Hayley inquired.

"Yes. Certainly. However, my question will take seconds," Elijah paused.

"O-kay," Hayley said.

Elijah forced a smile into his voice. "I was wondering if you meant to send me an e-mail about having lunch this afternoon or if that is wishful thinking on my part?"

"Lunch?" Hayley sounded distracted. "Sure. I could do lunch."

"Wonderful." Elijah looked at his clock. "Will two be good?"

"Two-thirty." Hayley's answer was clipped. Elijah suspected someone was in the office with her. Possibly Mikael.

"Right then. I'll see you then." Elijah hung up and stared at the phone. Not Rebekah. Not Hayley.

Falling back in his seat, Elijah stared at the screen and then he hit the Memo. The e-mail opened and Elijah sat backward. His brows went upward and he kept reading over the contents. What was he missing here?

Mikaelson Company Memo:

Attention Staff,

We will be meeting at 5:00 p.m. In conference room A. Please, remember to turn off all phones and other devices.

Thank you,

Vivian Coltrale

09/02/1993

Nothing. The memo might as well have been blank.

Shaking his head, Elijah tried to decipher what the person who e-mailed the memo to him meant him to read in it. Did something happen at the meeting? Was the important part the 'turn off all devices?' It would be common practice—given certain details of a case—to not want anyone to wittingly or unwittingly record a meeting.

Elijah moved onto the next Memo. He opened it and scanned it. It said the same exact thing. There were only two differences. One: the name of the person who typed it. Two the date. Memo number two was dated six months later.

Opening Memo after Memo, after Memo, Elijah began to suspect that it was not the contents of the Memos but the names and the dates. Opening a drawer, Elijah pulled out a notepad and hurriedly flipped to a blank page. His hand went to a cup for pens and he took one without looking at it. In red ink, he began to scrawl the name of each of the women and the dates that accompanied the names.

Opening a new window, Elijah began to do an internet search. He found names, addresses and current occupations of the women he sought out. Picking up his phone, he dialed the office number of the first woman.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Desrali is out," a receptionist told him. "May I take a message?"

"Yes. Please tell her that Elijah Mikaelson, with the Chicago D. A.'s, would like to ask her a question." Elijah waited for the woman's tone to change. It did not.

"Yes. Mr. Mikaelson." Click.

Moving onto the next name, Elijah found himself talking to an assistant.

With each new call, Elijah found that these women seemed to have built a life that involved screening whoever might attempt to contact them.

Elijah remembered three names on the list. He'd even worked a case with one. Nice young woman who became pregnant and decided to move to the Maldives with her husband.

The last name on the list was Aurora de Martel. It would be easy to contact Aurora. However, Elijah wanted to see if any of the other women contacted him before he went to someone who still worked for Mikaelson and Gerard. Less messy that way. He hoped.

~0~

Hours passed before the first phone call came in. "Hello, Marie. May I call you Marie?"

Marie Watson inhaled on the other end of the line. "Yes."

"Marie, you used to work for my father's company Mikaelson and Gerard, correct?" Elijah allowed his tone to give off a light air.

"Yes. I did. For seven months." Marie stopped talking and Elijah got the sense that she'd cut herself off. She's talked to someone else. It had been recent. Possibly someone told her to keep her mouth shut. Or perhaps she had things she did not want to come out.

"Right." Elijah paused and he could hear the sound of nails tapping on wood. She was nervous. Why? "Marie?"

"Yes?" Marie's voice came out somewhat breathless.

"I…I wanted to ask you if you recall what kind of work you did at Mikaelson and Gerard?" Elijah waited.

"I can't divulge that information." Marie's words were something she was used to saying.

"I understand. But do you remember writing a memo? Nothing about a client. Just memos asking staff to attend a meeting, or company functions. The banal things." Elijah kept his tone light and he thought he could almost hear Marie relaxing on the other end of the line.

"Memos?" Marie's voice sounded lighter. "Yes. Tons of them." She let out a quiet laugh. "You called to ask about memos?"

"Yes. I believe someone accidently forwarded me a number of memos. I couldn't think of any reason why… Other than my name." Elijah let out a quiet laugh of his own to show they were on friendly terms now, sharing a joke.

"That is funny," Marie said. "I'm sorry. I have to get back to work. But I do hope you solve your minor mystery." She let out another laugh before saying. "Good-bye."

"Have a good day," Elijah replied. Hanging up the phone, he sat back in his seat and consulted his pad of paper. Strange.

Having little time to think, Elijah found his phone ringing. "Kol?"

"Can you come home?" Kol seemed unhappy.

"No. I have work to do." Elijah thought about that and then asked, "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Kol's answer came out too quickly.

"Right. I'll be there soon." Elijah rolled his eyes. He pushed himself out of his chair and then went to grab his coat.

