20 | PIECE OF HER BROKEN HEART

There was sunlight streaming through her bedroom window when Khalia finally woke up. Her eyes fluttered open and she noticed a body snuggled into hers. A goofy grin lit her lips as she remembered who it is. She took a deep breath and revelled in the scent of apples and rain that is so uniquely Hayley and the feel of her body pressed against hers. Finally, the Original came back down to earth and got up. And if there was an extra jump in her step as she walked to the kitchen, she would never admit it.

"Hello Khalia." A voice greeted from behind her and she froze slightly, abandoning her task for the moment, before turning to the source of the voice. Her eyes narrowed as she held his gaze, waiting for him to say something else or to leave. She knew that the only way Elijah would be standing here is if Klaus allowed it and forgave him. The female Original also knew that Klaus most likely felt guilty over daggering him and that's why he forgave Elijah so quickly. But just because he forgave Elijah, doesn't mean she has to.

"I wanted to apologize to you." He finally said. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a perfect eyebrow. "For using Kol as a manner to try and gain your loyalty. It was uncalled for and I really hope you can forgive me." Khalia felt something in her heart shift. And she suddenly felt like hugging her brother and telling him it's okay. It then hit the brunette female that she forgave her brother already, despite her thoughts a few seconds ago. She frowned at how quickly she forgave her brother and something in the back of her mind told her that it has something to do with a certain pregnant werewolf currently sleeping in her bed.

Her frowned deepened at the thought and she went back to making the ham and cheese sandwiches she was busy with. Eventually, she spun around, the knife she used to cut the cheese pointing at Elijah. "I don't get you, Elijah. For a thousand years, you've defended Klaus. You've, you've stood by his side. You helped him daggered Kol. You've helped him daggered me. And then Hayley shows up and suddenly you're ready to accept the worst of our brother."

"Khalia, you as well as I know what Niklaus is capable of. What I cannot understand is, why the thought hasn't crossed your mind at least once?" He retorted calmly, taking a step towards his sister.

"Because I finally get it." She admitted, her voice suddenly uncharacteristically soft. She turned around, placing the knife on the counter. Her chest closed up and she had to take deep breaths. Elijah waited, feeling the emotional pain and grief rolling of her in waves, his own heart clenching painfully in his chest, giving her time. "Pain changes you. Be it emotional or physical. And I don't think any of us realised how much Niklaus hurt from what mother and father did to him. He was so good at hiding it that we didn't realise it until he was so changed from the pain that he held in his heart, that it was too late."

Elijah couldn't speak, the words from his extensive vocabulary failing him. Khalia turned back around, quickly finishing the sandwiches and going back up to her room. She left them on the bedside table before speeding out of the compound to find herself some breakfast.

***

Later that day, Khalia was lounging around the Compound, nursing a bottle of vodka. Today was the celebration of the Casket Girls. In other words: an excuse for Khalia to get drunk. Not that the brunette female Mikaelson actually needs one, but she has been drinking less and less as Hayley's stomach expanded - unconsciously trying to do and be better for the baby and the mother of the baby.

"Khalia!" The panicked voice of Hayley called out and the female Mikaelson shot up from the couch, bottle of vodka forgotten as she sped of to the where the cry came from. She heard the familiar heartbeats in Hayley's room and entered without knocking. She froze at the sight. Hayley was standing in front of a mirror, trying to fasten the zipper on the vintage wedding dress she's found. A sigh of relief escape slipped past the vampire's lips when she saw that the werewolf is unharmed.

"Fucking hell, sweetheart. You nearly have me a heart attack." The Mikaelson said, a little breathless from the fear she felt just seconds again. Her eyes trailed over Hayley's figure and heat rose up in her chest, spreading up and going to her face, making her feeling flustered.

"Can vampires even have heart attacks?" The werewolf asked curiously and a bit sarcastically. Khalia shrugged as she composed herself by crossing her arms over her chest and taking a deep breath as she walked further into the room.

"I don't know but if we can, then I'm sure you'll figure out how to give me one." The girl deadpanned and Hayley laughed heartily, making Khalia's stomach do all sorts of funny things. It was strange, but in a good way. The vampire briefly wondered what this feelings was, but gave up on trying to figure it out and put it in the box she labelled 'Feelings around Hayley' just like she did with all of the other new feelings the werewolf woke up in her. "You need my help? I'm assuming that's why you called me." She noted, pointing to the dress.

Hayley nodded, her cheeks flushed. "Yeah, but you might need all of your vampire strength."

Khalia let out a chuckle as she walked to the pregnant werewolf girl. "Oh, I highly doubt that, sweetheart."

The vampire stands behind and has to swallow down the desire that rises up in her at the sight of the bare back with the exposed, smooth skin, begging her to just mark the girl as her own. Khalia takes the zipper in hand and easily pulls it up. Her knuckles brushing the warm skin as she does, sending blazing hot sparks up her arm. A trail of fire follows Khalia's hands, goose bumps rising on Hayley's tanned skin and a shiver runs through her body. The Mikaelson girl fastens the buttons on the dress, locking her brown eyes on Hayley's hazel-green ones in the mirror. The two girls stares at each other, neither of them willing, wanting or able to move their gazes. "All done." The immortal said, but made no attempt to move.

Where she gets the strength, Hayley will never know as she tears her gaze away from the vampire and turns around so she can face Khalia. Barely an inch apart, Hayley wonders if she can make her move and just kiss the vampire already, consequences be damned. Her brain being frozen, Khalia has no control over her actions as her hands moves and plants themselves on Hayley's hips. Being in a similar situation, Hayley's hands move up to grip the vampire's upper arms. The gravitate closer, lips almost in touching reach but at the last second, the vampire turns her head and rests their cheeks together.

