17 | TO AFRAID OF GETTING HURT

Apparently, the victory was just enough to last the night for Klaus Mikaelson. Which is why Khalia was dragged by her brother to their mansion early the next morning. He wanted to give their siblings a punishment for their betrayal. She was leaning against one of the couches, her two bags standing in the foyer already packed. While Klaus and Rebekah where at it again, she went upstairs to pack them. Elijah enters the living room in the middle of their argument, while Khalia watched her siblings with boredom.

“Oh, would you look at that, the noble one as returned?” You would have to have been stupid to miss the sarcasm in Khalia’s words. The man who it was directed gave his sister a slight glare.

“Elijah's home. There's only one dagger. Which one of us will you be punishing today?” The blonde female spat at her Hybrid brother. She was disappointed that the trap didn’t work.

“I contemplated a game of eenie-meenie-miney-moe. You betrayed me. My own sister!” Klaus shouted at her. He was hurt that she would even think of betraying them. He may have daggered them, but never has he conspired against them with other parties.

“If you really can’t choose, Nik, I could always give you my dagger.” Khalia suggested with a smirk to her suited brother and her blonde sister.

“Niklaus, don't you dare!” Elijah shouted, out raged. His oldest sister crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows in an ‘or what?’ manner. He ignored her and locked his eyes on his brother’s figure.

Klaus points the dagger at his suited brother, “Perhaps it should be you, brother! Stealing my child away with every fawning moment of tenderness you show to Hayley!” A familiar anger surged through Khalia. She hissed with an uncontrolled anger at her brother, her vampire face surfacing.

“This has nothing to do with Hayley.” The suited Original said calmly to his brother.

“It has everything to do with her! She's adored you since she arrived. And now my child, my blood, will grow up to call you father!” The Hybrid shout in hurt and anger. All that was surging through Khalia was the uncontrolled anger towards her dark haired brother. He couldn’t have Hayley. She wouldn’t allow it. Hayley is hers. The possessive thoughts didn’t even register properly with the female brunette, her rage was too prominent.

“We both know that I am not the object of her affection!” He defended fiercely, if Khalia gets the wrong idea, all of Hayley’s work to getting past his sister’s walls and defenses will have been for nothing. His words calmed her down a bit, but a nagging feeling made her want to know who is the person Hayley has affections for, if it wasn’t Elijah.

“Is that what it is? You are once again worried that you will be left behind? Has history taught you nothing? We don't abandon you, Nik, you drive us away!” Rebekah shouted at him.

“What am I? Dead meat?” Khalia asked, clearly offened. No one gave an answer to her comment.

“Is that so? What have I done lately, other than cooperate? I bow down to you, brother, to make up for daggering you. For the greater good of our plan to reclaim our home. Looked the other way, sister, while you repeat the same cycle with Marcel. Falling again for a man you shouldn't be with, while he controls the empire that we built! That he took! Now, I make no excuses for past sins. But in the one moment when you two could have chosen to stand by me- to believe in me like Khalia has, to believe my intentions for my own child were pure- you chose to stand against me, to side with my enemies. I wanted our home back. Now I have it. So, I'm going to live there. And so is Khalia. And the two of you...” He gave the two a disgusted look. “-you can stay here together and rot.” He angrily shoves the dagger into Elijah's hands as he leaves the house. Rebekah and Elijah both look guilty.

Khalia leaned against the couch, the disbelief shining clearly on her face. She raked a hand through her hair, “Fucking hell.” She breath with a sigh. Her siblings looked at her, hope shining in their eyes. “Do you have any idea how much you hurt him? Both of you?” She fixed her gaze on Elijah, “You might not have done it intentionally, but you still did it.” Then Rebekah. “And you,” She paused. “I’m so angry with you I can’t even speak. Or even look at you. You disgust me, Rebekah.” The brunette’s lips curled up into a sneer.

“You’ve done horrible things as well.” The blonde defended.

“No matter how horrific the things have been that I’ve done, or what I might have thought, I would have never actually done it. I would never turn again my own blood for someone else.” She glared heatedly at the blonde.

“And what if it was Kol?” Elijah asked his sister with a raised brow.

“Yes, I would. Thing is, Kol is still my blood.” The brunette pointed out, then she snarled at her brother. “I’m getting real tired of you two using my twin against me in order to choose your sides.” Her words was something short of a growl. She sped forward and with the speed of lighting, she snapped both of their necks.

Outside, Klaus and Hayley was waiting in the car for Khalia. Hayley eyed the house with horror as she heard the sickening sound of necks cracking. When the Mikaelson twin exited the house, the werewolf lit up automatically. Khalia was walking down the stair with the grace of a queen, balancing her two bags in one hand, the other gripping a bloodbag that she was empting into her mouth.

“Okay,” She said as she slipped into the backseat, behind Hayley, avoiding eye contact at all cost. “To the compound we go.”

