32 | EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE AND INTOXICATED

Elijah Mikaelson was holding onto his famous self control with his all of his supernatural strength. Being stuck between two stubborn and hard headed and more than a little murderous siblings, was not his idea of fun. Not that he had much fun to being with, but between Klaus' evening adventures with Genevieve and Khalia leave a trail of bodies behind her every night, the oldest living Original was exhausted. And on top of all that, he still needed to keep the supernatural community in check.

The only blessing, however small it may be, was that when Khalia returned home once a week, she slept the whole day long and he used that time to clean up the mess she left behind.

Not for the first time in the month that has passed since Rebekah's has left New Orleans, did Elijah silently curse Hayley. He knew that the real reason his sister was acting out like this was because of the werewolf's girl departure from the Compound and decision to stay in the  Bayou. No matter how much Khalia might swear she was just catching up on 'me time' he would never believe it.

And yet, when he passed by his sister's room and saw her snuggled in her covers with a blissfully peaceful look on her face as she slept deeply, he couldn't even being to remember the anger that he felt everytime he had to clean up her mess.

Peace was something that his sister didn't experience easily - being attracted to the opposite gender has always been something that always made her stand out. Not that the people who made a comment about her preferences lived very long afterwards - either Khalia or Kol would dispose of said person. After Kol's death, peace of mind evaded her even more so.

It was only the last few months here in New Orleans - and he would easily admit to anyone but his sister that it was due to Hayley's presence in their lives - that Khalia was starting to get better. That she was unknowingly letting Hayley start to put her broken heart back together.

Then Hayley left and unintentionally undid all of her hard work - shattering Khalia's heart all over again and now his sister was spiraling down a path darker than before and he had begun to fear that she might never return to the light.

But seeing the look on her face, the faint upwards tug of her lips as she slept and most likely dreamt of something wonderful - probably a life where Kol was alive, or perhaps a life where she and Hayley were together - Elijah felt hope swell in his chest.

Khalia wasn't completely lost yet, there was still hope for her.

If there was an extra skip in his step with the realisation, no one would notice because his one sibling was asleep and the other was quietly conversing with his red-head bed companion. Rounding his way into Klaus' room, a look of distaste covered his face.

He made it perfectly clear that he didn't like Genevieve a lick and chased her out of his home as fast as possible, knowing that she would return later on. After arguing with his brother about leaving the city to its own devices, he called a meeting with the supernatural factions.

A meeting which Hayley crashed.

"Do you have any idea what it took just to get those people in one room together?" Elijah glared at the pregnant girl after all of the different factions decided to leave because they didn't want the werewolves in the city.

"No, actually, I don't! Because I didn't even know what you were doing out here until someone else told me. Tell me something, Elijah. Did you leave the werewolves out because of me? To punish me for leaving?" Hayley retorted heatedly, heart still aching as bad as it did the moment she walked in the church and didn't see Khalia by Elijah's side.

"I excluded them because they no longer reside in the French Quarter. My immediate concern is to end the mounting conflict here. Now, I can assure you once this treaty is solidified, it will expand to include your people." Elijah tried to assure the angry wolf girl.

"And until then, I should tell them what? Sit? Stay? Roll over?" The werewolf snarked at him.

Elijah's voice raises into a shout, "I would prefer that you remove yourself from the process all together!" Hayley glares back at him, and Elijah realizes that he was rude. His demeanor becomes softer. "Hayley, are you absolutely certain that you shouldn't return to the compound?"

Hayley laughs sarcastically to hide the knee weakening pain she was feeling, "You think the baby belongs there? You think that's where she'll be safe?"

In truth, she wanted to return to the Compound. She just didn't think she would be welcomed by the vampire that has wriggled her way into her heart. The female Original, who hasn't visited her down in the Bayou once this month or answered even one of her calls or text messages. When Klaus visited her two weeks ago to check on her, he told her that Khalia is rarely home anymore and was always leaving a trail of bodies in her wake and when she was home, she just slept. Hayley spent the last two weeks crying herself to sleep because the hurt was just to much to brush off.

"Is the Bayou any better?" Elijah retorted immediately.

"The wolves deserve a voice. Give them one. You know it's the right thing to do." Hayley was about to leave, when she stopped. She didn't want to ask, knew she wouldn't like the answer, but she needed to know. "How is she?" The werewolf's voice was soft, vulnerable.

"Spiraling." Elijah answered curtly, knowing exactly who Hayley was talking about. He gave a slight glare, "But she will be fine."

She inhaled in a sharp breath of air when she got that Elijah didn't really want to talk about Khalia with her and even held her somewhat responsible for his sister's current state. Blinking back tears, Hayley walked out of the church, only letting the droplets escape her eyes when she was outside the church.

***

"Time for you to get up, it is a wonderful day outside!" A false cheery voice roused the Demon Mikaelson from her slumber.

