Hello, my lovely readers. Hayley and Elijah confront the newest change in their lives. On with the show…

Chapter 26: The Pregnant Pause

Two lines. A simple test. One that so many women take. And one that alters your life. Hayley Marshall sat on the edge of her bathtub. Her chin was in her hands. Her eyes were on the stick that sat on the edge of the sink. She titled her head from side to side. She pondered the possibility that from a different angle, the result might not look the same, and came to the conclusion that from any angle; she would still be pregnant. As she continued to avoid the obvious, a knock signaled Elijah's return. Tilting her head once more, Hayley wondered if Elijah's reaction would change—unlike the pregnancy test—from another angle.

Sighing, Hayley forced herself to get up and to face the inevitable. Either Elijah would be thrilled to find himself as a father, again, or he would be turning and running from her. Maybe he'd elect for the popular third option of asking her whether she'd looked into her options. And yes, she had. Option A) Further her career by having a "tiny" operation and continuing her life as she knew it. Option B) Bringing another person into a world full of uncertainty, globe-warming, and possibly dealing with this all alone. Not that Elijah seemed like the kind of guy who would leave her all alone, but people can surprise you.

Stopping in front of the door, Hayley placed her hands over the knob. She told herself to not be an idiot and she twisted the knob and pulled it open. "Hey. Thought you might have hopped a train for O'Hare, booked a flight for destination: Unknown."

Elijah blinked and frowned. "No. May I come in?"

Nodding, Hayley deflated and moved aside. "So…" She clapped her hands together. "Babies are…cute…"

Elijah moved to sit down on her couch. "Yes. They are. Usually. I'm sure ours will be."

"So… You're a pro?" Hayley decided to stay where she was, taking a second to shut the door, just to have something to do before wrapping her arms around herself.

"Pro?" Elijah looked confused. His brows knit together and he leaned forward, a glazed look in his eyes. Did he think she felt any less shocked by this situation? They'd used protection. It's not like they'd worked to make a baby. Well, maybe all the good sex helped but the intention had not been to make life so much as to make orgasms.

Elijah got up and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you asking me about abortions?" His face continued to twist into expressions that Hayley was not used to seeing on his face. However, he did not seem angry. Therefore she felt it unlikely he might attempt to murder her. That would make a nasty headline: Assistant D.A. kills pregnant opposing counsel, pre-trial of the decade. And somewhere in the article the juicy tidbits that would mean this would end up as a Made-For-TV Movie-of-the-Week: The Baby was the assistant D.A.'s. Hayley wondered who would play her.

"Hayley?" Elijah had moved across the room and stood a foot from her now. "I would like to know your plans."

"Oh?" Hayley shook her head. She moved around Elijah and took a seat on the couch. "I thought… Well, I hadn't planned for a roommate this year… But… I mean… Babies are cute… You know… And I kind of thought…" She could not bring herself to look at Elijah. "I kind of thought I should keep it. See how things go. Maybe Care and Klaus would like another one, you know, if I'm a total failure as a mother…" She tried for a smile, her eyes going to Elijah who continued to stare at her wordlessly. "Did you have other thoughts?"

"No." Elijah came to kneel in front of Hayley and she feared he might mean to propose. She was so not into shot-gun weddings. "I simply wanted to assure you that I am a proponent of a woman's right to do what she deems necessary with her body. If you would like keep the child, nothing would please me more." Then a smile dawned on his face and Hayley felt a rush of pleasure course through her.

Taking hold of Elijah's collar, Hayley tugged him on top of her. "I want it," she moaned before she reached down and undid his pants. "I want you. Both of you." Her words stopped as Elijah's mouth closed over hers.

~0~

Waking up, Hayley wondered how they'd gotten into bed. She pulled up the sheets and found Elijah must have dressed her in his shirt. "I'm going to call a delivery place? 'Kay? Thinking Chinese?" Pressing a light kiss to Elijah's cheek, Hayley slid out of bed and went into the living room. She grabbed her cell and did not even have to look at the menu tonight because her rumbling belly told her she just wanted food.

A couple of minutes later, Elijah came into the living room with a blanket. "Are you chilly?" he inquired.

