Disclaimer: Not mine, borrowed & nurtured. A/N: So, I've had this idea for years but wasn't sure how to tackle it. #Nadalind and #Klayley have similar parallels, so I wanted to create a dynamic between the four characters and their kin. I intended to write drabbles, however knowing me I won't be able to stick to 500 words… so each chapter may vary in length, and POVs. The timelines may not be perfect, but it is set between 2016/2017 so Hope is 2-3 and Kelly is 1-2 (I think!)*


ALWAYS & FOREVER

Prologue

[ I – 3x16]

"I trust you've said your goodbyes?"

Klaus turned to Hayley a grim expression haunted his otherwise calm demeanour.

"Something like that," Hayley murmured, staring ahead into the unknown.

What she had done was confess her unwavering love for Elijah Mikaelson, against Mary's wishes. The words haunted her mind as she stared out of her car side window, ignoring Klaus' stare burning the back of her head. He had been amicable about her feelings towards his brother.

"I love you, Elijah. I always have loved you, and Jackson knew that. And he died loving me despite it. And now, every time I look at you, it's like he's right there, and I'm hurting him all over again. He died because of me, so out of respect for him, I have to let you go."

Elijah stood by the fire, and eventually said: "Well, it seems like the right thing to do."

Klaus keyed the engine, "We may be gone for some time," he said, like some last-minute attempt to change her mind – but there was nowhere else she'd rather be, than by her daughter's side.

"It's worth it, to keep Hope from what's coming, besides, there's nothing here for me anymore."

Klaus smiled, "Well, perhaps we have more in common than we thought?" he said, eyeing Hope cuddling her white knight he had made such a long time ago for Rebekah, to keep her night terrors away. He thought back to his conversation with Elijah and Freya, desperate to save her.

"If we leave now, we might be able to outrun the Devils of all kinds, crawling out of their crevices to strike at me," Klaus told his siblings.

"Now, don't stop driving until you're absolutely certain you're safe," Elijah warned.

"You don't have to remind me how precious my cargo is," Klaus hugged Freya. "Keep him in line, sister, and try to wake Rebekah, we're going to need all the help we can get to take on Cortez."

Things had gone to Hell, and here they were again, running for their lives, like he had done countless centuries ago. He had hope that Elijah, Freya and Marcel could handle things whilst he was gone, but he still worried for his family, especially knowing that it could be years before the threat of his dissolved sire line had been destroyed – Cortez, was a formidable foe.

Hayley pulled a map up on her phone.

"The Appalachian Mountains? That sounds familiar," Klaus said, after glancing at the screen.

"It's where I helped Tyler break his sire bond…"

"Oh yes, seems a lifetime ago, since he failed to revenge his dear mother."

"It was, before Hope, and before my quest to find my family – I spent my childhood there, after my adopted family abandoned me at 13, I sort of lived off the streets and relied on kindness from strangers – a bar manager named, Hollis, who, if you promise to be on your best behaviour, might let us a room. The mountains might hold my old pack, there aren't many of us left," she explained.

"Okay, but if we run into trouble, I have a plan B," Klaus said, switching on the radio.

Hayley checked on Hope, then switched the channel from classical to alternative. Klaus kept his thoughts to himself, one hand on the wheel. Hayley relaxed into her seat, after checking on Hope snoozing in her car seat. She let the music calm her nerves, and began to sing along to her favourite songs, much to Klaus' disdain.


Hayley exited a convenience store with an ugly white hat that would have suited Jackson, but unfortunately, her husband had befallen to Tristan de Martel, just like Klaus' beloved, Camille O'Connell who'd been tortured and murdered by his ex-sire, Lucien Castle. Two innocents killed because they were a part of his broken family – he wanted revenge.

"Absolutely not!" he said, when Hayley attempted to pull the 'mothertrucker' hat over his head.

Hayley sighed for what might have been the fifth time that day.

"You need to blend in. You can start by losing the $1000 dollar jacket," she suggested.

Klaus took off his jacket with much reluctance and gave it to Hayley to stow in their car.

"Tell me again why we're on a scenic tour of meth country, and not compelling a jet to some far off, preferably tropical, destination?" he asked, raising his eyebrows to the overcast sky.

"Look, I'm not the one with an army of pissed off vampires after them, can I have the keys?"

Klaus frowned and reluctantly dropped them into Hayley's outstretched hand.

"On a scale to 1-10, how much am I going to despise this little plan of yours?" he asked.

"I'd say a solid 85," she smirked, and plonked the hat on his head.

"Oh good," Klaus muttered, returning to Hope, and shutting her car-side door.


They drove for hours until Hayley yelled 'We're here!' at the top of her lungs, and Klaus parked the car with reservations. He entered 'Hollis' pub' with a disgruntled frown, as Hayley pushed Hope's pram inside. The pub was deserted – maybe because there was a wet dog smell that would put anyone with a decent nose off it.