"Fuck off, Elijah." Khalia grumbled, pulling her legs up and into a fetal position when he took away her blankets. Her brother ignored her and pulled open the curtains that led to her balcony with one hand, blankets in the other. She moaned and turned to the opposite side to avoid the light.

"Khalia, I understand that you like to do what you want, but this is something else. This is you getting out of control." Elijah said, starting to fold her comforter. When he was done, he laid it on the chair by her dresser.

"Newsflash, Elijah, I'm always out of control." She spat heatedly, slowly opening her eyes to give him a heated glare. The male Mikaelson thought that his sister had a real gift to give a killer glare like the one he was recieving with sleep filled eyes. "And if I was meant to be controlled, I would have come with a remote."

"Well, this has gone on for long enough. I will no longer tolerate it." He snapped back, pushing his hands into the pockets of his trousers and looking at her sternly, his entire face screamed determination and the immortal girl sighed.

"I can do what I want." Khalia rolled her eyes, pulling herself up into a sitting position. The female Original started rubbing at her eyes to remove the sleep from her eyes as well as her system.

"Then I suggest you do it on your own and leave the Compound." Elijah told her, his voice harsh and final as he stared at her.

Khalia hid a wince, his words was cutting into the raw wound in her chest, "You're kicking me out because of a little partying?" She gave him a coy smile, hiding the hurt she was feeling.

Elijah scoffed, silently seething at her words. "You have left countless bodies in your wake that I've had to spent hours compelling away or else this entire city would have decended into panic." He ranted, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I never asked you to." She snapped at him.

"No, but I have done it regardless, because someone had to and it wasn't going to be you." Elijah told her with a pointed look, disappointment in his tone.

Khalia stayed quiet for a long time, looking out the window with a distant gaze. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. Eventually she spoke, all of the heat and hostility from earlier was gone. "Why do you even bother? I'm so fucked up, we all are."

Elijah sighed quietly. He looked at his strong and resilliant sister, the fiercest one of them all, that was broken into so many pieces. How she remained standing upright, was a wonder to him. He offered her a gentle smile, "You are my sister, Khalia, and I love you as much as you frustrate me."

"So, what are my alternatives?" Khalia asked, looking at him with a cold smirk on her face and a dark glint in her eyes to hide the fact that she was asking because she didn't want to leave.

"Attend the party with me and Niklaus that I will be hosting in an effort to unite the factions." Elijah said smoothly, even though he was nervous inside. He didn't know if his sister would want to face Hayley.

Khalia tensed, knowing that factions meant everyone. The witches and vampires were no trouble to her. The werewolves on the other hand? Well, she could deal with them too. Thing is, she didn't want to see or deal with a certain pregnant werewolf that her heart was longing for with more force than Khalia knew possible. "Will be the mutts be attending?"

"Yes." Elijah answered honestly. If he lied to her, he would only recieve another ass kicking. The one he had a month ago was still fresh in his mind and he didn't want a repeat any time soon.

"How much booze will there be avalible for me?" She tilted her head at him, her gaze questioning as she rose an eyebrow.

"As much as you want." Elijah promised, even if he thought that a drunk Khalia between people she doesn't like was quite possibly the worst idea in the world.

More silence fell upon them, Khalia contemplating and weighing her options. She looked at her brother with hard eyes, obviously raising the protective hackles around her heart. "I'll be by your side."

A few hours later, Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson was looking down at the eldest Mikaelson's impromptu party from the balcony, where all the factions can come celebrate together and mingle. Khalia was busy downing glass after glass of vodka, while Genevieve enters with Davina, Abigail, and Monique in tow. Diego and the other vampires are drinking together when they see Jackson, Sierra, Hayley, Oliver and the other werewolves entering the party.

"I'm impressed, brother." Elijah complimented, he honestly had doubted over whether it would work or not, but so far, so good.

"Yes." Klaus smiled at him.

"Now if I can just keep them from tearing one another to shreds." Elijah said, eyes scanning the crowd.

"Well, then for your sake, here's to a spectacularly boring evening. " Klaus raised his glass at his brother. Everyone is mingling at the party and Klaus' eyes flickered to his sister's form, watching as she knocked back drink after drink. "Do you think she'll be alright?"

Elijah winced when he saw that his sister wasn't stopping her drinking. An emotionally unstable and intoxicated Khalia could only go very bad. He took a deep breath, "We'll find out, won't we?"

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Okay, I'm so sorry for taking so long to update. I had written chapter 32 twice and both times it just vanished and I was just so dejected and angry because it's alot of work, so I took some time to lick my wounds, but I'm back now.

I know, not much Khalia or Hayley in this chapter and it is short, but the next one will be better, I promise.

Also, for those of you that forgot, Sierra is my OC and love interest for Jackson.

Sneak Peak: Haylia will share a dance.

-Mixie