"A little." Hayley said. Her legs were curled underneath her and Elijah laid the blanket over her bare legs. "So, how did things go with Katherine?"

"They went as well as you would expect them to have." Elijah ran a hand over his face. "Nadia was not sick. Katherine knew it. I have no idea why she did not answer when the school called…"

"The school called her? First? And she didn't answer?" Hayley sat back on the couch, her arms folding over her chest. "Let me think on that one. Oh, yes, that's not going to go well with the judge."

"Hayley, please don't use this one time against her." Elijah placed a gentle hand on Hayley's arm. "I will talk to Katherine and try to find out more. Perhaps she had a reason. I know that she loves our daughter."

"Sure." Hayley rolled her eyes. A knock came on the door and Hayley got up. She went over and answered it without even looking first. "OH!" she cried in shock.

"Hales? You got a minute? Rebekah found something she believes might help me." Marcel stood just outside the door with Rebekah by his side.

"Um…" Hayley looked behind her. "This might not be the best time," she whispered.

"You have a 'friend' over?" Marcel replied. "Get rid of him."

Hayley opened her mouth when Elijah let out a cough. Right behind her. "Good evening, Marcellus. Rebekah. Hayley called for enough Chinese to feed ten. Perhaps you'd like to come and have dinner with us."

Marcel's expression darkened. "Why don't I give possibly evidence to the guy who wants to see me in jail?" he inquired, folding his arms over his chest. Then he looked at Hayley. "I can't believe you're still sleeping with this guy."

"I…" Hayley felt her shoulders slump.

Shaking his head, Marcel turned to Rebekah. "Let's go." He paused to glance at Hayley. "We'll talk. Later."

"Marcel!" Elijah called, sliding into the hallway. "I am beginning to believe in your innocence. If you will come in, perhaps we can discuss the matter further."

Freezing Marcel, looked at Rebekah. "Are you sure, Elijah?" Rebekah moved in front of Marcel. Hayley got the impression that the baby sister of the Mikaelson family would happily pounce on her big brother if he said the wrong thing.

"Yes, sister." Elijah waved a hand toward the open door of Hayley's apartment. "Shall we?"

Marcel shot Elijah a suspicious look. "Hales?"

"Elijah?" Hayley looked at Elijah. "You had better not be doing something to hurt my client here. There is a lot more at stake than there was this morning." She knew he knew what she meant even if her cryptic remarks left Rebekah and Marcel giving each other confused looks.

"I know, Hayley." Elijah stood aside as Rebekah and Marcel entered the apartment. "Now, there are odd things that have happened lately that might be connected to the case. We need more heads to attempt to puzzle through them."

"Like?" Marcel took a seat on Hayley's couch. Hayley plopped down next to him while Rebekah perched on an easy chair and Elijah chose to lean against a wall.

"Hayley's car was broken into. My briefcase was stolen from a restaurant. A series of e-mails which included memos from Mikaelson and Gerard appeared in my inbox at work," Elijah concluded. "Separately none of these things work together to mean much of anything…"

"Together, they might mean someone is trying to tell us something," Rebekah concluded.

"Or someone intends to send you down the wrong path," Marcel added.

Hayley tugged her blanket over her knees and placed her chin on top of them. "Or it could be both. Perhaps the real killer stole your briefcase and broke into my car. A second person is trying to help us with clues of who-done-it."

"I like Hales' theory," Marcel said. He sat back on the couch and threw an arm across the back. "Anybody know of someone who might want to help me? Other than Hayley and Bekah?"

"Bekah?" Elijah looked to his sister.

Rebekah shook her head. "It wasn't me. I didn't know anything was happening until Hayley called me into her office, along with a number of other women Old Gerard had been…harassing would be a nice way of putting it." She folded her arms over her chest.

Marcel frowned and ran his hand over his chin. Hayley could almost feel the tension fill his body at the thought of his father attempting to harm Rebekah. Placing a hand on Marcel's knee, Hayley patted it to let him know she was there for him. He leaned his head on her shoulder.

"Perhaps I should call Father into my office and interview him." Elijah seemed to be musing aloud. His eyes had taken on that far-away look, again.