***

It was late at night. Klaus, Khalia and Hayley took the day to get settled into the compound. The whole day she has been avoiding the pregnant wolf girl. The Marshall girl isn’t stupid, and she heard the fight between the Originals. So, she went looking for her favorite person in the world. Meanwhile, Khalia was in her room, busy pouring herself yet another drink and went outside and leaned on her balcony. She didn't know what got into her today, she was nearly blind with jealousy. The vampire was so confused, she has never been this jealous and it scared her. Her eyes slide over the New Orleans skyline.

A knock on the door brings Khalia out of her thoughts. Hearing the familiar heartbeats, she sighed in dread of seeing the werewolf, but said anyways. "Come in, Hayley."

The vampire didn't move though, she stayed where she was, glass in her hand. She ignored the way a tingle went down her spine as Hayley fixed her gaze on the brunette Mikaelson’s back. Khalia ignored Hayley. Period.

"I don't like him. Elijah. I mean, I do, but not romantically." Hayley told the girl, wringing her hands nervously – twisting her fingers. She knew what was going in the Original’s mind. At least she hoped she knew, and that she was making the right move by coming here.

Shrugging, Khalia said in an emotionless tone, "I don't care."

The werewolf shook her head in disbelief. "You liar." She retorted and Khalia spun around, a fire in her eyes, placing her drink on the nearest surface as she walked a little closer to her werewolf. The vampire was careful to keep enough distance between them, not wanting to do something impulsive.

"Excuse me?" She asked with narrowed eyes. Hayley knew she was on dangerous territory. But she couldn’t stop, she needed to break through the walls. Or, hell, she’d be happy if she could just put a crack them.

"I said, you're lying." Hayley told her confidently, looking the vampire straight in the eyes.

"You think you know me?" Khalia questioned, her voice tone taking a sharp edge.

"No, I don't know you!” The werewolf finally exploded, desperately. “And that's exactly the point. I don't know you because you won't let me." Hayley says, exasperation coating her tone and the volume of her voice rising. Maybe it was time to rip the band aid off.

"And why would I let you?" The Mikaelson raised an eyebrow when she asked the question.

"Because I like you and I want to know you, and I know part of you likes me too but you are stubborn. You're so damn stubborn and the minute something comes through, you shut down and push me away." The werewolf rants frustratedly, her chest heaving up and down. To late to turn back now, the band-aid is off. Khalia just stares at her in shock, mouth slightly agape but then she regains control of herself and clears her throat.

"You shouldn't like me." The vampire declares softly – her heart beating wildly in her chest – surprising the werewolf.Hearing this, Hayley gains some more confidence and steps forward, waiting a second to see if Khalia would take one backwards. When she didn’t, the pregnant girl spoke.

"Why not?" The werewolf questions, her voice a whisper, slightly pained.

"Because I'm not good for you. And you'll get hurt." Khalia voice is a whisper as well, and goes to turn around but Hayley grabs her wrist, keeping the vampire in place. The two are now closer than ever, if either makes the decision, their lips would touch. “Everyone around me either dies or get hurt.”

"And what if I want to take that chance?" The pregnant girl counters, leaning her forehead on Khalia's  and closes her eyes, but that's as far as she takes it. It's all up to the vampire now. Khalia wants to, she really does but she can't. She can't get hurt ever again. She won't survive it. Especially with Hayley, she already has a hold on her that no one has ever had. The jealousy, the protectiveness, she's never felt this before.

“I want to.” The vampire admits. Hope blooms in Hayley’s chest. “But I can't.” Her voice cracks along with Hayley’s heart. Exhaling a shaky breath, Khalia takes a step back. “Maybe…” She paused briefly. “Maybe someday I’ll be able and even willing to take that risk, but I don’t know when that will be and if that day will ever come.”

“Can you just promise me one thing? Please?” Hayley begged softly, the hurt clear as crystal in her voice. Glossy hazel eyes stared into emotion filled chocolate ones.

“Depends on the promise.” Khalia said with a shaky, but real laugh.

“Don’t go and get yourself a girlfriend.” Khalia’s eyebrows raised to her hairline. “I know it sounds selfish and mean and probably petty, but it would destroy me if you were with someone else.” The werewolf practically begged and the vampire’s eyes widened. The Marshall girl cursed at herself internally as she looked anywhere but the beautiful brunette in front of her.

“Only if you promise me the same.” The Mikaelson bargained. Hayley looked up in surprise. A smile spread across her face.

“I promise.” The werewolf spoke immediately.

“Well, in that case, I promise too, sweetheart.” Khalia said. The werewolf beamed. The vampire’s stomach suddenly felt weird at the sight and she found herself smiling back. The fact that the Mikaelson girl asked her to promise her as well, gave Hayley hope. And right now, hope was all she had. The Marshall girl silently promised herself that she would wait for Khalia, no matter how long it would take. While the vampire promised herself that she would always try and keep that smile on Hayley’s face.

