39 | LIKELINESS OF YOU LOVING ME

The next morning, Khalia was in the Compound’s kitchen, sitting on the counter and sipping on a blood bag. Still dressed in her pajamas and not feeling very much like getting out of them – in fact she was planning on sleeping some more after she finished, the girl simply continued to lazily feed her empty stomach, swinging her legs in a child-like manner. The female Original knew it was only a matter of time before one or both of her brother’s would come and disrupt her morning.

Khalia was proven correct when not even five minutes later, Klaus walked into the kitchen. She eyed him, “Just out of curiosity, do you and Elijah play rock-paper-scissors every morning to see who gets to come and talk me into whatever shit you’re planning to get up to for the day?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Khalia, we’re not immature.” The Hybrid grinned; face full of amusement, but there was something off about it. His eyes were dimmer than usual, almost as if he hadn’t gotten enough sleep or had a nightmare. Khalia stored the information and promised herself that if it doesn’t get better within a week, she’d beat the truth out of him and then help him through whatever is haunting him. For now, she’d leave him be. “We draw lots.”

“Of course you do.” She snarked in a deadpan voice.

Klaus squinted at his sister, “And why aren’t you dressed?”

“Because I’m going to back to bed.” Khalia answered in a duh tone, emptying her third blood bag for that morning, letting it drop to her right side and grabbing bag number four of five that laid on her left side.

“Aren’t you coming to Father Kieran’s funeral?” Klaus frowned at his sister, at the very idea of her not coming with them, really.

“No, I barely knew him.” Khalia shook her head, pulling the blood bag open with her teeth. “Why would I?”

“Please?”

“No.”

Klaus scowled, “Don’t be so stubborn.”

“No.” Khalia still denied.

“Come on, little sister.”

“No.”

“I need someone to keep me company.”

“You’ll have Elijah.”

“There will be an open bar.” Klaus offered, much like Elijah not above using alcohol to try and bribe their sister.

“No fucking way.”

Klaus gaped for a few seconds. “When did that stop working?”

“Right around the time I stopped drinking like an alcoholic.” Khalia retorted. She never admit out loud that it is because Hayley’s due date was nearing and she didn’t want to be a bad influence for the baby, or stinking of booze every time she goes near the child. Yes, it was still a month away, but she needs to get used to not drinking so much.

“What, are you in a twelve step program now?” Klaus grumbled petulantly, frowning crossly.

Khalia rolled her eyes to the back of her head. “Oh, yes. Step one: kill annoying siblings to relieve stress.”

“I hate you.” The Hybrid sulked but finally accepted his sister’s answer.

“I love you too.” Khalia grinned cheerily, ruffling her brother’s hair before hopping of the counter (making Klaus grin like a loon, because that was something she did just with Kol), grabbing her last blood bag – leaving the empty ones for Klaus to throw away – and walking back to her room. She dove for her bed and finished her blood bags before snuggling back into her bed and blankets, dozing off contently.

***

Klaus’ day was going from bad to worse. Waking up with a nightmare about his father was not the way he wanted to start his day. His bad day got worse when Elijah told him that he’d been dreaming about their father as well. Klaus made a mental not to ask his sister if she dreamt about Mikael too – because as much as she loves to complain and whine and speak at a louder than socially acceptable volume, she has a tendency to slam shut with the really important things. Evident in her lack of talking about the pain Kol’s death caused her.

His day completely went off the rails when Genevieve shouts for him to come help her. Both Mikaelson brother’s turn to her and saw Hayley coughing. From the smell, the werewolf was coughing up blood. Klaus and Elijah rush to help her, but before they get there she collapses on the sidewalk. Forgetting about the humans, they speed the last few feet to the pregnant woman.

The two picked her up and carried Hayley into the compound and lay her on a table.

“Right, so which one of us is telling Khalia?” Klaus asked, not wanting that job if he could pass it off to his older brother. If there was one thing they knew, it was that their sister could sleep – she didn’t even wake up when they were back home earlier and Klaus made a call to Bonnie Bennett, to hear what is happening to the Other Side that Mikael had the power to invade their dreams and turn them into nightmares.

