Hey guys! I'm back! Did you miss me? Don't answer that, I'm scared the answer is no. Anyway, I'm so sorry to keep you waiting but honestly this chapter was such a struggle to write! Y'all deserve better, I know :(
That said, because I love y'all so much, I gift you with the ending of this chapter. Come scream at me in a review ;)
Read, review and enjoy!
One second… two… three…
Hayley wasn't moving. Hayley wasn't moving.
But Klaus's attention was ripped away from the she wolf as Contessina grabbed ahold of him, corporeal nails pressing into his arm, piercing skin and reopening the half closed cut with a fluidity that surprised the hybrid, and he gasped as his blood spilled out onto the floor and, with it, the piece of the Hollow that he housed within his flesh. It flowed from him, almost tangible as it whipped around them, weaving through the pillars of the cathedral in a desperate bid for freedom.
The loss of that power was staggering; he'd had no idea how interwoven it had become with his own until it was gone and he was falling to the ground, his hands splayed out before him to brace himself against the cool mosaic. It felt as though she had removed a rib or ripped out a lung, pain lancing through his insides, her grip on him only tightening as he pushed out a weak cough from a mouth now filled with blood, draining him dry.
"That's enough," Klaus choked out between gritted teeth and, despite the lack of a corporeal body, he could feel her hesitation in releasing him. But behind him, he could just barely make out the voice of the witch he had hired as she bound the Hollow's power, channeling it towards the moonstone that hung in the air in front of her and Contessina drew back from Klaus as if he was on fire, about to launch herself at the witch before she was interrupted by the hybrid. "I'd prefer it if you didn't slaughter her, she is one of yours after all and besides, good help is so hard to find these days." Bloodstained lips curved into a grin at the outrage written on her face as Klaus pushed himself up, feigned innocence in his voice as he asked, "what, you can't have thought I wouldn't have a price for this?" Tutting softly, "you used to know me better."
Before she could retaliate, bright light arched through the air as the Hollow's magic burrowed through the moonstone. Cracks formed in the now brittle stone, spreading deeper and deeper until it was more fracture than anything else, a strange stillness curling around them as the stone crumbled and the light died away. A moment of complete silence - and then Hayley began to scream. Her body began to twist, bones snapping and reforming until a large wolf stood before them. Her fur was matted with blood, exhaustion set in the slump of her shoulders, disorientation coloring her eyes. She shook her head to clear it, sending a glance Klaus's way and then took off, speeding out of the cathedral as fast as her wounded body allowed her.
It took a moment for the hybrid to comprehend all that had occurred, less to rise to his feet and turn to follow Hayley. "Give my regards to your husband," he called out behind him to Contessina. "Use the rest of what you took from me for reinforcing something utterly mundane, I couldn't give a rat's ass what." He nodded his thanks at the witch who'd helped them as he stepped out, breathing in the fresh air. The new day had already begun.
There was something so pure about dawn, about watching the sun rise, taking its time to move lazily across the sky, vibrant red cutting through the pale blue. Nature was an artist Klaus couldn't help but respect, one he hadn't appreciated in this manner for a long while. A light breeze played with his hair, cool against his burning skin, scraping along the drying blood that stained his hands. He inhaled again deeply, once, twice, sparing a moment to listen to the birds twittering in the distance before setting off to find his Little Wolf.
"Hello, Hope." The school counselor smiled as the teenager walked in and, as it somehow always seemed to be able to do nowadays, Ms. W's soft demeanor had a calming effect on the witch, taking the edge off the ball of rage that had been rolling around her rib cage since lunch.
"Hey," she responded as she dropped into the chair in front of her. "Does it ever bother you how much people can suck?" The question burst out of her, surprising even Hope with it's forcefulness. Ms. W's only reaction, however, was to raise an eyebrow before smiling wryly.
"Only on days ending in 'y'. Did something happen?" And Hope didn't know if it was just the inflection in her voice or the fact that someone actually freaking cared and that someone was right in front if her and ready to listen, but all of a sudden, she was choking back tears and trying to swallow past the lump in her throat.
"Just, you know, the usual assholery," was what she managed. And it was true. She'd heard much worse before, but today - today she just couldn't take anymore of it, that jerk Tommy's voice echoing in her head about how she'd probably end up like her father, crazy and killing anyone who pissed her off without a second thought.
"I don't know, actually. Care to elaborate for me?" Although there was no change in her voice, her eyes hardened - something Hope may have noticed had she not been focused the hem of her shirt.
"Not really." Her counselor waited, gaze fixed on Hope as the teenager fidgeted. "It's just - yeah, my dad was a jerk to a lot of people but, I mean," in a rush, fiddling with a bracelet on her wrist, "he's still just my dad, you know? He's got a weird sense of humor and he's really sarcastic but he loves to paint just like me. And even though he can be awful to people who've pissed him off, I just know him as being willing to sacrifice, sacrifice everything just for me. I just know him as the guy who sends me amazing birthday presents. But it's like - I'm not him. I'm not going to crazy and kill a bunch of people just because they make me mad and it sucks that people don't wanna see beyond who my father is to who I am."
