Chapter 37: Hell of a Party

Hayley sat at the front porch hugging her knees and resting her chin upon them. It wouldn't be too long before this position became impossible she thought looking down at her baby bump briefly. She then tried hard not to think about the whole Celeste thing but it was proving pretty difficult. She found herself wondering what she was like, if it really were possible to cheat death and if she really had, why hadn't she contacted Elijah yet? All these questions scuttle about her mind and she groaned annoyed by them pestering her.

"What are you doing out here?" she then heard a voice ask, causing her to peek up from her resting position.

"Rebekah..." Hayley sighed, hesitating. She wasn't in the mood to talk.

"I'm not really in the mood." She spoke monotone brushing her hair out of her eyes way as the wind kept blowing it back.

Rebekah paused for a second and then took a seat beside her the heel of her boot slamming on the porch step causing Hayley to jolt. Hayley mumbled irritably. Rebekah threw up her car keys and caught them again several times.

"I'm on your side remember, so what gives?" she then asked and the keys no longer jingled, she was waiting for an answer.

"What has my pathetic big brother gone an done?" she inquired teasing. There was still no answer.

"You know he's asked me to take you away from here." Rebekah then spoke softly trying to infer something or the other.

"Of course he has." Hayley muttered internally and then looked up off her crossed arms rather crossly.

"Here comes the mama wolf!" Rebekah exclaimed sarcastically and Hayley was forced to glare at her.

"Oh come on, forget about those brutes, I've got an idea." Rebekah then spoke slyly and nudged Hayley playfully.

Hayley turned towards her to cast her a look but Rebekah continued to smile brightly and soon Hayley cracked and her lips curved before she hid her face once again.

"What do you want Rebekah?" she asked taking a deep breath and getting up from the porch steps. She walked a little ahead turning around to wait for her reply.

"Still want to throw a party?" Rebekah grinned persuasively.

Hayley looked at her confused she narrowed her eye trying to figure out what she was getting at. Hayley had dropped the idea after all which occurred this morning.

"Plantation house." Rebekah spoke tilting her head.

Hayley remained frozen for a second but then broke into grin gladdened suddenly by Rebecca's presence.

Rebekah threw her the car keys which Hayley caught swiftly.

"You're driving." She then announced and began striding towards the car.

Elsewhere Elijah strode down the streets of New Orleans it's famous music playing, the hustle, the bustle, the colour, all vibrant and bright. Vendors muttering about something they were trying to sell to a small bunch of tourists who had clustered together on the side of the street, a band member roaming the road with his instrument hanging over his back admiring the building before him. Elijah sank his hands into his pockets for a second and examined the figure he was following, he walked swiftly behind her. He then glanced at his watching wondering if his little sister had had any success in conveying Hayley to the plantation house. Her safety was his utmost concern but at the moment it was time to test his theory.

Not after long the woman before his stopped in her tracks and paused slowly turning towards him. There was almost something eerie about the way she moved. His name was out of her lips before she could even begin to see him and Elijah's glare sharpened.

"To what do I owe the pleasure." Sabine spoke, a smile dancing on her lips. She slowly took each step to near him and Elijah's glare instantly transformed into a smile back, playing the game flawlessly.

"My family need an ally among the witches and you've helped us in the past." He presented his story perfectly, his tone diplomatic, to the point.

"Perhaps together we can avoid an unnecessary conflict." He suggested, they all knew what a sucker he was for peace after all.

"They may be willing to make a deal, if it were with the noble Elijah." She replied gesturing towards him, he was watching her every move.

"But they'll never be any peace as long as it involves Klaus." Sabine then added bluntly.

"Is that all this is about, you want my brother out of town." Elijah asked his eyes flashing slightly, his eyebrows raised in question.

"I'm just telling you how they feel, my people are scared, they're desperate, but they're not dumb, you have a niece on the way. It stands to reason you'd be willing to discuss how to run him out of the city." She challenged spinning her words like a web, plucking them out of her mind as they formed.

A smile grew on Elijah's face as she finished her sentence. "It stands to reason that Celeste would be willing to discuss how to run Klaus out of the city." He thought internally but continued to smile.

