Hadley's POV
I've heard the passage of time has the ability to heal all wounds including heartbreak but the greater the betrayal, the deeper the cut and the more difficult the process to trust again becomes. The pain may fade, but the scars left on the heart serve as a reminder of our suffering and make the bearer all the more resolved never to be wounded again. So, as time moves along we get lost in distractions.
Act out in frustration, react with aggression, give in to anger and, all the while we plot and plan as we wait to grow stronger and before we know it, the time passes...
I sighed pausing my writing looking up at the moon seeing it was almost full, nearly an entire month has passed since Hayley and I left the city, left behind the mess that was the Mikaelson family in pursuit to help our pack but more importantly a month since I discovered the truth about Klaus Mikaelson, that he was an absolute loveless jerk.
After Hayley and I had gotten the cure I figured I'd go back to the city to tell Klaus all that I had learnt and that I was gonna help Hayley break the curse on our family but I hadn't ever imagined to walk in on him with another woman, a witch who had been responsible for his and Rebekah's torture even more and he only had stared at me without a care in the world, not a single word of regret, remorse or guilt so I left and haven't been back since roughing it out in the bayou with the wolves in wait for the full moon so that we could break the curse and all while I was nursing a broken heart because I should have known better, I can never truly find my place in this world with anything or anyone because I didn't belong in it, I was nothing but a mistake.
I turned away from the moon as I felt a harsh kick to my side and lowered my hand to rub over the spot smiling softly as I felt another kick and rubbed my hand over it since while I was a mistake I was gonna make damn sure that my daughter never feels as I have my entire life since while she wasn't planned and I probably would have never imagined myself ever becoming a mother before I found out I was pregnant, she was mine and I was going to make sure she never thought she was a mistake or that she isn't loved.
In the next few days more wolves of the crescent pack turned up since only Jackson had remained with us, watching over Hayley and I this whole time waiting for the full moon and when it rose high in the sky they all turned human pulling on clothes while Hayley stirred the pot of food over the fire then handed Jackson the jar that Celeste had made...the cure and he poured it into the food stirring it in before they all tuckered in while I just remained on the outskirts since while I knew this was my pack I still felt like an outsider.
When it came time that they usually all returned to being in wolf form we all stood looking up at the moon with a mixture of emotions all being felt from everyone here waiting in anticipation to see if the cure worked since if it didn't we were out of options seeing as Elijah had killed Celeste without a care in the world if she had lied and the wolves would be cursed for the rest of their lives but we watched as clouds suddenly covered the full moon, it passing its zenith and they remained human which sent a sense of relief through everyone as they hugged and celebrated with their loved ones as it meant the curse was broken and I even smiled when I saw Jackson and Hayley hug from my spot over on the porch where I'd remained.
"No hug, for your big brother?" I heard a little bit later and turned from looking out at the bayou waters smiling just slightly at the sight of Jackson behind me.
"I don't hug" I argued and he laughed a little before he smiled looking at me and I raised an eye. "What?"
"Nothing, you just look so much like our mother" he replied and my face dropped.
"Thanks I guess" I shrugged letting my head drop since it was still new and surreal hearing him say stuff like that since I barely remembered my mother being I was 2 when she had supposedly died and I'd been sent to live with my father, although I had accepted that he is my older half-brother I still wasn't ready to accept that my mother hadn't died and in fact abandoned me and forced me to live with my father when I could have had a different life.
"Hadley-"
"Look Jackson, I accept that your my half-brother according to that book but I'm not ready to be all in the family, I've been there with my father and it sucked and from what you told me my mother abandoned me like some stray dog she didn't want-"
"That's not true"
"And that might be true but my whole life I'd been told that my mother had died and that's why I was sent to live with my father and let me tell you that life sucked just as much, I was his bastard child treated like the outsider and hated by my step-mother, my other half-brother and my Uncle were the only people who actually accepted me but now their both gone from my life and that's still fresh so I'm not ready for more messed up family drama"
"Okay" he nodded solemnly. "Look I get it okay and I'm sorry for dropping all this on you" I nodded my head slightly before he turned and walked away back to the others and I saw Hayley look over at me with a frown as Jackson passed her clearly realizing whatever was supposed to go on between us hadn't been what they'd been expecting, while she was happy to have found her pack I wasn't as ready or had been looking for this so it was gonna take time for me to come to terms with all this especially since she just gained a pack, I gained a brother I didn't even know I had and after what happened with Tyler surely she'd understand my hesitance.
