Chapter 13: Considerations
"Elijah?" Hayley breathed nervously as she caught the view of Klaus and his signature smirk. Her thoughts felt so loud it seemed as if she was speaking them.
"Was this really it? Was he really going to tell him?"
"He'll make him choose." She thought and it repeated inside her head several times. "I'll leave before it comes to that." She told herself harshly but it was as if she was trying to convince herself of her own words.
Elijah placed a firm hand on her shoulder and then suddenly a finger on her lip. The grip on her shoulder tightened for a second and then he raised his head to listen and eventually Hayley tuned in herself.
"Where is my brother?" Klaus questioned a vacant vampire who stood in the hallway.
Hayley breathed unsteadily beginning to feel nervous on just hearing Klaus speak Elijah's name. Elijah curled his arm around Hayley's waist, caressing her gently and her heart rested a little. His ability to remain calm and calm others was quite extraordinary sometimes.
The vampire replied that he did not know and Klaus frowned for a second on hearing such a dead answer. Elijah realised it was in his favour that the vampire had not known. Welcoming Klaus with a recount of his day with Hayley would certainly not be a good way to start.
Klaus glared at the vampire for a few seconds, his expression hardening but then to much surprise a smile spread across his face. "Probably delving into some ancient text or so somewhere if I am to guess." he spoke still smiling.
"Run along then." He instructed the vampire, "Be sure to let Marcel know I have arrived, I did say" he added.
The vampire strode off and Klaus's eyes lowered as if he was savouring a memory, still smiling like an idiot.
Rebekah rolled her eyes behind him, Klaus's good moods were so awfully rare that they became strange to deal with. It was hard to not think he was up to something.
"Where's Hayley?" Rebekah then spoke to herself. Maybe she was craving some female company. Rebekah didn't often admit it but she liked having Hayley around, and she'd developed a sort of liking towards the girl.
Hayley jumped slightly on hearing her name. Her foot pressed onto the floorboard and downstairs a creak sounded. Rebekah looked up at the ceiling and her hearing darted to the 1st floor.
Elijah and Hayley exchanged a look.
"Must be Hayley?" she thought to herself while Klaus prowled the rooms fiddling with pieces of his artwork.
"Why won't she come down, what's going on?" she thought her perfect eyebrows furrowing.
Marcel entered the room and Rebekah turned her eyes away from him as she walked towards the staircase, leaving her brother to deal with whatever it was he did.
Hayley froze on hearing feet ascend the steps.
"It's Rebekah." Elijah told her and she closed her eyes in relief.
When she opened them Rebekah stood before them.
"What the bloody hell is going on?" she asked utterly confused as her eyes darted to Hayley and Elijah interrogating them for an answer.
"Nothing." Elijah finally spoke after taking some thought.
"I was just about to come down." He continued.
His eyes flickered to Hayley for a brief second and she looked at him confused before they broke eye contact on remembering that they were not alone.
"Not today." Elijah thought and somehow from his look and the silence she just knew what he was trying to tell her.
"Is someone going to tell me, what on earth actually has happened?" Rebekah asked again.
"Rebekah, really, nothing's wrong." She tried to reassure her.
"Is it the baby?" Rebekah tried again and Hayley shook her head.
"She's fine." Hayley insisted.
"Ugh, well if everything is fine. Can you please come down; being around Nik while he's in such a good mood is strangely hard to deal with. Must have been something to do with Caroline, I suppose." She spoke as she walked down the stairs.
Hayley and Elijah followed down behind her.
"Caroline?" Hayley asked curiously.
Elijah's eyes darted to Hayley.
"Yes the blonde baby vampire." Rebekah nodded.
"I can't think of who else could have caused such a soppy grin like that." She continued.
Hayley lowered her head it thought. "Could he really have caught a chance with Caroline?" she wondered. "Had he told her about the baby?" and then she stopped. "Why was she so interested anyway?" It was nothing to do with her. Wasn't it?
"Brother." Klaus grinned.
"Niklaus." Elijah acknowledged him.
"Oh and the little wolf." He then addressed Hayley and she responded to him with a look, her eyes squinting slightly and her lips pouting a bit.
Klaus smirked and then chuckled lightly. He really was in a good mood.
"So what have you been up to while I've been away?" he then asked abruptly.
Hayley's eyes widened the slightest bit but she recovered soon enough.
"Tweedle dum and tweedle dee have been great company." She spoke sarcastically and he smiled.
"They're only there to protect you, love." He replied and she found herself thinking of Elijah's similar words.
Klaus wondered over to the decanter and poured himself and his siblings a drink.
"Farwell to Katerina Petrova then." He spoke sipping the alcohol.
Elijah stiffened slightly on hearing the name and Hayley noticed.
"Katherine and Elijah?" she suddenly considered.
"You should go to Mystic Falls often." Marcel laughed but Klaus's expression fell slightly on remembering his promise to Caroline.
An uncomfortable tension grew in the air as Hayley, Elijah and Klaus all fell into thoughts eating away at them.
Marcel and Rebekah exchanged a glance both wondering whatever the matter was and the room grew silent.