His smile then suddenly dropped and he looked towards the ground.

"Let's walk together. You can take me on one of your famous tours." He then spoke raising his head again and hovering by her for a second before walking straight past and ahead.

Sabine hesitated on her heal for a second but eventually gave in pivoting and sauntering in his direction.

It was rapidly growing darker now and Hayley stood out in the plantation garden alone. The sound of owls hooting, crickets chirping, birds, so much life was singing around her and so to say it was silent would be incorrect.

She had changed and unconsciously added a denim jacket, it was a werewolf party after all and she had tried to make a slight effort despite not feeling as up for a party as she had been the night before. Her long silver earrings glinted against the light and her hair was fluffier, her lips a plum shade, her eyelashes longer.

She was fiddling with a few plastic clothes pegs hanging the last of the hauled clothes she had onto a washing line. They all swung and fluttered in the breeze a little, ready for their new owners. Hayley suddenly looked up hearing a familiar low growl. She was met by beautiful set of topaz eyes and a bright smile flashed onto her face.

"Hello again." She addressed the dark grey and white wolf that almost looked at her with a strange sense of awe. In growled again a little, almost as if it was impatient or frustrated to not being able to reply.

Hayley chuckled turning back to look up at the moon and then faced the guardian wolf once again. She recognised him of course for he had visited her on more than one occasion. She was even quite sure that it was he who had once saved her from a band of witches.

"I'm looking forward to meeting you soon." She spoke softly still smiling and just as she finished the dark mist around the white orb above her began to drift away. The wolf looked up too and they both knew. He then padded away into the forest. Hayley smiled a little at his departure and then turned around to leave herself.

"It's time." she told herself nervously as she made her way back to the plantation house where she had left Rebekah in charge of the kitchen.

"So help me god Marcel if you don't call me back with an update I will kill you myself" Rebekah snapping, pushing down the end call button with force. She then continued stirring something bubbling violently in a pan unaware of company lurking around the corner.

As she turned to see her visitor you could see her eyes widen with brief shock. A naked blonde hunk of a werewolf was ambling towards her.

"Oh." Rebekah replied flustered, "As if it wasn't hot enough in here already." she mused and then breathed lightly.

"Beg your pardon." She managed to speak forcing herself to look straight ahead and failed miserably. The werewolf however stood leaning at the door way, resting his weight on an arm, entirely comfortable in the matter.

"I was expecting someone ...furrier." Rebekah replied her eyelashes fluttering anxiously, her voice suddenly quiet and confused.

"You're one of them aren't you? An Original?" The werewolf finally spoke amused.

"Yes. You might want to say that with some more respect." Rebekah replied finding some of her composure once again.

"I'll suppose you'll be wanting Hayley." She then added.

"Or I could just talk to you?" The Werewolf replied nearing her.

"I'm Oliver, didn't catch your name." He introduced himself.

"I'm Rebekah." Rebekah answered gulping as graciously as she could in attempt to deal with the proximity. She then couldn't help in any longer and her face broke out into a blushing smile.

"Hayley! The partys here!" she called out loudly.

And soon enough the party had most definitely begun.

Music being eagerly played by a live band blared out flying high and past the plantations house and into its gardens, bringing an energy to the air and nature surrounding it.

Eventually every spot of the house font was full with bunches of dancing werewolves drinking and singing and laughing at the top of their lungs, beer sploshing from their glass mugs as they moved to the music.

In the midst of this commotion Rebekah strolled through the clutter and looked up at the inky dark sky and the moon which bathed in it's clouds and then at the bulb lights that had been hung across it.

As she did so she felt a tap on her shoulder and when turning around to see who it was found before her the naked werewolf now donned in a grey blue shirt and jeans. It was Oliver. He took her hand lightly and before Rebekah even had the chance to demur, he was pulling her with him to a crowd of dancers. Rebekah half smiled as he spun her under his arm.

"Oh come on! You can do better than that!" he called out over the music and Rebekah rolled her eyes wondering where Hayley had got to and then all the other things drumming in her busy mind.