I made my way to my tent climbing in and closed the flap zipping it up even though it did nothing to block out the music, laughter and celebrations nearby as I laid down fully intending on trying to get some sleep which has been a real hit and miss this past month since as my pregnancy was in the final trimester getting comfortable was proving quiet difficult and I did eventually drift off but these people were clearly unused to human customs and I was rudely woken up multiple times by their celebration before eventually I gave up trying to sleep and secluding myself in my tent and climbed out immediately spotting a couple of boys with their shirts off in the midst of a sparring session.
"Shouldn't you be out there playing Fight Club with the rest of the frat boys?" I heard Hayley say as I approached her to watch seeing Jackson walking up to her.
"Nah, that's just for pecking order" Jackson replied smiling. "They already know who's the Alpha"
"Ohh, next up!" the winner of the spar called out and I scoffed rolling my eyes, typical men all out to boost their own egos, I followed Jackson and Hayley inside the nearby barn where the rest of the Crescent wolves are setting the table.
"You gotta try Tucker's ribs" Jackson told us as we started setting out plates for everyone.
"Then, what?" Hayley asked smiling at him.
"Then we're gonna go play horseshoes" I cut in with a fake country backhoe accent and a laugh which Jackson scoffed at laughing.
"Hey, don't mock country living Hadley" Jackson replied.
"Sorry, this is just a lot more family fun than I'm used to" I replied more serious sharing a look with Hayley as she nodded her agreeance.
"Well, maybe I can help you two get used to it" Jackson replied seriously making me look up at him with a small smile since I wasn't sure this was even gonna be a permanent.
"Then all we got to do is just forget that they spent half their life with humans and the other half with vampires" another pack member cut in coming up to us and I turned my eyes glaring towards him.
"Ollie, back off" Jackson warned him.
"It's okay, if the runt of the litter has got something to say he should say it" Hayley snapped back at him.
"You know, word from the Quarter is your boy Elijah's holding some kind of power summit. Guess who wasn't invited?" Ollie which had to be short for Oliver replied and my eyes narrowed even further with that news.
"Where did you hear this?" I asked him.
"It doesn't matter, the point is is that we're stuck here living in the swamp while your vampire boyfriends are deciding who gets what in the city but I guess that shows how much respect he's got for the werewolves, huh?" Oliver replied, I turned to Hayley and we shared a look since all this work breaking their curse was gonna be for nothing if they were still forced to live like wolves, forgotten and ignored in the bayou sniffing around for scraps.
Hayley and I decided that we had to do something and so we made our way to the quarter with me driving us and once there it wasn't hard to figure out where this meeting was taking place and made our way to the church hearing the ruckus inside immediately from the witches and vampires arguing.
"...now returning to the issue of boundaries, you will all heed to the following-"
"Are you serious?" Hayley announces as we barge into the meeting. "You're dividing up the city and the werewolves don't even get a say?"
"What the hell are they doing here?" Diego shouts standing up and pointing at us, I glare straight at him since it's been clear from day one that he's had a problem with me.
"Diego, sit" Elijah told him eyes not even wandering in the vampires direction but Diego took heed of the instruction and sat down, although I hated Elijah it made me smile smugly towards Diego who glared right back. "We are not dividing the city, we're establishing boundaries-"
"No, Elijah!" Hayley yelled cutting Elijah off and I looked back at her shocked for a second before I turned back to face Elijah.
"There is not gonna be a peace if the werewolves are excluded" I told him with a harsh glare.
"They want a seat at the table" Hayley added right as Diego and Genevieve both scoffed and I turned my glare onto Genevieve. "And if they don't get one, I can guarantee that you will all regret it" I smirked in agreeance while the supposed other faction leaders all begin to argue again until Elijah calls them to a stop and tells them to leave for a postponement meeting leaving just me, Hayley and Elijah in the church.
