-6-

Klaus stood on the balcony of his bedroom overlooking the street. It was a bright spring morning and the smells of coffee and car exhaust signaled the early start of a bustling New Orleans day. He'd gotten back with Hayley around midnight, unable to leave her to wait until the morning. Hope and Rebekah had been locked away in the attic-turned-art studio, too immersed in giggles and lingering pot smoke to notice him leave and return with her.

Hayley had taken a small dose of potion so that she could sleep in her human form into the morning under the same roof as the rest of them. The drawbacks of each dose were the vomiting episodes they induced at times. A decade of this, and both of them were quite used to the process. Once an episode ceased, she could take another dose and so forth. But each time just made it that much worse.

This was why she preferred her wolf form as a way to live her days and nights, doing her best to be present for the milestones in Hope's life. As a wolf, the soul shattering curse did not affect her as strongly. For, this curse was that of emotional manipulation; and wolves processed emotions on quite a different plane. The family discussed the option concerning flipping her humanity switch, believing it would numb the effects; but this was simply not an option if Hayley intended to be around their daughter until a cure was developed.

A motorcycle whirred by, revving as it halted on the corner in front of a fruit stand. It was Jonah Bisset, Benny's father and Klaus's portal into the supernatural society. He glanced at his phone, confirming he had twenty minutes to change and meet Jonah in the courtyard.

"Klaus?"

He turned towards Hayley, who was groggily sitting up in bed. One of his black shirts swallowed her small frame, hanging off a shoulder. Her lips were still smeared with remnants of his blood but a part of him liked the way that looked so he didn't hurry to point it out.

"I'm here," he called softly, closing the french doors and clicking on one of the few Baccarat lamps left that had not been thrown. She rubbed her eyes as he sat at the edge of the bed to tug on his boots. The mattress bounced as Hayley maneuvered off and towards the door, her bare feet dragging noisily across the hardwood.

"Where's baby girl?" Hayley yawned, holding on to the door frame for balance. The potion made her look like a mixture between a heroin addict and a drunk -depending on dosage. Right now she appeared as if she's had a bottle of wine for breakfast.

He wet his thumb with a swirl of tongue and swiped his blood from her mouth, tapping her chin when finished. "Up in Space with Rebekah." Hayley nodded in understanding, a smile tugging at her lips. She was likely remembering the day Hope presented to them what she called 'Space' for both artistic and magical purposes. It was a Hope-only room and even had a spell that required repeated invitations to be able to enter.

It had been remodeled to Hope's ever-changing likes, but the black ceiling still looked like the night sky in a mixture of paint, lighting, and a touch of magic. The things their daughter could do with magic were always laced in an artistic dreaminess that Klaus drank like air. She was the best parts of this life.

"I have a meeting," he explained, drifting down the hall. Hope and Rebekah could handle Hayley in this state, but he would have to give her more blood and potion soon enough. She offered a small smile when he wiggled his fingers towards her in a goodbye.

Hayley coughed and wrinkled her nose, stepping into the dark room. It smelled like paint, weed, and Rebekah's old lady perfume. Hayley was the only family member with anytime access to Space, though she was sure that wouldn't be the case if she had anytime access to Hope like the rest of them.

A sliver of light peeked through the tiny window, casting a pointing beam towards the tent Hope had left up from childhood. It was fashioned with old linens strung up on twine by clothespins and large enough for several people to stretch across piled quilts and pillows.

Hayley parted the tent's entrance with her finger and peeked inside, a smile twitching at her lips. Rebekah's arm was tossed behind her, buried under a pillow, her torso rising and falling under Hope's sprawled toned legs. Her daughter had always been a crazy sleeper, thrashing around and mumbling, sometimes turning herself around in direction. Hayley never knew how she could wake up so refreshed after all that work.

"Mom?" Hope mumbled, rolling slowly off of Rebekah.

Hayley knelt and reached inside to lay a hand on Hope's cool forehead, "Hey baby..."