"Brilliant." Rebekah shook her head. "Ask the man who helped to cover up his partner's misdeeds for decades to help clear the name of the man who is giving his firm a nastier rep than it already has."

"We have a bad rep?" Marcel let out a quiet laugh. "Thought being known as a 'nest of vipers' was a compliment."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "This is not funny, Marcel. Your life is at stake here."

"Ya think?" Marcel's sarcasm made Rebekah purse her lips and scowl at him.

A knock on the door made everyone jump and Hayley remember her order. "Elijah?"

"Of course." Elijah moved to the door and peered through the peephole before he opened the door. "Just a minute. I must get my wallet." He walked away from the door and went into the bedroom while Rebekah rolled her eyes. Getting to her feet, the blonde went to the door and opened her purse. She withdrew a couple of bills. "Keep the change," she said before she closed the door with her hip. "Dear, Hayley, what could you possibly need all of this food for?"

Marcel got up to help Rebekah with the three large sacks. "This is a bit much, Hales." He peered inside the bags. "Fortune cookies."

"I could have taken care of that," Elijah said. He had just returned from the bedroom with his wallet.

"You owe me." Rebekah's words seemed to not just be about the money for the food. She took a seat on the couch. "I do hope you ordered duck."

"I did." Hayley said as Marcel searched the bags for Rebekah's requests. "Wings, please," Hayley said. "And extra soy."

"Here." Marcel handed over her food and Hayley felt happier than she had a couple of hours ago when she'd been staring at the pregnancy test and wondered how she would manage to tell Elijah. Now, she felt good because one of her best friends sat with her and the father of her unborn baby had not freaked out and run off.

Things were looking like they might be okay. Opening the container, Hayley opened a packet of soy and poured it on the wings. She lifted one and took a big bite. "Um. Good," she moaned.

Marcel gave Hayley a long look and shook his head before he went in search of the sweet and sour chicken they both loved. "You want something?" He asked Elijah.

"I believe there should be an order of sesame seed noodles," Elijah replied.

Marcel pulled out the container and handed it to Elijah. "You think one of the women that my father hurt might be his real killer?" He did not look relieved at the prospect.

Hayley took another bite of her chicken. "Rice," she muttered around her full mouth.

Removing a container of rice, Marcel handed it over to Hayley while he awaited Elijah's answer. "I do not know." Elijah got up to go into the kitchen and came back with forks and spoons. "I would much rather it be someone we have yet to look into."

Nodding, Marcel took a fork and dug into his food. Hayley thought they'd all be happier if someone just as bad as Old Gerard turned out to be his killer. However, given how awful Marcel's father was, it felt like someone just as bad would be hard to find, or maybe she just liked to think so.

~0~

"Oh, I haven't eaten this much since that time in college when I forgot to eat for forty-eight hours and then dropped by the local fro-yo place with free samples," Rebekah groaned, falling into the easy chair. "Hayley, what are you doing?"

Hayley popped her head out from her freezer. "Fro-yo?" she asked, her eyes wide and she licked a spoon.

Rebekah's aghast look would usually send Hayley running for a camera but Hayley settled for going over to the couch and plopping down in Elijah's lap. He tugged the blanket over her lap and she snuggled into him.

Marcel and Rebekah gave Hayley and Elijah suspicious looks. "Pause the seriousness of the past three hours and let's discuss this." Marcel wagged a finger up and down in Hayley's and Elijah's direction.

"How serious is this? I thought this was some sort of fling," Rebekah eyed them through narrowed lids. "A way to blow off steam, heightened by the lack of ethics." She quirked an eyebrow. "However, you're becoming rather… Marcel, what is the word I am looking for here?"

"Couple-y," Marcel said with a sharp nod.

Frowning, Hayley slid off Elijah's lap. "We're not couple-y. We're not a couple. We are two consenting adults who enjoy each other's company."

"That's not the only thing you two seem to be enjoying," Marcel said behind his hand to Rebekah who nodded.

"Let's talk about Elijah's custody case," Hayley said, burrowing into the blankets. "Who here thinks Katherine is not a selfish, devious woman?" She watched Marcel raise his hand and stared at him.