"Do you have any idea what it took just to get those people in one room together!?" Elijah yells at us and I scoff shaking my head.
"No actually I don't, because I didn't even know what you were doing out here until someone else told me" Hayley snapped back at him. "Tell me something, Elijah, did you leave the werewolves out because of me?" she then asked him while I rolled my eyes.
"I excluded them because they no longer reside in the French Quarter, my immediate concern is to end the mounting conflict here" Elijah argues making my glare intensify since there were only outsiders from the quarter because the vampires made them be outsiders by cursing them. "Now, I can assure you once this treaty is solidified it will expand to include your people"
"And until then, we should tell them what...sit...stay...roll over?" I argued glaring at him.
"I would prefer that you remove yourselves from the process all together!" he yells at us and my eyes narrowed even more watching as Elijah's eyes soften especially as he looks at Hayley realizing that he was rude. "Are you absolutely certain that you two shouldn't return to the compound?" he suddenly asked us and I scoffed laughing quite sarcastically since he honestly thought that was safer or that I'd even want to go back being in the same house as Klaus or him.
"You think the baby belongs there, you think that's where she'll be safe?" I asked him and his eyes narrowed at me.
"Is the bayou any better?" he asked and my fists clenched as I took a step forward but Hayley grabbed my hand stopping me.
"The wolves deserve a voice, give them one" she told him while I glared taking a step back rolling my eyes as I started to walk out. "You know it's the right thing to do" I hear Hayley add before her footsteps are following me out.
Third Person's POV
Klaus continues to paint to continue to distract himself while Genevieve walks up behind him, wearing only a robe and her underwear still prattling on about the meeting in which his brother took forth upon himself to organize not that Klaus cared.
"You should have seen your brother's face when Hayley and Hadley walked in" Genevieve smirked placing her hands on his shoulders.
"The Crescent curse is broken, then?" Klaus replied not seeing Genevieve's face fall with the tone of his voice, detached despite the clear relationship the two were in when it came to anything besides the sex.
"Do you believe this will actually work, that we can finally have some semblance of peace in this city?" she went on to ask him not answering his question right as another woman barges into the room unannounced.
"I saw the light from the courtyard and took a chance that..." Cami stops as she notices Genevieve in her underwear. "You weren't with a half-naked psycho-witch, seems I gambled and lost" she remarked bitterly crossing her arms glaring back and forth between the two people in front of her.
"Ten minutes ago, I was fully naked" Genevieve smirked.
"Oh then you served your purpose, don't let me hold you up" Cami remarked sarcastically.
"You O'Connell's sure do love to piss off witches" Genevieve spits getting into Cami's face before she leaves Cami and Klaus to talk and Cami waits until Genevieve has left before she turns back to Klaus.
"Really?" she spat towards Klaus. "The woman tried to blackmail me into stabbing you with the mystical knife of excruciating pain!"
"Well, New Orleans breeds nothing if not strange bedfellows but I assume you're not here to question me on my leisure activities" Klaus argues walking past her into the other room towards his liquor tray and began pouring himself something from one of the bottles.
"I'm here about my Uncle he's deteriorating, the pills, the meditation, they're not working his lucidity's shrinking by the day, a witch did this a witch can undo it, you seem super-tight with Genevieve...maybe you could persuade her to help" Klaus argued turning back towards her.
"It won't do any good, these hexes they start with magic but as they take root, they alter the very chemistry of the brain...I'm sorry, Cami the damage is done"
"I refuse to accept that and you would, too, if you had any concept of family or love" Cami spits walking out of the room leaving Klaus to frown as he knew she added the love part as a way to remind him of their talks where they spoke about a certain werewolf and undesirable feelings.
Hadley's POV
Hayley and I were both impressed and surprised to receive an invite to a party being held and hosted at the abattoir by Elijah but I could see this for what it was, a ploy to put all factions in one place as a way to make peace between us even though I knew that it would be a lost cause, there was too much history here to have peace and I tried to tell the wolves this but I was outvoted which is why I had found myself dressed up in a dress that made me look all oddly put out in the front from my bump looking around at the Oliver, Jackson and Hayley as we made our way into the party.