On the way to the door, Elijah found his phone ringing. Nadia's school. "Hello, Mr. Mikaelson?" A pause. "This is Langdom elementary. Your daughter has come down with a high fever and her mother does not seem to be answering her phone."

"Thank you. I will come and collect her. Just leaving my office," Elijah said as he made his way to the door of his office. "Thierry, I'm going out. I don't know when I will be back." His assistant nodded before returning to his own computer. "I will be there soon," he told the secretary.

Elijah made his way toward the front door. His phone began to ring and Elijah cursed it. "Hello, Mr. Mikaelson. This is Ava al Rashid confirming your appointment with your father at 5:45 p. m."

"Today?" Elijah felt a headache beginning to form behind his temples.

"Yes, sir," Ava replied.

"Right." Elijah jogged down the steps. "I may have to reschedule. My daughter's school called and she is unwell."

"One moment, please," Ava replied.

Elijah gritted his teeth as he made his way toward his car. He dug in his pocket for his keys before opening the car door and slid inside. He placed his phone down and placed an ear-pod in his ear; so he could hear traffic through the other. The last thing Nadia needed was for him to end up in a pile up.

"Yes." Ava said.

"To rescheduling?" Elijah waited, feeling annoyed.

"No," Ava replied. "You may bring the girl with you. I have experience with children. She may stay outside until the meeting is over."

"Tell my father to call me," Elijah snapped. He hung up.

~0~

Thankfully, his phone stayed off while Elijah drove the rest of the way to his daughter's school. Parking out front, Elijah dashed to the lobby and pulled out his driver's license. "Hello, I'm Elijah Mikaelson. You called concerning my daughter."

"Yes. Mr. Mikaelson. Please, come with me." The secretary brought Elijah down the hallway and to the nurse's office. "Nadia, your father is here."

Nadia sat up on the bed in the nurse's office. "Daddy," she groaned. She looked groggy and pale.

"Hello, darling." Elijah went over to sit down. "You're not feeling well?"

"Can we go home?" Nadia asked, tears welling in her eyes.

"Yes." Elijah did not think twice before he gathered his child up in his arms and carried her out of the office. He paused in the doorway to say to the secretary, "Thank you for calling me."

"Not a problem. Get well, Nadia." Nadia nodded in return and settled against Elijah's shoulder.

~0~

Elijah found that his problems would not cease when he entered his apartment to find Kol already inside. And Kol was not alone. Davina Claire sat on the couch. A blanket was tucked under her chin. A steaming cup of something was clutched in between her palms.

"Kol…" Elijah sucked in a breath, stopping himself from losing his temper.

"Daddy," Nadia groaned. "Can I have some hot chocolate?"

Elijah peered down at his child. He hadn't thought to check her forehead. She'd seemed more tired than sick on the drive over. "Of course. Why don't you go and sit with Ms. Claire?" Setting Nadia on her feet, Elijah felt a lump in his throat as he watched Nadia make her way over to the couch with ease. "Kol, come join me in the kitchen, will you?"

Kol made his way into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. "Yes?"

"What is so urgent you summoned me home?" Elijah demanded through gritted teeth.

"I thought you were too busy to come home," Kol quipped with arched brows.

"I was. But now I am not." Elijah turned to his brother. "Why is my neighbor on my couch?"

"I found her on the staircase. She could barely walk. I offered to bring her up. I believe you know what the cause of what ails her is. You work for the D. A. Do something lawyer-y." Kol's voice came out soft but his sentiment came out with a burning rage.

Glancing into the living room; Elijah felt very tired. "Kol, I understand your desire to interfere but until Ms. Claire is willing to do something; my hands are tied."

"Wonderful. We should wait until you have to try a case involving her body, is that it?" Kol seethed.

Elijah opened his mouth when his phone began to ring. "Hello?" he answered without looking at the screen first.

"Elijah. I thought we were going to have lunch," Hayley's voice made Elijah feel a surge of relief for an instant before he remembered his promise of lunch. With Kol, Davina and Nadia in his home there was little hope of his being able to make it.

"I'm sorry, Hayley. I have company at my home. Nadia was feeling unwell. Kol has…an urgent matter as well…" Elijah wanted to sit down on the floor and wish all of his problems away.

Hayley did not reply at first. "Elijah, you know that you probably shouldn't have Nadia at your place unless Katherine knows. Did you call her first?"

"The school tried her. She did not answer. That is why they called me," Elijah felt so very stupid in that moment. He'd endangered his custody case by acting rashly.

"Uh-huh. Does the school know about the custody case?" Hayley replied. She was in full lawyer mode.

"No." Elijah glanced at Nadia who seemed to be regaling Davina with a tale that involved a lot of hand gestures.

"You should probably try to get in touch with Katherine before this gets worse," Hayley said. "What are your plans for dinner?"