"We can't." She whispered, knowing what the werewolf wants, but also knowing that she can't give it to her.

"Why not?" Hayley countered, her eyes stinging as tears welling up in them.

"I've told you why not." The vampire reminded her, referring to their conversation right after they moved into the Compound. She stepped away from the werewolf and it was like an icy wind blew over them as both of them felt cold as Khalia moved away from the werewolf.

"No," Hayley denied, shaking her head. "You told me that you don't want to get hurt. Not why we couldn't be together."

"That is why we can't be together." The immortal girl persisted, knowing that she was lying.

"Your lying."

"Let it go, Hayley."

"I'm not going to let it go, Khalia. I want to know what you're hiding from me. What, am I not good enough for you? Or is it because I'm pregnant with your brother's child? Tell me, what is it?" The werewolf spoke frantically, taking a step forwards for every step that Khalia took backwards.

"No, it's none of those things." She paused for a few seconds. "It's not one thing, sweetheart. It's a million little things that pushes together and causes me to shut everyone but my family out." Khalia finally admitted, hoping that Hayley would accept it and let it go.

"Then tell me." The pregnant girl practically begged. "Tell me why you keep pushing me away. Why you-you keep rejecting me." Her voice was a soft whisper by the end and Khalia's last resolve broke as she heard the pain in Hayleý's voice. She sighed deeply, running a hand through her chocolatey locks.

"It's going to take a while, so you might want to get out of that dress." The vampire said and Hayley immediately turned around so that Khalia could button down the dress one again. This time neither of them paid attention to the sparks and the fire that erupted between them. It was barely fifteen minutes later when Hayley was sitting on the edge of her bed, it was difficult to stay on her feet for long periods of time, and Khalia paced up and down. She wasn't very good with words. Actually, that's a lie. She is very good with words, her crafty insults being the evidence of that. No, it was feelings she had a problem with. And putting that feelings into words was the biggest problem of all.

"It all goes back to me losing Kol." She eventually said, breaking the tense silence that fell onto them. "From there on out, I decided to never let someone else in ever again, not that I had to begin with. Kol and I always just had each other and that was enough for us. I decided that because I never wanted to feel the pain of losing someone ever again. I never wanted feel that kind of pain ever again. Not for as long as I live."

Silence enveloped them once again, Hayley absorbing and thinking over the words. "But you're not really living."

"What?" Khalia asked, her brows dipping in confusion.

"You cut yourself of anything and everything. You're not living, Khalia. You survive from day to day, and barely as it is." The werewolf told her, standing up and walking towards the girl.

Khalia shut down, locking her feelings away at the words. Her eyes were icy, the normally chocolate brown eyes was not pitch black and nothing but coldness seeped from them. "Maybe, but I'd rather just survive for the rest of eternity than ever feel again."

"So, what? You just give up?"

"You don't know what it felt like." The vampire all but growled at the werewolf, glaring at her with those heart piercingly cold eyes.

"Then show me." Hayley said, the words out of her mouth before she could stop them. She walked forward and grabbed Khalia's hands on her own, bringing them up to her face and placing her index fingers on her temples. Determined to finally understand, she practically commanded, "Show me."

Khalia didn't want to relive it ever again. But if there was one person she'd do it for, it is Hayley. Even as she pushed her away, Hayley would always be the one person she could speak to about Kol and not fall back into the darkness of her mind - that was the one thing that stood out to her the few times she had spoken a few words to the werewolf about her twin.

Then, just before they reached the house, she felt it but kept running until she saw the Gilbert house. The white hot pain shot through her, then the mental pain of their twin bond being ripped apart came and finally, when she came to a stop in the doorway of the Gilbert house, she saw her twin being burned to death.

Flames licking on every inch of his body, the white oak stake burning with him. Two tears slipped down Khalia's cheeks. Just two, before her knees gave way and Klaus heard her let out a piercing scream.

Agony filled her, spreading out into every vein, every pore and imbedding itself into her bones. Into her soul, until she couldn't help but wanting to let it out. "NOOOO!" It was the most heart breaking, devastating scream ever released in the history of the world. It went on for miles and miles. Khalia was vaguely aware of being caught by Klaus, but she didn't care.

Khalia removed her fingers from Hayley's temples and opened her eyes, only to find them blurry. She brought her hands up to wipe them and discovered that her eyes and cheeks were wet. She hastily wiped them, not liking to cry. She blinked them away quickly and looked at the werewolf.

Hayley was breathless, it was as if she was there. As if she felt it herself and it was so over whelming that she found herself struggling to breath. "How- how did you survive that?" She whispered, the devastating pain still fresh in her mind.

"For the longest time, I didn't. I just got high on blood, barely sleeping as I partied night and day, trying to drink the pain away. Then one day, I got a call from my saintly noble brother - as Niklaus would put it - asking for help. And when I got to New Orleans, I found something to live for again when he asked me to help protect you."

Khalia hoped that Hayley would finally understand. And Hayley did, she decided that for now she would be happy with what she can get from the vampire and decided that she would treasure the memory that Khalia shared with her, in her heart. Yes, it is a painful one but it was a part of Khalia that she gave to Hayley, a piece of her broken heart. And the werewolf girl would cherish it forever.

***

A lot of feels, I know. But I hope you enjoyed it inspire of that.

-Mixie