I separated from the others as I looked around trying to ignore the loud music and bodies all moving to the beat since this is seriously the last place I wanted to be right now but at least it seemed Klaus wasn't around and I haven't run into Genevieve which was one plus right now but the negative was that it didn't look like I was going to enjoy being a sober pregnant woman at a party surrounded by strangers and I couldn't even drink to make it bearable.
"Would you care to dance Hadley?" I turned eyes widening when I saw Elijah holding out his hand towards me.
"I'm not Hayley, Elijah" I scoffed glaring at him. "Go find her" I went to walk away but he caught my hand and pulled me into a dance position anyway. "Let go of me" I growled out angrily.
"I understand your anger-"
"Not seriously if you think you can manhandle me" I spat venomously looking around seeing if there was anyone around but it seemed like everyone in which was on my side was missing although I did see Klaus on the balcony and he was with Genevieve making me glare especially when I saw him kiss her cheek. "Although I am surprised you got Klaus to come out and play" I scoffed turning away from the scene.
"Yes, it seems that only a sizeable soirée is enough to tear my brother away from his efforts at the easel" he replied and I stopped short at his words turning to actually look at him since that didn't sound good.
"That's never a good sign" I sighed shaking my head. "Klaus once told me that his painting was a metaphor for control, for achieving his vision through sheer force of will" I sighed chancing a look towards the balcony again but Klaus was gone.
"Well truthfully, I'd be shocked if he didn't have at least a dozen or so of those visions swarming around in that insidious skull of his, I do hope your daughter inherits her mother's..." he paused moving his eyes over me. "Everything" he finished and I scoffed.
"What do you really want Elijah?" I asked over the pointless conversation.
"I want you to control your pack" I glared at him stepping away.
"For one their not my pack, they're people and I don't need to control them" I tore my arms away from him and walked away towards the drinks table where I made a grab for the clearest of liquids lifting to my nose but recoiled at the smell of vodka.
"Can I get you something to drink, love?" I froze at the voice behind me.
"I'd rather take my chances with the alcohol" I scoffed pointing the bottle down hesitating for a second before I turned to face him. "What do you want?"
"To ask a lady to dance" he smirked holding out a hand towards me.
"Well then I'm sure Genevieve is around here somewhere awaiting for you to do just that" I scoffed and started walking away but he caught my arm. "Let go of me Klaus"
"Hadley..." he trailed off looking down and it caused me to stop but my glare didn't leave my face as I stared down at his hand still gripping my wrist.
"What is it with you Mikaelson's and manhandling me, care to let me go?" I spat and he looked up with a frown before he turned and I followed his eyes seeing Elijah dancing with Hayley.
"One dance, love that's all I'm asking" he finally replied letting go of my wrist to hold out his hand towards me again, I frowned but rolled my eyes taking his hand figuring I could just get it over and done with and he smiled leading me out to where people were dancing and he pulled me close with an arm wrapped around my waist while holding onto my other hand while I placed my hand on his shoulder.
I looked anywhere but at him as we danced listening to the music create a calm and relaxing vibe around us despite the company all around us an inch from killing each other but the more time spent with his hand on my lower back and gripping mine as he led us in a dance and as more moments passed I found my eyes wandering towards him seeing his eyes on me the moment I turned towards him and I sighed lowering my eyes again.
"It is weird, being back here" I said since the silence was becoming even more awkward than this situation.
"You are the one that left" he replied making me stop as I looked up at him with furrowed brows.
"Well it doesn't really seem like you care" I spat narrowing my eyes in a glare. "You wasted no time in jumping into bed with another woman"
"And yet here you are with the wolves, you and I aren't so different-"
"Don't pull that shit with me again Klaus, you and I couldn't be any different-"
"I guess your right" he replied with a heavy frown, I scoffed and went to step away but his arm tightened around my waist, even inching lower which made me glare at him.