“And what is it that Khalia needs to know?” Their sister asked from up the staircase, voice light with a hint of humor. She had woken up half an hour ago, gotten dressed and was planning on stopping by the funeral to keep Klaus company. Not to catch a glimpse of Hayley. Not at all. Khalia looked down to the courtyard and froze. Because down there, on a table, laid a completely unresponsive and unconscious Hayley.

Khalia kept staring at the unmoving body blankly, her own body stock still as she internally shut down, shoving out any and all emotions as best she could. It wasn’t quite like when she still had a humanity switch, but it was close enough and it helped her from breaking all over again. She didn’t even notice Genevieve, who was with her brothers, in hopes of helping.

“I can help-” The red-head tried.

Elijah pushes her away from the table, knowing that Khalia would have fit if the witch touched the pregnant werewolf. He snarled at her, “Don't you touch her!”

Then the oldest Original glance up at his sister. Her expression was blank, void of any emotions. He was glad for it, because if she let the emotions in – the hurt, the fear, the worry – then there will be no telling what she will do, what her reaction will be. Will she help them? Will she explode and destroy everything within her sight? Elijah had no idea. That terrified him as much as the idea of losing Hayley.

“Let it be. She was a nurse.” Klaus admonished his brother.

That got her out of Khalia out of her frozen stupor. She sped forward and shoved Genevieve in the chest, the witch flying through the air. Klaus went to catch her, sped back to where Khalia was standing in front of Hayley protectively. Eyes dark and empty, voice flat and without a trace of emotion, she finally spoke. “There is no fucking way I’d let her touch my sweetheart.”

“There's a spell I can do.” Genevieve raised her arms in a show of surrender as she tried to reason with the vampire.

“Fuck off.” Came the detached reply.

“Sister, this might be her only hope.” Elijah interjected, not liking it but knowing that they don’t have any other options either. He watched as a flash of something passed through his sister’s eyes.

Khalia looked down at the werewolf’s still form, her heart twisting painfully in her chest. She pushed the emotion away and looked at the witch. “You get one chance. If there is so much as an eyelash out of place, you won’t see the next sunrise.”

Genevieve nodded, looked over at the Hybrid. “Klaus, get chamomile from the pantry.” She looks at Hayley, who is barely conscious. “She's trembling. Your jacket, Elijah.”

Elijah removes his jacket and lays it over Hayley.  Khalia stood guard, watching the witch with hawk eyes as she avoided looking at Hayley’s motionless body. “She's not breathing, I can hear the baby's heartbeat, but not hers.”

Genevieve checks Hayley's pulse, and Klaus returned with chamomile. She spelled it so it would turn damp.

Khalia hovered by Hayley’s unresponsive side. She looked at the red-head witch. “Is there anything I can do to help her?”

“You can press this against her forehead.” Genevieve handed her the damp bundle of chamomile. Khalia took it wordlessly and gently pressed it against Hayley's forehead while Genevieve chants a spell in French. “Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen. Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen.”

Nothing happened after Genevieve stopped chanting and Khalia pulled the chamomile away. The female Original looks away from the werewolf, not liking the way her heart starts throbbing every time she lays eyes on her.  Klaus, frustrated and scared, bites into his wrist and dribbles in into Hayley's mouth in hopes that it will heal her. Again, nothing happens as Hayley lies with the Hybrid’s blood all over her mouth and neck.

“Come on!” Klaus shouted, fear showing in his face as he looks at Elijah.

“She's still not breathing. It's not working!” He angrily throws a table against the brick wall, shattering it into pieces. Elijah is pacing at Hayley's bedside, Klaus was just standing nearby as Genevieve continues to work her spell.

“Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen.” The witch continued chanting.

Khalia watches on from the head of the table, hands resting each side of Hayley’s head, eyes on Genevieve, emotionless and about as responsive as Hayley is.

Elijah moves to pick up Hayley, “I'm taking her to a real doctor.”

“If you move her from here, my spell will break. There won't be enough time to get her to a hospital.” Genevieve warns and Elijah lets go of the werewolf against, heart dropping to his feet. He looked at his quiet, withdrawn sister in worry. Would she ever recover if they couldn’t save Hayley?