Hope promptly pulled her inside and wrapped her in an embrace, as if Hayley were the child instead. Hope launched into a sleepy jumble of questions like, "when did you get here?" and "have you gotten sick from your last dose yet?"

Hayley felt Rebekah stir next to them and let out a lazy greeting. The original's neatly painted nails scratched gently down Hayley's arm.

"Nik up?"Rebekah yawned, rolling to her side to sandwich Hope in between them.

"He's with Jonah downstairs. Is everyone packed? I need to pack," Hayley recalled.

Hope's fingers tangled into Hayley's hair as she mumbled, "got you covered mom. I packed you a surprise too."

Hayley laughed softly through her nose, shaking her head slightly against the press of Hope's neck. Knowing her, she teamed up with Rebekah to compile a series of outfits Hayley would never in a million years pick out for herself. But, she was a good sport. There wasn't time anymore to be picky about the details in life, she just soaked in as much of her daughter as she could.

Rebekah was the first to detach from their warm nest and made a lot of noise exiting the room, letting out a yelp when she tripped over the brass tray that Hayley had narrowly missed when walking in. The tiny tea cups of Hope's special brew skittered across the floor.

"You okay?" Hope called through a chuckle.

"I am..." Rebekah said lightly, "though my tea set has seen better days. You two try not to sleep the morning away!"

Klaus rather enjoyed Jonah's company, even though their meetings were rarely worthy of such positive emotions. Unlike his boisterous son that Hope seemed partial to since befriending a decade ago, Jonah was calm and collected with an air of good-natured confidence. The man understood priorities and that keeping the Mikaelson's well-informed was the most beneficial of tasks. Klaus was certain that, in turn, the man enjoyed his lavish modern apartments overlooking the river and Klaus's extensive investments in Benny's darkweb media presence.

"And is that all?" Klaus asked, refilling his glass at the drink cart.

Jonah tucked his tablet back into the leather messenger bag and said, "For now, all is quiet save for the merging of two packs in Oregon. They aren't an area of concern though."

"Wonderful," Klaus opened the heavy door leading outside, "payment will arrive per usual. Enjoy the break."

"Thank you, and tell Hope I said happy birthday. It's incredible how quickly time is passing."

Klaus nearly rolled his eyes. If he had a dollar for every under a century old person who had made such a statement... "Indeed, I will pass along your sentiment, thank you Jonah."

As clueless as the human was to the true nature of passing time, he had been the one to offer advice as the curse dug into Hayley further. Five years into it all and they made a move to improve relations with the wolves. Five more years and it had proven to do nothing more than raise eyebrows and stir gossip. Worse than that, it had put a severe wedge between Elijah and himself. Still, Klaus could not think of many reasons why it did not offer more good than bad when it brought comfort to his daughter and a sense of safety to Hayley. In more ways than one, he supposed.

Five years ago he had to face his brother and explain the need to merge the Crescent's with his father Ansel's North Eastern Atlantic pack. While the move gave more power to the Louisiana wolves, meaning more of a willingness to protect the Mikaelson's and their heir, it also bred a shift in power. Vampires and Witches in New Orleans remained uneasy under this- as Marcel Gerard put it- Mikaelson Monopoly on power.

They would all learn that this was as it should be. The Original vampires, oldest witch line, and original werewolf line were all members of this Mikaelson monopoly. It was their right to it, you see. The only lingering issue was that of personal nature. One that he and Elijah were unable to speak of, though he imagined the day would come.

"Dad," Hope called from above. He looked up to spot her in one of her thigh length sweatshirts, leaning over the banister.

"Do put on pants dear, your uncles are on their way with breakfast and the vehicles."

As he suspected, she rolled her eyes and huffed before replying, "Mom needs you, she's getting pretty sick. Obviously telling you this was more important than putting on pants." She was always moody and on edge upon her mother's returns and he allowed for it.

