Chapter 50: Time for Farewell
Hayley sat nervously clutching a cushion in the Mikaelson home. Yet again, she was under vampire lockdown and every now and then she noticed the vague movements of her so called, expressionless protectors circling the boundaries of the so called Mikaelson Mansion. Her baby softly wriggled inside of her and Hayley soothed her bump with maternal love. She's so big now. Hayley thought as the soft pad of her thumb grazed over her stomach and she meant it not only in a physical sense. While she had experienced the gradual and oddly fascinating growth of her child, Hayley's idea of being a mother had bloomed beyond words. She really did feel like one and the feeling grew each day mixed with a unique anticipation to meet her baby girl.
Despite that however, Hayley had to admit that things were beyond a safe birthing environment right now.
In fact things were absolutely crazy, Hayley's mind was still linked to Celeste, Elijah had received a trouble call from Cami about Klaus and the wolves were still not free despite the cure having been made. Elijah had agreed to hand over the cure to her, reassuring her of its safety after reassessing the situation as he so often did but Hayley still needed to see the effect herself. It was her neck on the line here and the wolves trusted her, she couldn't let them down. Tomorrow was the night of a full moon and every crescent wolf in the bayou right now was full of hope and dreaming of freedom.
As for Celeste's little mind meld, the little witch was keeping her mouth shut. In her mind she was afraid of course that with the cure in hand her death would be imminent and so now her clever mind games had become leverage, not something that Hayley was particularly happy about. This was as every now and then Celeste would drawl on about some stupid love story usually concerning Elijah just to prick her nerves. They weren't even malevolent stabs but girlish whims that Celeste would probably label swoon worthy secrets. Every so often a blush rushed to Hayley's cheeks and it annoyed her greatly to be toyed with so. Luckily however, Elijah had not yet been present to witness such ridicule.
Eve had reassured her that such spells often wore off with time and that Celeste was probably just bluffing about needing to be kept a live due to the link. After all, it was logical, if one participant was to die, the link would be broken but Elijah was taking no chances. Hayley had almost audible whined and just asked him to kill her already but the stern line on Elijah's face said all. And so Hayley had agreed because they had always intended to keep the witch alive before the full moon regardless and anyway there were greater issues at hand.
Speaking of, Elijah was still not back, nor Rebekah nor Klaus. Hayley understood that her mind had to be kept safe from Celeste but boy did it frustrate her not being in the loop. She hated not knowing, not helping, not being involved because despite their difference, the Mikaelson's were her family. They were her child's family.
Hayley had just been in the midst of thinking this while blanking Celeste's babbles. Somehow with great concentration she could actually sometimes push the nuisance out of her head, almost like shutting a door or closing a window and god was she thankful for it.
This was when she heard a slump in the compound and with that sound of a thud Hayley's heart mimicked in response. Thud Thud.
"Elijah!" she called instinctively but before she could finish she heard the voice of her child's father blare up onto the balcony.
"Honey we're home." It exclaimed in a cheerful sadistic manner but Hayley was nothing but reassured.
Her eyes widened on hearing Klaus, she leapt of the couch and ran for the balcony, clutching it's wooden rails and peering down below. The view hit her hard. Thud Thud.
Hayley gasped as her eyes caught sight of a body, thick stains of blood oozed across the shirt. The lifeless looking form, limp.
It was Elijah. Hayley's mind began to cascade.
No. A little voice shook inside of her. No he can't be.
Hayley didn't speak or take her eyes off the scene but slowly slid along the balcony and instructed her body to move down the stairs stunned with disbelief. It was as if the room had begun to swim and she was feeling more and more lightheaded. In her mind she saw Celeste's rouge lips twist into that smile. She was enjoying this. She was enjoying every moment.
Now you get to feel what it's like to lose him.
Hayley's brain burned, she wanted to bludgeon the bitch. She had no idea what she was talking about. Elijah lost her not she lost him, how dare she even-
The silence broke.