And so, Hayley broke down the first wall around Khalia's heart. Permanently.

***

Khalia Mikaelson did not like what was currently happening. She was willing to do a lot of things for her brother, but this was something that she didn’t want to do. The female Original did it anyways was sitting at a table with Marcel and his minions, having breakfast as a sign of good faith. Problem is, Khalia’s not religious. The only plus side is that she is sitting next to Hayley, not that she would ever admit that out loud. She doesn’t know why she asked the werewolf not to get a girlfriend last night, but she was sure it had something to do with the strange feeling she gets in her stomach every time Hayley smiles at her. She was picking at her food with her knife, a glare set on her face, showing her unhappiness about the situation. It amused the pregnant werewolf to no end how Marcel’s vampires left a chair open next to her vampire and took turns to eye Khalia warily throughout the breakfast.

Klaus raises his glass in a toast to the others just as his sister tuned into his speech again. “…To my city, my home again. May the blood never cease to flow...”

Marcel lifts his glass. “...and the party never end!” The dark skinned vampire looks over at Diego and Khalia scoffed. Not even twenty-four hours ago they wanted to kill each other. Marcel was going to imprison her. Excuse her if she has a problem with playing nice so soon after.

Diego raised his glass as well, “To New Orleans.”

The blonde Original repeats after him, “To New Orleans!”

“New Orleans.” Everyone, but Khalia repeats and drinks. The Hybrid glared at his sister. She looked up, momentarily stopping the clacking of her knife against the plate, feeling the heated look.

“Oh, I’m sorry, you wanted me to toast.” The Demon Mikaelson said in fake surprise. She purposely didn’t toast. Now he was going to get it. Klaus saw the glint in her eyes and prepared himself for whatever was about to come out of her mouth as she raised her glass. Hayley watch in amusement. “To New Orleans. The city where moronic vampires are plentiful-” She gave a point look the vampires around the table. “-and betrayals are served by family.” The Original female locked eyes with Marcel, giving him a bitter smile. It was silent for a while before the Hybrid awkwardly cleared his throat. Khalia went back to picking at her plate with the knife.

“I understand that some of you may have questions regarding the recent change in leadership, and I invited you here tonight to assure you that you are not defeated. No, my intentions moving forward are to celebrate what we have. What Marcel, in fact, took and built for this true community of vampires.” The Hybrid told the vampires seated around the table. The brunette Mikaelson rolled her eyes, she is not a fan of ass kissing.

“What about her?” Diego asked, pointing to Hayley at the far end of the table. “The wolf.”

With scary accuracy and lightning speed, Khalia threw her knife into Diego’s shoulder. “The wolf, as you refer to my sweetheart with such disrespect, is part of the Mikaelson family. And someone very dear to me. Be sure to mind your words around her.” She gave him a smile that was more threatening than nice or kind.

“Had you'd let me finish, Diego, you would know that there is, of course, one further matter I would like to address.” He walks over to the other end of the table where Hayley sits. Khalia eyed him wearily, not knowing what he is up to. “As many of you know, the girl is carrying my child. Consequently, I trust you will all pay her the appropriate respect. However, I understand that some of you are concerned by this vicious rumor that I intend to use the blood of our child to create hybrids. I assure you I do not.” The female Mikaelson rolled her eyes once again. Like that’s gonna make them believe him.

The werewolf smirks sarcastically, looking at the Mikaelson sitting next to her. “Father of the year.” Khalia chuckled lowly.

“It appears I will have to earn your trust.” Klaus snapped mildly frustratedly. “Very well. We'll eliminate the root of your anxiety. You see, how I can I sire any hybrids if there are no more werewolves alive in the Bayou to turn?”

Khalia took the glass of blood and downed it, “Here we go.” She muttered into it.

Hayley is clearly horrified. “What? Klaus, no!”

“Yeah, because that’s how you earn her trust. Kill her relatives.” Khalia mumbled sarcastically into her glass.

The blonde Hybrid ignores both Hayley and his sister. “So- eat, drink, and be merry. And, tomorrow, I suggest you have yourselves a little wolf hunt. Go ahead, have fun. Kill them all!” The sound of the brunette Mikaelson smacking her palm against her forehead was drowned out by the cheering of the vampires. Looking over, Khalia spotted an angry pregnant werewolf and she knew that there was trouble coming.

***

Okay, this is a major turning point in the relationship between Hayley and Khalia. No, she is not suddenly going to fall in love with Hayley. I don’t write unrealistic shit like that. But it will be a hell of an adventure.

Hope you enjoyed the feels in the chapter. Me personally, well lets just say I needed a few tissues and some chocolate to get through it. But that’s just me.

-Mixie