"Sorry I've got a burdened brain tight." She apologized but Oliver disagreed immediately.

"Tonight is not a night for burdens." He explained swinging her back and forth as she came up from under his arms. She smiled a little as he spoke.

"It's to celebrate, it's to enjoy life in the few hours we get to live it It's to hug our friends, our family and to dance our asses of." He grinned pulling her towards him and clasping her hands in a dance stance. Rebekah laughed, throwing back her head so that her blonde curls shook and then coming up again finally gave in. When the song reached its peak just a few seconds after Rebekah launched herself into the dance finding it wasn't always that as hard to let go.

Unaware to her Hayley watched from distance observing the party more like an outsider than it's hostess. Her own burdened brain was prying on her and she bit her lip with irritation thinking about those drawings of Celeste. She wanted eagerly to know what the hell was going on and her heart began to harden a little because this was serious. "What if Celeste really is back?" she thought hard. They were all in danger already and somehow she could just sense that things were only going to get worse. "I need to protect my little girl." She hammered in her head because it was her baby who was her highest priority.

Hayley decided to go inside, it was quieter there and plus sooner or later she'd have to begin clearing up this mess. She browsed the junk littered across the room.

Rebekah seemed to be having fun, it was nice to see that and sort of odd too. "Rebekah dancing with a pack of wolves." She mused amused. Nonetheless she herself still wasn't really feeling in a party mood and her wolf friend seemed to have bounded off somewhere.

"The night will soon be over." she thought disappointed that she wasn't feeling as energized or up for it as she had wanted to. She picked off a plate or two of the coffee table listening to the music roaring into the house and sighed.

"I seriously doubt you invited us here to wait on us?" A voice then called and it almost startled her but of course Hayley did not shudder an inch, she'd broken herself in that way when she had been desperate to come across strong, unbreakable. She let her heart flutter to a calm in a matter of seconds and then turned around to inspect the voices owner.

She couldn't help eyeing him from toe to head, he looked so familiar. Long, curled, dark brown hair, thin bearded, light olive skin and brown eyes, she had to admit he wasn't bad looking. He wore a flannel check shirt and was walking towards her now.

"You're Hayley." He spoke, his voice gruff but soft.

"I'm Jackson. It's nice to see you again." He introduced and a smile spread onto his face brightening it, it was almost like he's been repressing that smile for years.

Suddenly cogs clicked in Hayley mind and she found herself smiling back. It was him. Her wolf friend, so he hadn't bounded off after all.

"You're the wolf whose been watching me." She spoke as she realised and continued to observe him.

Jackson chuckled lightly, slowly stepping closer into the lighted room.

"I've got to keep my eye on you, precious cargo and all." He took a deep breath as if almost nervous.

Hayley's eyes fell to her bump and her hand covered it stroking lightly.

"Right, got to protect the baby miracle baby." She replied a little confused and then her eyes rose to meet his, curious to what he would say next.

"No that's not what I meant. I don't care about the baby." Jackson spoke too quickly and Hayley tilted her head her, raising an eyebrow. He soon realised his choice of words cursed inside. He smiled ashamed a little and apologized.

"Sorry that came out wrong. I mean of course I care. You're a Labonair. A baby, it's big deal. But personally, my interest is in you." He continued speaking that last sentence firmly while looking her directly in the eye.

Hayley pondered wondering who he was, what his intentions where. The way he spoke it was like he knew things about her that she herself didn't. That didn't make her feel comfortable.

"You don't even know me." She spoke defensively her guards beginning to rattle slightly but the next words he spoke caught her like a hook.

"Our parents knew each other; they were of the same people but not the same bloodline. Now you know how pack hierarchy works right? Everybody has their part to play and we had our part too." He explained watching Hayley take it all in considering all his words.

She then looked up at him a fierce sort of look in her eyes as if braving herself to hear some horrible news and he could tell from the way she looked that she wasn't a stranger to those sorts of situations.

"What part was that?" she asked firmly feeling a strange feeling in her stomach a need to hear the answer.

Jackson paused for a second, as if stringing the words in his head.

"You were meant to be my wife." He finally came through.