"Let me go Klaus" I spat looking around to where I saw Jackson and Hayley now dancing but Jackson looked up and caught my eyes with a frown to which I frowned back then turned to face Klaus seeing he'd seen the reaction.
"You know him?" Klaus asked and if I didn't know him better I'd say he was jealous.
"A friend..." I replied but then frowned. "My half-brother actually" I added and actually watched Klaus's eyes widen in surprise.
"Tyler-" I looked up with a small glare hearing his name as it reminded me of the betrayal.
"Is my half-brother on my fathers side but it seems the other side of my family is just as messed up and that there was more connecting me to New Orleans than just chasing after vengeance against Hayley, my mother...she is from here and Jackson over there is my older half-brother" I told him even though I didn't even owe him anything and his eyes showed a number of different emotions before he looked at me. "Klaus-"
"Come back to live here Hadley" he suddenly said stepping back but remained a hold on my arm.
"Why?" I asked taking a step back as well. "Because you don't think it's safe in big, bad wolf country?" his face fell before hardening into the famous Klaus glower. "I'm not gonna sit in a rocking chair and knit booties but clearly you haven't figured that out yet so why don't you just run back to your witchy side piece" I pulled my arm out of his grasp and walked away.
But just as I walked away I heard the glass shattering and looked up seeing Diego had picked Oliver up and threw him across the courtyard, where he fell onto a table covered in glasses of champagne, which had shattered upon impact before Diego vamp-speeds over to him but Oliver pins him against a wall but that didn't last as suddenly Elijah appears and pulls Oliver off of him before pushing him against a table.
"This ends now" he warned holding Oliver's head down who growled in defiance.. "I won't ask again"
"Oh, we'll end it all right" Jackson suddenly interrupted and Elijah looks over to find him pinning Diego to the wall, a stake aimed right at his heart and I smirked since this party just got interesting.
"What's stopping you?" Hayley quickly cut in walking down the stairs. "Kill him, go ahead Elijah do it, I mean it's not like he doesn't deserve to die" I frowned towards her before I turned back to the scene taking up the courtyard now as everyone had stopped to watch and make room for the fight.
"Shouldn't you intervene or something?" I heard a woman say behind me and I turned seeing her standing next to Klaus.
"Why would I, this party just got interesting" Klaus replied and I rolled my eyes crossing my arms hating that we had the same thought.
"I mean, it was Oliver who handed Rebekah over to the witches so they could torture her but then again wasn't it Diego who led a werewolf massacre last month and the witches cursed the wolves, while the humans stood back and let it all happen...so when you think about it, everyone here deserves to die" Hayley went on.
"Are approaching a point?" Elijah snapped cutting her off and I glared at his raised voice.
"My point Elijah, is this...if we can't all learn to get along, if our families can't create some sort of community then what's the point?" she snapped back. "Kill each other and get it all over with" she adds and clearly after considering Hayley's words, Elijah finally let's go of Oliver and Jackson reluctantly let's go of Diego as well and just like that in a messed up way the treaty being solidified and agreed to by all factions...at least for now.
With that it seemed the the party was over so the werewolves all returned to the bayou and as usual I found myself on the outskirts of the celebration as the wolves set up a banquet given wolves tend to eat a lot but after tonight I was wasn't really feeling the festivities but I never really have felt that warm and fuzzy feeling of belonging.
"Hey...to Hayley!" Jackson suddenly called out as him and Hayley shared a smile.
"To Hayley!" the wolves echoed all raising their beers and glasses in honor of Hayley making me frown since I still wasn't all warm and fuzzy with Hayley either despite being in such close proximity and she clearly fit in here better than I ever could or was being given the chance to.
I backed up out of the barn since it was clear I didn't belong here so I returned to my tent climbing in closing the flap and pulled out an art pad, one that I'd brought to replace the one that had burned up in the plantation fire and flipped through it to a drawing I'd done of Klaus, a portrait of him as a way of memorializing the brief time we spent together and it brought a tear to my face since I had cared for him but he threw me away like everyone else does...I have nothing in my life that is mine...except my baby girl but how did I know that he wasn't planning on taking that happiness away from me too.