Klaus shook the thought of sandy beaches, and sun-kissed shores of the Caribbean from his mind… Cortez had ways of finding them… maybe a dingy bar was best, something he'd never think of.

"I can see why you wanted to come here. I feel safer already!" Klaus murmured under his breath.

"We're closed," the barman barked, wiping up glasses.

"You don't look closed," Klaus said, pointing to some toothless patrons at a nearby table.

"We are for you," The barman frowned.

"Well, perhaps you've failed to notice the hat!" Klaus smirked, pointing to its slogan.

Hayley steered past Klaus, pushing Hope towards the bar.

"We'll take a bourbon, unless Hollis is serving that moonshine of his?" she said.

Hollis, Klaus presumed appeared behind the barman, whose tag read 'Dyson.'

"Well, I'll be dammed. I got this, it's been a long time since you danced on my bar, Hayley Marshall."

Hayley smirked, "It's been a long time since I danced on any bar," she glanced at Klaus and continued: "I get in a lot of different trouble these days. Hollis, meet Hope, my daughter."

"Aww look at her. Ah," Hollis looked at Hayley's ring. "City boy, huh? Never have guessed that."

Klaus removed his hat, seating himself next to Hayley, unable to keep his thoughts to himself.

"Never underestimate the allure of indoor plumbing," he smirked.

"Hollis this is Klaus… he's my daughter's… father. We just need a place to lie low."

A dark cloud fell over Hollis' face, and he exchanged a serious look with Dyson.

"You picked a pretty rough time for us folks, a lot of people have forgotten about the pack altogether. But, for the reigning, dart throwing, tequila drinking champion of Willoughby lake, I wish there were a few more people here to give you a proper homecoming."

Klaus turned to Hayley, seeing her in a new light, she received his look with a shrug.

"I was a kid then."

Hollis smiled warmly, "Hey, you guys settle in, I'll pour the moonshine, drinks are free," Hollis turned to Dyson, a tall, bearded man who collected the glasses and an old bottle from beneath the bar.

Klaus studied his glass after it was poured: "I'm quite sure this glass hasn't been washed in the past decade, which makes it the cleanest thing in this establishment."

Hayley shot him a dark look. "These are my friends, be nice."

Klaus took a sip of moonshine and burnt the lining in the back of his throat.

The phone rang and Hollis answered it – 'missing girl? Kayla McKinnon, a runaway? Yes, I'll keep an eye out for her. Yes, I've got your number. I'll tell him.'

Klaus turned to Hayley, his hands folded together on top of a napkin, "I seem to remember you knocking on my door to join this little road trip, no-one had a gun to your head. What was it, couldn't bare to spend another day giving Elijah the doe-eyes?"

"You are officially the worst," Hayley retrieved Hope's bunny she had dropped from the pram.

"Right, it's only MY brother, and the mother of MY daughter, in MY house, oh yes, in MY city..."

Hayley massaged her head; she needed another glass if she were to survive another lecture.

"Weird! It's almost as though you are making this all about YOU again," she hissed.

Hollis returned from the back and pointed to the board behind Dyson.

"Hayls, if you're trying to be discreet, try by turning down the volume on this lover's spat."

Klaus and Hayley avoided each other's eyes, 'lovers?', she almost chocked on her second drink.

Dyson handed Hollis a room key, to which he put on the bar.

"Of course, we have a room, you're family, Hayls."

Hayley smiled, reaching for it, but Klaus beat her to it with a smirk.

Hollis turned to Dyson, "That was Kenzi, Kayla triggered the curse, she's missing."

Hayley turned her attention back to Hollis, "Kayla McKinnon? I used to babysit her as a kid."

Hollis nodded, "She's a runner, like you were. Reckon you could find her with that nose of yours?"

Klaus groaned, resigned to pick Hope up out of the pram, "In case you've forgotten we're supposed to be in hiding… it's hardly the time to go play youth councillor to a bunch of misguided wolves! No offence, meant." His eyes flashed as a warning when Dyson leapt over the bar. Hollis watched, unfazed, wiping down the top of his bar with a cloth.

Dyson growled, "If ever she needed someone to talk to, it's now."

Klaus stood his ground, "In fact I think it's time this little experiment is over. I hope you've enjoyed your trip down memory lane," Klaus tugged at Hayley's arm, "my life, our daughter's life takes precedent, a fact you've clearly failed to grasp! From now on, we do things my way!"

Hayley sighed, "There's a scared kid out there and I can't just turn my back on her, Klaus!"

Klaus gritted his teeth, failing to convince his little wolf. "As tragic as that may be, it's not my problem and neither should it be yours! Get in the car! We're leaving now."

Hayley put her glass down, and flashed her wolf eyes, "We're not leaving."

Klaus chuckled to himself, "And I suppose you're going to stop me? Perhaps you'll get Cletus and your foul-smelling friends to help? I'd no sooner rip them to shreds," he said, nursing Hope.

