Heyyy, have I mentioned how awesome y'all are? Cos y'all are awesome! I mean, wow! That response to my lil fic born out of anger and spite for 5.06? Insane! I love y'all so much, you're amazing and you made my week!
So I'm not sure how long this will end up being, but I do hope y'all will continue to enjoy it. For those you who are wondering, Klaus didn't kill Roman cos of the huge bitch fest Caroline would throw plus the fact that in the show the guy is MIA and is currently a fun character to play around with. For the record, guilt does make such a good motivator! ;)
Anyway, read, review and enjoy!
Hope regained consciousness slowly, taking a few minutes to shake off the last vestiges of the lingering exhaustion that still clung to her. It was almost peaceful in those few moments before everything rushed back and she sat up with a gasp, taking split second to assess her surroundings. She was home, in New Orleans, surrounded by familiar walls with her Aunt Freya sitting across from her.
The tribrid took a moment to try to understand what it meant that she was here and not at school, then turned to her aunt, eyes wide as an answer presented itself to her. "Where's my Mom? Is she ok? Where is she? Did Dad come in time?" She demanded, Freya getting up from her seat and moving toward her, smiling gently.
"Yeah," the witch replied softly. "He came in time. Hayley's fine, she's just resting."
Throwing the blankets covering her to the side, Hope made to get up. "Where is she? I want to see her." The demands were gentler now that she wasn't afraid for her mother's life but no less insistent. The teenager had been living in fear without her mother for long enough, she refused to do so for much longer.
"It's ok, baby, I'm right here." A new voice came from the doorway and Hope turned to find her mother standing there, looking much healthier than she had the last time the fifteen year old had seen her. Hope moved without hesitation, running to Hayley who met her halfway, sobs bubbling up in her throat as the teenager threw her arms around her. Freya left to give them some privacy as apologies spilled from the tribrid's lips, all the regret Hope had felt at her actions bursting out as Hayley held her, holding back her own tears and pressing kisses into her daughter's hair. "It's ok," she reassured the tribrid. "We'll be ok, I promise." Pulling back slightly, she grinned at the young girl, using a thumb to brush away some of her tears. "But next time you want to talk to your dad, just tell me, ok?"
"Ok," Hope agreed, smiling wetly before hugging her mom again. "He's gone again, hasn't he?" She whispered into her mother's shirt, Hayley tightening her embrace slightly at the question.
"Yeah, baby. He can't stay, you know that." And if Hayley's throat closed up a little at the words, no one would know.
"Why can't we just be a proper family?" Hope asked, pressing the whisper into the folds of the cotton shirt. "Why is it too much to ask to have both my parents at the same time?"
"We will be, Hope. One day, no matter what it takes, we will be," Hayley promised her, voice filled with steel. Because neither she nor Klaus would ever stop fighting for their family and even though her methods were a little skewed, Hayley knew her daughter would never stop fighting either.
After everything, going back to school seemed to be the most mundane thing Hope could ever imagine. But Hayley insisted and so, a few days later, Hope found herself staring at her school walls, bracing herself before entering. Caroline informed her that Roman wished to stay for a while - it provided some semblance of home, especially now that he didn't really have anywhere else to go, he had told the vampire privately; begging for another chance which Caroline had granted him.
He was in her room when she walked in, sitting awkwardly on her bed, his hands folded in his lap like he didn't quite know what to do with them. "I'm sorry," he began, getting up as he spoke. "I didn't know what my mom was going to do-"
"I don't care," she interrupted him bluntly. "You need to leave me alone."
"Hope, please-" she cut him off again, gesturing towards the door with a glare.
"Get out. Don't come near me ever again." The vampire dropped his gaze to the floor and left the room, Hope locking the door behind him and putting a small hex on the lock just in case. She had had enough of people forcing their way into her life to use her. The witch sank down onto her bed once he left, the interaction draining away all her energy. Hopefully she wouldn't have to see him much, right? It was a big school, how often would they be forced together?
Hope forced her mind away from that line of thought before she tempted fate any further than she already had. The fifteen year old watched movies, she knew how typical of a trope it was to force two people together in a series of 'unfortunate' yet hilarious accidents. Well, this witch had no compunctions in calling an uncle of hers and requesting numerous hexes just in case such occasions arose.
Hayley didn't blame Klaus for not sticking around after everything, what with the apocalyptic signs that would have followed in his wake. She understood, she really did, but tonight - a full moon hanging low in the sky, the thought of someone who understood lingered in the back of her mind like an itch she couldn't scratch.