"I have to meet with my father, but I should be available by seven." Elijah was saying while Kol glared at him.

"Too busy for family." Kol snapped before he stomped over to pick up Nadia and flip her over his shoulder. "Who is my favorite niece on the entire planet?" he cried.

"Fiona!" Nadia told him.

"Fiona?" Kol looked puzzled. "Oh, yes. There are two of you! My! Wait until auntie Bekah spawns, too! Oh, what a dreadful day that will be!" He flipped Nadia onto the couch and began to tickle her.

"Kol! She's sick!" Elijah warned his brother.

"Mikaelsons don't get sick! Now do we?!" Kol cried, continuing to tickle a giggling Nadia.

With a much aggrieved sigh, Elijah looked at his phone. He felt regret at the call he must make. Sliding his finger across the screen, he punched the familiar number and waited. Ring. Ring. "Hello?" The voice sounded heavy with sleep.

"Katherine," Elijah said quietly.

"Why are you whispering?" Katherine inquired. "The little girl-friend in the other room. Don't want her to hear you calling me?"

"Yes. There is a girl here. You might know her. She came down with an illness. The school called. She's at my place." Pausing, Elijah waited. He heard the sound of scuffling on the other side of the line and muttered a curse.

"Nadia?" Katherine snarled out. "And she's there, with you?"

"Yes." Elijah waited.

"I'm coming." Katherine did not seem pleased to have to leave wherever she was to come and pick up their daughter. Elijah's grip on the phone tightened and he swallowed the desire to offer to keep the child with him. No need to anger his ex.

~0~

Less than an hour later, Katherine appeared at the door. "Nadia!" she shouted, stomping past Elijah.

Nadia hid behind Kol. "Katherine, how nice to see you, again." Kol said, pretending he did not know a small child was hiding behind him.

"Can it, Mikaelson," Katherine snapped. "Nadia, come here!" She held out a hand and Nadia slunk out from her uncle's shadow. "What were you thinking…" Katherine shook her head. She placed a gentle hand on Nadia's head. "You could have called me."

"I thought they did." Nadia shot her mother a look.

Pulling out her phone, Katherine frowned at the screen and rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Say good-bye to Elijah and Kol. We're going home."

Nadia shook her head and pressed her face into Katherine's skirt. Again, Katherine sighed. "Good-bye," she groaned out, tugging Nadia out the door.

This left Kol and Davina. Elijah had no idea what to say to Davina but she beat him to the punch. "I've got to get home. Thank you," Davina said.

"You're going back?" Kol's brows went up.

Davina looked confused. "Yes. I have to go now. I guess I'll see you later." She wrapped her long sweater around her as if she were cold and made her way to the door. Elijah moved to watch her go to her door. She did seem to be struggling. Her eyes went to Elijah's and he felt a jerk at his heart as she slipped inside the apartment. If only he knew more.

"How could you let her go?" Kol seethed, stomping toward the door. Elijah had no idea what to say as his brother marched past him and went to the stairs rather than taking the elevator.

Shaking his head, Elijah found he had a voicemail from his boss. "Mikaelson, I want you to move this case along. Make sure we finish this thing with the Gerard case. The longer it drags on, the more our office looks foolish. Maybe I need to step in. Obviously your personal connection to the case is making you forget how to rip this man to shreds. He's a killer. You're a prosecutor. Remember the simple dynamics there."

Rolling his eyes, Elijah wished this case were simple. It actually felt like it was becoming anything but.

~0~

That evening, Elijah walked up to Hayley Marshall's door. She'd sent him a quick text asking him to come by her place that evening rather than meeting up in public. Perhaps it would be better this way, especially with his boss breathing down his throat.

With a soft knock on the door, Elijah found Hayley standing in the doorway. Her hair was curling around her shoulders. She'd thrown on a shift dress and in the darkened confines of her apartment he felt moved to pick her up and carry her back to her bedroom. However, the serious expression on her face made Elijah feel a pit in his stomach open up.

"What is it?" Elijah inquired.

"I need to show you something. And I need you to take a moment before you react," Hayley told him.

Elijah felt curious as they crossed the floor and headed into her bathroom. Hayley stood beside the doorway and nodded toward the counter. Stepping inside, Elijah peered around until he spotted the stick. His body froze. He stared at the stick. He'd seen sticks like this before.

After a long couple of seconds, Elijah moved closer. He picked up the box as if he intended on using the already used contents, reading the portion for the results, consulting the stick and looking at Hayley. Opening his mouth, Elijah intended to speak when Hayley held up a hand.

"Go for a walk and come back in. We'll talk then." Those were her words.

~0~

Elijah inclined his head backwards. He could feel the setting sun on his face. So many unanswered questions. A future so uncertain. Fatherhood. Opening his eyes, Elijah turned back and headed for the front door of Hayley's building.

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.

Peace,

-J