Klaus was becoming more and more frantic with every passing second. “Will the baby survive if delivered now?” He lunges for Hayley's body and Khalia twitched for the barest of seconds. “I'll rip it out of her myself!” Elijah blocks Klaus from touching Hayley.

“Hayley will bleed to death!” Genevieve told them.

Khalia finally moved again, speeding her brother up the brick wall Elijah shattered the table against. Her empty eyes looked straight to his soul, her flat voice cutting into his heart, hand gripping his throat with all of her strength. “Niklaus, you will have to go through me first. And do not forget that I know where you hide the White Oak.”

“I won't lose that baby.” Klaus all but snarled at his sister. Khalia didn’t budge, and Klaus realized that the only way he’d get out of her grip was if she let him go or if he fought his way away from her, which would only get him a snapped neck if he attempted it. The Hybrid opted for staying still for the moment.

“We won't lose either of them.” Elijah said, glad for the fact that even if his sister looked like a shadow of her usual self, he at least had her help in restraining their brother. He was a bit shocked by the threat of killing Klaus to protect Hayley that his sister made.

Genevieve continues muttering her spell, not giving up. “...battre avec mwen. Coeur blessé, battre avec mwen.” She gets a vision of Monique using the poppet to cast the spell on Hayley, and is stunned. She can never ever tell any of the Mikaelson’s – or anyone else – what she just saw, but she can use it to her advantage. “I know what to do. Get my bag, the gris-gris pouch!” The Mikaelson’s didn’t move. “Now!”

Khalia let her brother go and moved back to the head of the table, looking at anything but the unmoving form on the table. Genevieve hands Khalia a wet cloth, and points to Hayley’s head. Khalia locked her jaw and looked down at Hayley again, inhaling deeply to try and get rid of the hurt in her chest as she starts dabbing Hayley’s head with the cloth.

Genevieve spreads salt around Hayley on the table as she continues to get visions of Monique casting the original spell. She crushes herbs with her fingers and spreads them over Hayley's body.

Then suddenly, Hayley awakes with a loud gasp on the table that was like music to Khalia’s ears, Klaus' blood still covering her mouth and neck. Elijah helps her sit up, and Klaus rubs her shoulder affectionately.

Khalia, still at the head of the table, stares at Hayley’s back, focusing on nothing but the strong beat of the werewolf’s heart, then the baby’s as well – the two familiar heartbeats making the tightness in her chest loosen. Everything else around her faded. All of the feelings she’s suppressed come rushing back inside of her, hitting her with the force of a tsunami and a tornado combined. The vampire staggers on her feet, her stomach churning violently as she processed the fact that Hayley almost just died right in front of me.

Bile rose up in her throat and she turned away from her audience just in time as it came out of her mouth. It was mostly blood and saliva, but there was also some of the lasagna she had made her and her siblings the previous night after finishing her phone call with Hayley.

“Khalia!” Hayley, Klaus and Elijah’s concerned and somewhat panicked voices rang out in unison. Hayley quickly got off the table and made her way to the vampire. She wanted to reach out but didn’t know if it would be welcomed, she’s never seen her vampire look like this before – face pale, heart stopping fear and gut wrenching anguish shining so brightly in her eyes that Hayley could almost feel it herself.

Their eyes locked and Khalia was hit with the relief – relief that Hayley was alive. Her legs trembled, which was the only warning she got before they gave way and she collapsed to the ground. On her knees, ass on her heels, hands braced on her lap as she stared down at the ground as her eyes started to burn.

“Do something.” Klaus ordered the werewolf, thrusting his hands at his sister.

“What?” Hayley demanded, wanting nothing more than to help her.

“Just do something.” He glared. She glared back but decided that helping Khalia was much more important.

Hayley thought for a moment before walking until she was right in front of Khalia, and went down on her knees as well. She placed her hands on top of Khalia’s, not wanting to do too much and cause her to either explode or to run away.

Khalia looked up at her, eyes shining with tears. Then she threw herself forward and hugged Hayley tightly. She didn’t care that their was people watching – she needs this.

Hayley hugged back, hands rubbing soothingly over Khalia’s back.

After assuring herself that the werewolf was okay, Khalia pulled away without looking at Hayley again and pushed to her feet .