"Nik!...Nik!" A voice then suddenly exclaimed and a blonde figure came rushing into view elbowing her brother in the process and rushing to Hayley's side.
Then suddenly, for Hayley, everything snapped back crisp into place and her eyes flared, her grip tightening on the balcony rail, her fingernails fighting to transform into claws but a soft but strong hand gripped her wrist and tugged her.
"You're bloody mad Nik, don't you understand that she's pregnant!" It was Rebekah. Hayley recognised the voice. Her face turned towards the female original and couldn't help but melt into a sob, her hand clasping over her mouth to stifle her expression.
"No. Hayley. No. He's alive." Rebekah spoke and the women gripped hands.
Rebekah shook her.
"He's alive." She reassured her and Hayley blinked in response before striding over to Elijah's body and kneeling by it. Despite Rebekah's words she was still afraid, her body was still shaking with fear for she had imagined this situation way too many times before.
Klaus watched her with a strange observing glare. He noted Hayley's reaction with stab of jealously as he imagined how she would react to his slumped body in replacement. He saw her wet cheek and something in his heart began to hurt. He swallowed, in an attempt to ignore the feeling and instead moved forwards.
"You sure do jump to conclusions, little wolf." He replied almost teasingly like in a strange attempt to lighten the situation.
"Though I do know we've been keeping you in the dark." He added as he recalled, plucking the memory of being informed of Hayley's mind meld.
Klaus then crouched down beside his brother's body, level to Hayley's.
"You see I've been teaching my siblings a lesson." He spoke authoritatively and Hayley noted Rebekah's unusual subordinate style. She had only just about escaped. Hayley was surprised not one of them was dead.
Klaus suddenly rolled up a sleeve and plunged his fist into Elijah's gut before wrenching out the sinister blade and things finally began making sense to Hayley. He's not dead. She told herself.
He's not dead. She repeated and knew that somewhere dark and dusty Celeste was probably sulking.
Hayley couldn't think for long as Elijah soon howled in pain before taking a magnificent gasp of air as he rapidly came to life. The silent pain transformed into loud growls of anguish as the remnants of the blade's effects left his body.
Hayley instinctively gripped his wrist and with her help Elijah sat up breathless, freed from the torture of the nasty knife but never from the memories of each foul second he had been forced to face it's twinge. He first felt Hayley's touch and on being assured of her safety immediately looked around for his sister.
He stood to his feet internally sighing with relief when he saw that she too was safe.
"Well hello brother, welcome back. I'm sure it's only fair that you too now how it feels to be a victim of that dastardly thing." Klaus broke out into a cheery welcome gesturing towards the blade. He patted his brother on the back with his free hand only adding to his pain before proceeding to wipe the blade upon Elijah's silk handkerchief which he stole away from his brother's breast pocket.
Everyone else in the room glanced at each other but remained silent and so Klaus took this as a cue to continue.
"Now now brother, aren't you going to say goodbye?" Klaus asked and although it took Elijah a few seconds to realise it suddenly hit him to what his mad brother was talking about.
Rebekah. Elijah turned to face his sister with a sad but hopeful expression and they both knew what must occur. This must be Klaus's agreement. Elijah thought to himself glumly. He's letting her live but not letting her stay. When it came to Klaus however this was not necessarily a bad outcome for they all knew things could have taken a much more terrible turn.
In fact, Elijah suspected that Klaus in the form of a punishment was handing Rebekah exactly what she wanted on a plate. And he knows, surely he must know. Elijah wondered. But he was too tired to pick apart at Klaus brain. Whatever had happed in the cemetery after the blade had disabled him had led to these events. Klaus was gifting Rebekah with freedom wrapped in the guise of condemnation and punishment. It did not make sense. But then again, when did Klaus ever make any sense at all.
Elijah bit his teeth and swallowed. His mind told him that this farewell should be much preferred than goodbye.
But his heart only hurt.
For alas, either way, it was time.