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Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all associated with The Originals. I just like to play around with the characters at times. I only own the plot... mostly.

Chapter 21 - Unexpected Events

Two months. Two long months had passed since the cruise that changed Hayley's life; for the good and the bad... in a way. The bad was less than the good, but it was still there.

Not one day went by that Hayley didn't think about how her insecurities ruined everything. She wanted to blame Jackson for it all so bad. But deep down she knew, it was her own. She didn't have to let Jackson get into her head like that. Although, it was easier said than done. It wasn't always easy to control her own thoughts.

"Morning, Hayley," Keelin greeted with a smile as she entered her and Hayley's gym.

"Morning, Keelin," Hayley replied, smiling briefly in return.

As she had the past two months, she wasn't feeling bright and happy much at all. It was honestly too much energy to try to act happy when she wasn't. Plus, she'd never been much of a fake how you're feeling person. She'd say that she was fine because words were easy to fake, but action wise, her movements and body language gave everything away.

"You doing alright today?" Keelin asked, walking up and leaning against the counter.

"Mm-hmm," Hayley mumbled, keeping her eyes on the computer screen in front of her.

"You don't sound too convincing."

"I'm doing fine, Keelin."

"And now you said fine," Keelin pointed out. "No woman ever says fine and means it. Good, yeah. Okay, sure. Fine? Not fine at all."

"How are you really?"

"I... I'm fine."

Keelin shook her head, but thankfully did not keep pressing the issue.

The sound of the main door opening and closing, followed by a very familiar voice calling out, "hey girls," filled the room.

"Hey, Freya," Hayley greeted in the most happy voice she could muster up.

Yes, Freya was very much still in the picture. Freya had managed to get her job to transfer her to a branch closer to where Keelin worked. She and Keelin made their relationship official the second they could, and they'd been together ever since then. So much so that Freya even lived with them. Well, she and Keelin went back and forth between her apartment and theirs, but they were living together no matter what way it was said.

"Hayley, how are you today?" Freya asked with a smile, walking up to Keelin and kissing her before turning her attention to Hayley.

"Fine."

"We've heard that before." Freya sighed. "Why don't you call him?"

"I can't."

"Come on, Hayley. You're both not taking this separation too well. You should..."

Hayley interrupted Freya, snapping more than she'd intended to. "I said I can't!"

Freya took a small step back and nodded her head slowly once. "Okay, okay. I'll leave it be."

"I'm sorry," Hayley apologized, running her hand over her face. "I didn't mean to snap."

"It's alright."

"You know, Hayley..." Keelin started to change the subject. "You should come to dinner with us," she suggested. "The whole Mikaelson family is going to be there, and since you're practically my sister I want you to be there, too."

"Whole family?" Hayley said back to her. "No, I can't. Nope."

"Elijah's not going to be there," Freya butted in. "He was out of state all week lecturing at another college and won't be returning until tomorrow or Sunday."

Hayley frowned, thinking it through. "I don't know you two."

Keelin gave her a puppy dog pout. "Please, Hayley. Pretty please. Come, if not for yourself, for me."

Hayley sighed, letting her shoulders slump in a defeated manner. "Alright, I'll come," she said, smiling a small smile. "But only for you."

"Yes! That's great!" Keelin rushed forward and hugged her.

Freya grinned. "Great! I'll call my mom and have her add a person to the reservation."

She excused herself and left the gym, leaving Keelin and Hayley alone.

"So how are you truly feeling today?" Keelin asked, rounding the counter and pulling Hayley into a side hug.

Hayley shrugged her shoulders. "Not the worst, but not the best either."

"It'll get better. It just takes time."

"Does it though? Does time honestly make it better? Or does it just push the bad to the back of your mind for later dates?"

"Well, I mean..." Keelin trailed off, unsure how to answer that question. "You might be onto something."

"I want one day... one day at least is all I ask... to go by where I'm not thinking of what happened for the most part of the day."

"If there was any way I could help, you know I would." Keelin sighed, laying her head on Hayley's shoulder.

"I know you would," Hayley responded, resting her own head against Keelin's. "And I thank you immensely for just you saying that and meaning it."

"Alright. Everything is set!" Freya exclaimed as she walked back in. "We're on at 7:00 tonight."

~AllAtSea~

It was not an easy task, but Hayley made herself up that night to be presentable and left with Freya and Keelin on time to go to the restaurant. Everything was going fine until they got inside.

Hayley's eyes widened as she and the girls approached the table to find Freya's family, including Elijah sitting there.

"Keelin!" she shrieked, turning her head to glare at her. "You told me that he wouldn't be here!"

Keelin shrugged, her face blank. "I honestly thought he wouldn't be."

Hayley looked next to Keelin to Freya, giving her a "what the hell" expression.

Freya put her hands up in a surrendering motion. "I swear he was not supposed to be back until tomorrow night."

Hayley swallowed thickly and she shook her head. "I can't," she whispered. "Surely he hates me right now."

"Hayley..." both women said in slight warning.

"I can't face him right now!" she exclaimed, turning and running towards the exit.

Hayley was out the door and half way down the side walk when she heard the loud footsteps following her. She instantly knew who it was. Keelin and Freya were both wearing heels, the footsteps had no clicks to them. And the only other one who would have run after her was... Elijah.

"Hayley! Wait!"

Hayley kept running, but subconsciously slowed down just enough for Elijah to catch up to her.

"Hayley, please," Elijah said, catching up with her and grabbing her arm to spin her towards him.

The abrupt movement had Hayley turning and falling forward, right into his arms.

"I don't blame you for anything, Hayley," Elijah told her as she pulled back.

Hayley shook her head, tears starting to slide down her cheeks. "How do you not?"

Reaching forward, Elijah pushed her hair back and ran a finger slowly down the side of her face. "Insecurity and fear get the best of all of us at times."

"Yeah, but..."

"I'm not going to blame you for your normal human emotions and actions, Hayley."

"But... how can you possibly want me after what I did?" Hayley asked, wiping tears from her eyes. "I left you! I..."

"Because I love you, Hayley!" Elijah yelled, causing the rest of Hayley's words to die on her tongue.

Hayley swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and quietly asked, not believing her ears, "What did you say?"

"I love you, Hayley," Elijah repeated, stepping closer to her.

Hayley was speechless for some time before closing the distance between them. "Say it again. Please," she whispered, looking deep into his eyes.

"I love you, Hayley."

Hayley jumped at him, taking him off guard. He moved back slightly, but quickly caught his footing. Hayley wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist.

"I..." Kiss. "love..." Kiss. "You..." Kiss. "Too." Kiss. "Elijah."

"Do you want to go somewhere, just the two of us?"

Hayley nodded her head. "Yeah, yeah. I'd like that."