The female vampire swallowed her pride, distrust and hatred towards Genevieve for a second, and looked her in the eyes. The witch wondered if this was her last moment on Earth. The vampire stepped closer, and then to the shock and surprise of everyone present, stuck her hand out to her. “You saved Hayley. Thank you.”

“Y-you’re welcome.” Genevieve couldn’t help the stutter, a trembling hand reaching out to shake the offered hand. Not ten minutes ago, Khalia was threatening to end her life. Nearly in every encounter they’ve had, the vampire had snarled a nasty insult at her. And now she was thanking her? The fear for her life settled somewhat as she wondered how many people has ever heard the words ‘thank you’ uttered from Khalia. She’d bet her life that Khalia could count the amount on her one hand.

Khalia turned away from everyone present and started walking towards the staircase.

Hayley made to follow her, but Elijah stopped her with a light grip on her elbow. “Let her go. She’ll come to you when she’s ready.”

“She won’t.” And Hayley sounded so sure of herself that Klaus and Elijah’s hearts almost broke a little.

“She will.” Klaus assured her.

***

Hayley was still in the nursery that Klaus had shown her earlier, amazed by the whole thing. She looked at the paintings that hung in the room – the one was from Klaus, it was the New Orleans cityscape at night with a large full moon painted in the sky above the buildings. The other was from Khalia – it was a painting of Hayley standing in a meadow of flowers, a baby cradled in her arms, a house somewhere in the background as the sun shined down on her.

Hayley remembers when she first saw it a few minutes ago.

“Oh, Klaus, they’re beautiful.” Hayley’s eyes was on the two paintings that hung on two opposite walls, but they kept straying back to the one of her in the field of flowers.

“Well, as much as I’d like to take credit for everything, I’m afraid it was a joint project.”

“Elijah?” Hayley guessed absentmindedly, eyes still glued to the daylight painting.

“Khalia.” Klaus corrected with a smile, taking great amusement in the way her eyes widened. “She did the painting of you in the meadow, and designed as well as built the rocking chair for you. I did the crib and we both picked out the rest of the things.”

A lump grew in Hayley’s throat. “So, she doesn’t hate me anymore for leaving?”

“Little wolf, she never did.” The Hybrid told her firmly.

Hayley came out of her memories and she had to swallow back tears once more. She didn’t even know that Khalia paints, or that she could make things from scratch. Then again, her vampire is more than a thousand years old, so figuring out what she can’t do would probably be a harder task than figuring out what she can. Hayley walked back to her room and her heart skipped a beat when she noticed that Khalia was standing on her balcony.

Her feet immediately led her to the vampire’s side.  She gripped the railing, looking down at the street just like Khalia was. Hayley eventually decided to break the silence, “I’m moving back here.”

Khalia inhaled sharply. She did not know that. After she left Hayley, her siblings and the red-headed witch, she took a long bath to try and sort out her emotions. After she was done, the Original made her way to Hayley’s balcony to wait for her. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“Are you really?” Hayley didn’t ask to be mean, she asked because she really wanted to know. She couldn’t bare to live here, knowing that the woman that holds her heart didn’t want her here.

“Yes.” Khalia answered without any hesitation. “It’s been quiet without you here.” She said, and after a moment of silence, she finally admitted out loud, “I missed you.”

Hayley had the biggest smile on her face, a flush spreading over her cheeks, up to her ears and down her neck and the werewolf was pretty sure she resembled a tomato, but she didn’t care. She’d resemble a fire truck if it meant that she could hear those words: I missed you.

The silly and happy smile on the werewolf’s face was immovable. “Klaus told me you helped him with the baby room.”

“I did.”

“So, you knew I’d come back.” Hayley turned to Khalia, the smile on her face still present.

“I hoped.” Khalia corrected her, turning to face the werewolf with a soft look on her face. She was happy that her werewolf returned home. “There’s a big difference, sweetheart.” A pale, unmoving form flashed in her minds eye. “How are you feeling?”

Hayley’s smile widened at the concern, “Much better, thank you.”

“Good.” Khalia gave her a smile, teeth and dimples on display for the werewolf – who was mesmerized by the beauty in front of her.