"I'm very sorry you have to go through that Hope," she told her sincerely. "You don't deserve any of it and you're very brave to be able to face that day in and day out." She paused before speaking, words chosen with deliberation. "Is there anyone in particular who treats you in this manner? Would you mind telling me who they are?" Hope shook her head and she sighed internally. Clearly, going to an authority figure hadn't worked for the kid in the past. "Don't worry," she gently coaxed, "nothing you tell me leaves this room unless you want it too, I promise. I'd just prefer to have it for my own records." And so Hope told her, missing the hard glint that entered her counselor's eyes as she noted down the name. And she thought nothing of it until Monday morning when Tommy slinked into class five minutes late, his hair a hideous neon pink, shirt on backwards and a canary yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. Ms. W denied all allegations put forward by Hope, but there was a twinkle in her eye the rest of the day.
He found Hayley about a mile out of town. The she-wolf had curled up at the foot of a hill, her head pillowed on her paws, tail curled around herself protectively. In all honesty, she resembled an overgrown household pet far more than she did a dangerous beast at that moment - something that was only amplified by her happy whine upon his appearance.
"I'm happy to see you too, Hayley," he told her, "but as much as I'd love to curl up with you here, this is neither the time nor the place." Her whine turned sad and for a moment Klaus wondered if he was dealing with his teenaged daughter instead. "Come on," he coaxed, a softness to his voice he hadn't known he was still capable of. "It's time to go and last I checked, most hotels aren't particularly accepting of wolves as guests," he informed her, a smile on his lips when she finally rose with an annoyed huff, delicately walking over to a nearby tree to shift back.
"I think most hotels would also look down on you bringing a naked woman inside so hand over your jacket," she called out exhaustedly when she turned back, wrapping it around herself in a few complicated maneuvers when he did so, the end result emulating a short dress, leaving her shoulders and arms bare but her torso covered. "I've had entirely too much free time on my hands these past couple years," she said in response to his questioning look before turning around and beginning to walk back towards the city.
Klaus began to follow her, stopping short as his gaze fell to her shoulder, a strangled sound escaping his lips, for upon smooth unbroken skin, there was a crescent moon. She stopped, turning to him in confusion as he strode over to her side, fingers outstretched, stopping a hair's breadth away from skin, something in his gaze asking for permission. She gave it with a slight nod, confusion still coloring her features as trembling fingers ran over smooth skin, his touch feather-light, tracing the crescent moon etched onto Hayley's skin. "When i was sent - I thought… I thought this part of you lost forever." The words caught in his throat, choked with emotion and stumbling over his lips and oh. She had never given thought to what Greta had done - but perhaps she should have.
"Hey, I'm ok," she whispered, raising her hand to cover his, slender fingers wrapping around Klaus's own. "I'm here and I'm alright now."
"Now, yes, but before that? She mutilated you in order to send a message to me! All that you have had to suffer has been, at least in part, due to me, my actions leading us all down a rabbit hole of pain!" For all his millennia of existence, Klaus didn't have many regrets. He did what was necessary for the continued survival of his family, even if that included alienating them if the situation demanded it. The regrets that he did have, however, most of them were in regards to the events of the past fifteen years.
"Bullshit." Hayley was glaring at him now, fingers squeezing his tightly. "We all made our own decisions and you are not responsible for everything bad that's happened. I'm ok, Hope is ok. We're alive and ok because of you." And in her words he found something very much like absolution, eyes sliding shut as he let them wash over him, some of the ever present tension that was holding him upright flowing away. Unthinkingly, he raised the hand she still held, brushing a kiss across her knuckles.
"What would I do without you, my Little Wolf?"
"Spontaneously combust, I expect," she told him with a genuine smile that he returned. And then she was surging forward before she realised it, capturing his lips with her own in a passionate kiss.
Quick note, while writing the last segment, at the part where Klaus is like am I dealing with Hope or Hayley, I swear I accidentally almost had him refer to Hayley as his wife and just like I FREAKING WISH! Anyway, Klaus emoting makes Hayley wanna bang him. If you have time, drop a review on your way out please! :)
Also, if any of you are into BTS (the kpop group) and on A03 or have any friends who are, please please please could you check out some of my BTS fics? They barely get any attention and it makes me really sad because like, am I not writing good? And I really love writing them which makes it even more sad :(
So it would really mean a lot. I go by bored_wayward_dragon on A03 and the fic I'm currently posting for is called Bruised Flowers, a prequel to my other fic Lighter Fluid. And I really want to post the next chapter cos it'll be done soon but then I'm like what's the point if no one's reading it and no one's telling me if there's something that they like or don't in it. So if you get the time, please do check them out :)