"What?" Marcel said, shrugging. "I don't know the woman."

"Who thinks Katherine is a selfish, devious woman?" Hayley raised her own hand and Rebekah raised her own.

"Elijah!" Rebekah snapped. "Raise you're bloody hand!"

Elijah shook his head. "Things are complicated."

"Sure they are." Hayley grunted. She picked the fro-yo up off the coffee table and moved to shove some more into her open mouth when Marcel took it from her. "Uhhhh!" She cried in protest.

"I'm saving you from yourself," Marcel said, taking the bite of fro-yo meant for Hayley and her baby. "Besides, I have more problems than you do, at the moment."

"That you know of," Hayley mumbled, pulling the blanket up to her chin and pouting.

"Right. I have to adjourn to the lady's room," Rebekah announced. She gathered her purse and went into the bathroom.

Hayley pondered the thought of asking Elijah to go to the all-night grocer and buying her more fro-yo when Marcel and Rebekah left them alone. Then it dawned on her what was in the bathroom. "Oh, no!" she cried. She shot to her feet and made a mad dash for the bathroom. "No, no, no!" she moaned when she found the door locked. "Bekah! I need a tissue!"

"You can wait!" Rebekah shouted back.

"Let me in!" Hayley cried, pounding on the door.

"Since when did tissues become so bloody important to you, anyhow?" Rebekah called back. Then a silence that made Hayley hold her breath. When the door opened, Rebekah did not show any sign of seeing the pregnancy test. She looked remarkably calm. "All done." She went to the easy chair and took a seat.

Sighing, Hayley went inside the bathroom. Her eyes scanned the bathroom for the test. Nothing. "Shit," she muttered. She checked the trash can. Nothing. Maybe Elijah snuck it out, somehow.

Hayley left the bathroom and moved to return the couch. "Looking for something?" Rebekah inquired.

"Just a tissue," Hayley replied with a smile. "Found one. Used it. And I'm back."

"Oh? I thought you might be looking for this." Rebekah removed a wad of tissues from her purse. "Care to explain how you're cheating on my brother who you are not 'couple-y' with?"

"I'm not cheating!" Hayley shouted. She shook her head. "And how dare you take that!"

"So, you are, in fact, a couple!" Rebekah watched Hayley and Elijah carefully. "And this is, in fact, evidence that not only are you a couple, you are having my brother's child?" She held the stick up like it was a piece of evidence in court.

"Yes," Hayley groaned. "We're having a baby," she placed her hands over her face so the last words were muffled but Rebekah let out an excited squeal of delight. "See, Marcel. I said that she would not be able to eat all of this without being preggers." Leaping off the easy chair, Rebekah pushed herself between Elijah and Hayley and threw her arms around Hayley's neck. "I am so happy!"

"So am I. I think. Bekah, honey, you're choking me!" Hayley gasped out. "Send some love Elijah's way."

Turning, Rebekah threw her arms around her brother's neck, attempting to choke the life out of him, too.

Yes, Hayley liked that her life was changing so much that she could no longer recognize it.

~0~

The next day Hayley was called into Mikael's office. "Hayley, how good of you to come in. It seems that I need you to take on some cases for Celeste Dubois who will be taking some time off from the firm."

"Oh? Why?" Hayley wondered if Mikael would tell her it was not her business.

"Ms. Dubois is going on maternity leave," Mikael said. "I would also like you to look into something for me—while she is gone. I count on your discretion, correct, Hayley?"

"Of course," Hayley said.

"It seems that Ms. Dubois was having…a relationship with my former partner. And it seems that there was a will created—not long before his…sudden demise. I would like for you to look over the will." Mikael sat back in his seat.

"What am I looking for, Mr. Mikaelson?" Hayley watched Mikael give her a long look.

"Anything in the will that might be challenged. I'm sure you will find it interesting." Mikael watched Hayley as he slid a manila envelope across the desk toward her.

"You have my discretion, Mr. Mikaelson." Hayley got up and left the office.

Returning to her own office, Hayley opened the envelope and stared at the contents. This changed everything.

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.

FanficLover: That is true. But I think he'll be okay in the end.

Peace,

-J