“I'm falling for you.” Hayley blurted and it was like the dam broke under the force of months of keeping all her feelings inside. “Actually, I already did, if you haven't figured it out yet.” She let out a nervous laugh. “And I know the likeliness of you loving me back is less than zero, but I'm giving you my heart anyway.” Khalia swallowed tickly as her heartbeat sped up from the werewolf's words.

"Hayley..." The vampire said softly, her voice thick with the emotions that was inside of her.

"I know," The werewolf said with a resigned sigh, nodding her head and biting her bottom lip. "You won't love me back but I just..." Hayley sighed. "I needed you to know. So, yeah . . . I love you."

It hit Khalia like a lighting bolt when she heard those words pass from Hayley’s lips. Everything about what she’s been feeling for Hayley finally fell together for her. She didn’t just have friendly feelings for her, she doesn’t just care about her – she has real feelings for Hayley. Romantic ones. And while she didn’t love her yet – right? you can’t fall in love with someone so fast, right? – she most certainly did like the pregnant werewolf a whole lot. That’s why she is so scared to let Hayley in, why she is so protective, why she is so worried about Hayley’s safety, why she wants to commit murder at the thought of Hayley with someone else, why she was so terrified of losing her earlier.

This is the real reason why – she has feeling for Hayley that surpasses anything she’s ever felt before.

"I'm scared." Khalia whispered softly, so soft that Hayley almost didn't caught it but she did, and her heart stopped for a long second. "I want to let you in, I really do. But I'm afraid that the second that I let you in, the second that I let myself love you, that I'm going to lose you. And I won't survive that." She confessed to the werewolf. Hayley looked at Khalia with her jaw dropped. Never in a million years would she have expected the vampire to tell her something like this. "And when you left, to the bayou I was so angry with you because in a way, you were leaving me. And it hurt. It hurt, so fucking much." Hayley was completely speechless. She didn't know what to say or what to do other than listening.

"So, I did what you accused me of doing when we first met, I pushed you and all of my feelings for you away. And that's what I'm going to continue doing because the truth is," She looked straight into Hayley's eyes that has tears shining in them. "-you belong with them out there. The werewolves, it's who you are and who you are always going to be."

Hayley took Khalia’s hands in hers, almost frantically. "I belong here, with you, too."

“It would be easier to just give up and let go.” Khalia advised her.

"No, it wouldn’t."

"Why not?"

"Because somewhere deep inside, I still believe that you'll fall in love with me someday. And I’m not going to stop fighting for you until I stop believing that." Hayley told her firmly, without any doubt in her mind.

Khalia sighed, seeing that she wasn’t getting anywhere with her werewolf. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, Khalia.” Hayley smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss against Khalia’s cheek.

It was so worth it to see the pink flush that stained her cheeks and the way her eyes widened immediately after. She stepped back from Hayley and then she was gone with a whoosh of air. The quick exit didn’t do anything to diminish the joyous laugh that escaped Hayley’s lips as she tipped her head back.

When Khalia left, she headed to Lafayette Cemetery. There stood a dozen witches gathered around a tomb. The vampire sped to them, killing all but one of them. She looked at the male warlock she left alive for a reason – a feral grin on her lips, hands dripping with blood.

“Y-y-you . . .y-you’re-”

“You know who I am? Fantastic.” Khalia’s lips pulled over her teeth as her feral grin widened – razor sharp fangs on display. The warlock started trembling. “I’ll get right to the point then. My sweetheart was attacked by a witch. I want to know who. Until I do, I am going to keep killing witches. So, I suggest someone – I could care less who – informs me as soon as possible. Preferably before I stop being nice and slaughter every goddamned witch in this fucking city.”

***

AUTHOR’S NOTE

so, I cried writing that scene where hayley is unconscious. anyone cried reading that, or am i just overly sensitive?

ALSO: i know you guys want a kiss, and you will get one. eventually. sorry for those who expected one because hayley and elijah kissed in the series in this episode. i’m sorry for all the disappointed people but this is not a rewrite of hayley and elijah’s story with a female character. no, this is the story of Haylia.

oh yeah, another thing. for those of you who haven’t read any of my other stories and don’t know – i do not write smut. at all. ever. sorry again for the disappointed ones.

i hope you guys still enjoy my story despite all of that.

spoiler alert: haylia sails in season 2.

-Mixie