Freya was looking for something to undo the binding, Vincent as well, but so far they had turned up empty handed. It felt unfair to hope for the original to have been more successful in such a short time, but past precedent said much about what he was capable of and, before she knew what she was doing, her phone was in her hand and she was calling his number, hoping he'd pick up as she bounced on the balls of her feet in an attempt to expel the nervous energy that had filled her body. The vampire didn't even know what she was expecting from him, what she was hoping he'd be able to give her, as long as it helped.
"Hayley?" His voice was soft in her ear, worried even and she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
"Yeah, hey," she breathed out, ripping her gaze away from the window. "You know that feeling? When you feel trapped and you just gotta run, but you can't because there's nowhere to go and you're technically not trapped either?" Her words were rushed as she spoke and in the pause before Klaus replied, she wondered if she had even been coherent.
"Quite well, actually," the hybrid responded. "Personally, I've always found it very helpful to go out and slaughter a few nuisances in such cases."
"Not helpful, you ass," Hayley told him, a grin touching her lips for the briefest of moments. "People actually like me - and I'd like to keep it that way, thanks."
"Suit yourself," Klaus sighed, but Hayley could almost hear his grin over the phone. Damn, she had missed his ridiculous sense of humor.
"Um, so I know I didn't always go out for a run on the full moon, but now that I can't, it's like my skin is on fire and there are like, ants or something just crawling underneath it," she confessed, her gaze drawn again to the window and the moon outside. "No offense, but how the hell did you live like this for so long?"
"It certainly didn't help my psychopathic tendencies," the hybrid told her, a ring of seriousness to his words as he joked. He paused a moment before admitting, "it was… difficult. I hated having that choice ripped from me… and I hated everyone complicit in the act."
"Even… Elijah?" Hayley couldn't help but ask, her focus entirely on Klaus as she curled up on the sofa, tucking her legs underneath her.
"For a time." He sighed and Hayley could imagine him running his fingers roughly through his hair as he was drawn into memories of a time that should have long been left behind him. "You won't have to wait as long I did," he promised her suddenly. "I won't allow it. You will not have to endure this a second longer than necessary, Hayley. There's a loophole in this spell somewhere that we can exploit. There has to be and we will find it."
"Well, how was your binding undone?" Hayley brought herself to ask, perfectly sure it was appropriately blood filled considering Klaus's history.
"Some nonsense regarding doppelgangers that was specific to my binding. Aptly destructive all things considered." he may not have been particularly descriptive, but the vampire knew him well enough to read between the lines by now.
"God, your mom was a piece of work. Well, hopefully it'll be a little less so for me."
"Hopefully," Klaus echoed, voice sombre and Hayley could feel the distance between them all too strongly in that moment.
"Hey," she said suddenly. "Don't, don't be a stranger, alright? Call once in a while." His hesitation hung between them, thick and heavy. Hayley almost believed he'd hang up on her again, cut himself off like he had four years ago.
"I'm not good for either of you, Hayley. What if the next time one of my enemies crawls out of whatever hole they lived in, one of you actually dies? I can't be responsible for destroying any more of Hope's childhood, Little Wolf. I can't." The hybrid's voice was soft, cracking with emotion and fear as he tried to make her understand, Hayley's heart breaking a little more at his words.
"You won't be. I mean, for God's sake, Klaus, you entrusted Hope to me for most of her life in order to keep her safe. You've put her above everything and you expect me to believe, even for a minute, that you might not be good for her? You're her dad, she needs you… I need you. Being a single parent is hard," she added on with a soft chuckle.
"I'll think about it. Good night, Hayley." Abrupt as ever, he shut the phone and Hayley sighed. Why the father of her child had to be so stubborn was entirely beyond her. An idea struck her and she got up to find Freya. Perhaps Klaus could be persuaded after all.
A letter burned into existence by Klaus's side, the hybrid snatching it out if the air as it floated down. Tearing open the envelope, two pieces of paper fell out, along with a picture of Hope when she was younger. Hayley's simple handwriting filled both pages.
I know that things have been hard, she wrote. I know that none of this has ever been easy, Klaus. But I also know that Mikaelsons never give up on each other, and we never stop fighting. You and I, we promised Hope a better childhood than the ones stolen from us. Because of what you did, we were able to keep that promise. You are not your parents. And Hope will not stop fighting until we're all together, I will not stop until my daughter has both her parents. So I need you to keep fighting too. And that includes getting off your ass and picking up the phone once in a while.
Because we miss you.
Hayley.
Hey! I hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment on your way out, but please no spoilers for 5.09 cos I get it late. Thanks!