Hayley exhaled, "Those friends are helping me, Klaus, despite their problems of their own, and all you have done is insult them. You don't get it do you? This is the exact reason why we're here. Maybe if you haven't been a dick to… I don't know, everybody than we wouldn't be on the run!"

Hope was growing tired and had picked up on the tension between her parents, or maybe she was getting hungry, but her cries were starting to drown out their argument.

"I have always done what I needed to do to protect my family from numerous enemies, I make no apologies for my methods," Klaus was halfway out the door.

Hayley raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Do you even hear yourself Klaus? You're incapable of even pretending to be a good person, and you can justify it all you want with strategy and us versus them, but at the end of the day the enemies you have are the ones you have made. Is that what you want for your daughter? Is that how you want Hope to see the world? I'm not going to stand back and let you raise her to be just like you, Klaus," she yelled.

Klaus abruptly left her in his wake, returning to their car, Hayley guessed for the dramatic flair. She knew her words had wounded his ego and said to Hollis 'I'll be back' leaving the pram and her belongings in his care. Dyson leaned against the wall, ready to be at her beck and call, like he had when she was a teen – the one person who understood her; a werewolf like her.

She found Klaus buckling Hope into her car seat.

"You know me, Klaus. I wouldn't put Hope in danger. I didn't mean it to sound like I don't appreciate everything you have done for us. I just wish someone cared enough to find me when I'd turned, ok?"

Klaus grunted, "If it's your impulse to trust in the kindness of those outside of this family, all the more reason you need my protection."

He was just like Elijah, trying to do the noble thing, but she was sick of being told what to do.

"Well, you can stay here, or you can stay inside the pub, because I have the car keys, and Kayla needs my help. You're going to stay here and shut up," Klaus bumped his head on the car roof as he pulled himself out of the car. "I've earned that."

"Hayley, listen to me, Cortez-"

Hayley gritted her teeth, "There is a good chance Hope is going to be dealing with the same thing Kayla is dealing with, and if that day comes, I pray someone makes it their business to help her."

Klaus felt defeated, and frustrated, failing to persuade Hayley to leave, because she was stubborn and strong-willed. She reminded him of Rebekah. He wondered whether Hope would take after her mother, or himself. He wanted what was best for his daughter, and he knew their argument was over. Maybe his reservations weren't solely from losing control of the situation but because of a small amount of jealousy towards Hayley's wild teenage life, and the werewolf prince, who was glaring at him from the pub door.

Hayley touched Klaus' arm, "Being kind doesn't make you weak, Klaus."

He nodded, as if she needed his permission, but understood much to his reluctance, that when Hayley saw something she wanted, she went after it, like he did – maybe that's what was best for Hope, a partnership, more than a game of tug-a-war. He watched the old friends leave together, and unbuckled Hope from her car seat. "Your mother is off saving yet another werewolf, so it's just you and me. Guess, I better try this 'being kind' thing your mother is always talking about. Maybe she's right, maybe if I weren't the Big Bad Wolf, we wouldn't be on the run."

Klaus brought Hope back into the bar, resigned to finish his moonshine, a thought echoed in his mind, giving him a bounce in his step: 'I am Klaus Mikaelson! I don't need anyone, nor will I be warned by lesser men! I am the thing that lesser men fear.'


Klaus found Hayley seated by a dwindling campfire. Dyson had left, to take Kayla to a boarding house, he had passed them on his way. She sat up, worried to see him alone, without their daughter.

"Where's Hope?" her worry was quashed when he pointed to the bar.

"With Hollis, you trust him, I trust you, baby steps as it were. It seems I owe you an apology, little wolf, it seems I've given you a thousand reasons to abandon me, you haven't, yet, so, thank you for my sake, and for our daughter's." Klaus sat on the log beside Hayley, watching the flames disappear.

Hayley relaxed, and returned to her silent thoughts.

"Perhaps you're right. Perhaps, it is time to start living not by my decisions, not by yours, but by what we together decide."

Hayley looked at him, as if for the first time, surprised by his ability to enact kindness.

'Love, loyalty, that's power.'

Maybe he should remember the kindness she had offered him all those years ago, 'before life tore away what little humanity he had, before ego, before anger, before paranoia' created someone his siblings barely recognized.

Before selfishness got in the way of happiness.

"What do you say, partners? For Hope?"

Hayley smiled at Klaus, something rare in their somewhat dysfunctional relationship.

"That would be nice, but these wolves, my old pack. Dyson's been investigating their disappearances - they're being hunted, and you'll never guess by who?"

Klaus reached for Hayley's hand, a gesture of comfort he had learned over the years.

"Kingmaker Land Development Inc," Hayley sighed.

Klaus frowned, with a heavy heart, "Lucien Castle."

A/N: *I tried to research the timelines of both Grimm/TO, but I may still be a little out. I'll do my best to fix any discrepancies later. Yes, I'm including Lost Girl into this narrative, because I wanted to, and because all three fit so well into the AU verse together. Stay tuned to see how. Reviews appreciated, as always. Check out my moodboards and aesthetics for this crossover on tumblr.