"Just the same..." he hummed as he climbed the stairs and followed Hope past the servants and maids readying their apartments for a week of stasis. He closed his eyes briefly when a copper vase clattered to the ground, echoing against the peeling wallpaper of the common room. Klaus actually paid these people and only compelled them to forget certain supernatural aspects of their day, just to prove to Benny that Klaus's help were no slaves. Though, all it had proven so far was that compelled servants worked much more efficiently than those working on their own accord. Frustrating, but morally satisfying nonetheless. If it made Hope more comfortable then he could find no fault in making changes. Within reason, of course.

Hope pointed towards his bathroom where sounds of crying and intermittent vomiting could be heard. He swept Hope's hair back with the brush of his hand and placed a kiss on her temple, whispering for her to go get herself ready and start without them for breakfast.

"She wouldn't let me help her," Hope said thinly. Her full lips quivered when she said it. Another heave sounded from the cracked door and they both flinched.

"Sweetheart, we have discussed why. Please do not take it as anything more." Still, Hope walked away as if rejected once again; head bowed and shuffling bare feet. Regret twinged in his chest, but Elijah was due any minute, he would smooth things over. Presently, he had a very ill hybrid to coax into another dose of feel-good potion. A task that rarely pleasant.

The door moaned in protest as he toed it open and the scene looked no different than that first night ten years ago. It was then that they discovered how beneficial his hybrid blood was to her suffering. Furthermore, skin to skin contact seemed to bring her great comfort. Freya remains convinced their hybrid bond is more helpful than any potion, but there was only so much he could do for Hayley while also keeping enemies at bay and running a family and city. Fortunately, she understood such things as well as their need to keep this aspect of their relationship private. Hurting Elijah after everything he had done for this situation was unavoidable, but that did not mean they did not try.

"Drink up, love," he murmured, plucking a full vial from the chain around his neck. He never went anywhere without one; always prepared and available to her.

"I don't think I should go," she shuddered after spitting into the toilet. Her shoulders shook under her hunched grip over the toilet, toes curled into the grout of tiled bathroom flooring. Klaus gathered her hair and held it as she heaved again, last night's feed swirling crimson along the sides of the porcelain bowl.

"Oh stop that," he gently chided, "you know it is merely the curse talking. You wouldn't miss this for anything."

"I'll fuck it all up," she insisted, swiping at her mouth with the back of her hand and leaning back against his legs. He pulled her up by the arms with ease and spun her around , tilting the vial between her lips.

"You will do no such thing," he soothed, pouring the liquid quickly, before she could decide against it. He watched as she struggled to keep it down, her eyes watering and hand clasped over her mouth.

After a pause, she dropped her hand and let him pull her to his chest. She bit her lip and said, "I deserve this. I deserve to suffer for what happened to Jackson."

"No, love. You do not. His family deserves to suffer for inflicting this crime upon our family. What happened to your previous husband was not by your hand, though they choose to directly attack you using my mother's very own curse against us!" He felt the anger pulsing through his veins and she blinked slowly up at him.

"Did Jonah have news? Is there anyone left who knows how to fix me?" Hayley asked, despair lacing her words. Her strength had always been admirable, but this curse showcased weakness in ways Hayley would never let anyone see otherwise. The only reason he was allowed to was because she could not do this alone and if anyone wanted her better more than he, it was Hope. There was nothing in this world he would not do for his daughter. Ten years ago proved it. And five years ago even more.

"None of importance. No one has stepped forward with knowledge of the missing ingredient to the cure. That knowledge resides in my mother and with those present when she developed the bloody revenge curse. All of which are long dead."

Hayley glanced away and he wasn't sure what he saw flicker across her features, but soon enough she relaxed into the buzzing pleasantness that the potion brought.

A/N: Next chapter(s) contain flashbacks to give you a clearer picture until we move forward into Hope's birthday trip with the family.

I'm feeling much better after tons of sleep. Thank you for the well-wishes and reviews.

Any questions? Did all my hints add up to anything for you? Any guesses? I'll go ahead and post next chapter tonight if I hear from more of you...*erupts in evil laughter*