33 | DON'T MAKE ME FEEL GUILTY

Khalia couldn't explain how she knew that Hayley entered the Compound, she just knew. There was this tugging, something inside of her telling her that the pregnant werewolf had arrived. She ordered drink after drink - compelled the bartender after a while to just keep it coming - and downed it just as fast, trying to ignoring the aching need inside her to turn in Hayley's direction and see her.

The female Mikaelson was so caught up in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice the tan woman walking up to her, "Can I buy you a drink, sweetheart?"

Those words she did notice. And the use of that particular nickname made Khalia tense. She turned in the direction that the voice came from, a dark and deadly glare on her face. "Call me sweetheart again and I'll break your neck."

"Alright, it was just a friendly offer, no need to be hostile." The tan and beautiful woman - Khalia had a pair of fully functioning eyes - held her hands up, eyes sparkling with mirth as she let out a low chuckle.

Khalia shrugged unapologetically, "My middle name is Demon. Hositility comes with the package." Then she knocked back another drink.

"You're Khalia Mikaelson." The woman snapped in realisation.

"What gave it away?" Khalia snarked, shooting the woman a sarcastic smile.

"The fact that the you're the only one they call the Demon Mikaelson." The human woman smirked.

Khalia raised her eyebrows, "You have no consept of sarcasm, do you?"

The woman just gave her a smile that Khalia supposed was meant to be either flirty or seductive and while it would have worked in the past, she wasn't interested as long as a certain werewolf was in the same city as her, the fact that that werewolf girl was only a few feet away made the woman's chances even less than zero. She stuck out a hand to Khalia, "I'm Francesca Correa, by the way."

"I don't care." Khalia responded bluntly with a blank look, making no effort to so much as look at the extended hand, picking up the freshly poured drink and downing it.

"Would you like to dance?" Francesca asked after a few seconds of stunned silence, awkwardly taking back her hand.

"No." Khalia answered bluntly once more.

Not on to be deterred, Francesca made another suggestion, "Would you like a drink?"

"I have a whole bar at my disposal." Khalia gave her a cold smirk, gesturing to the bar where the human was pouring drinks for the supernatural party.

"Then what do you want?" Francesca asked, stepping closer and placing a hand on the vampire's forearm. Khalia could have sworn she heard a growl coming from the direction where Hayley was standing but she wrote it off to having drunk to much.

Khalia ripped her arm away from the woman, glare darker than its ever been, "I want you to take a hint, fuck off and never touch me again."

***

Sierra and Jackson, who had been listening into the conversation with Hayley, snorted laughs of amusement at Khalia's harsh words and the look on the human woman's face. Hayley, who didn't think it was funny in the least bit, glared at the human woman so harshly that the two werewolves by her side was worried the woman was going to combust.

"Go talk to her." Sierra said, giving Hayley an encouraging smile.

Hayley sucked in a sharp breath of air. "I can't."

"She's just a girl." Jackson rolled his eyes, drinking some more of his champange. He eyed the glass in Khalia's hand, he give anything for a glass of whatever she was having. It looked like the good stuff.

"A girl who so happens to be as dangerous, maybe even more, than Klaus." Hayley reminded them with a pointed look. Glancing at Khalia, who was now standing alone at the makeshift bar and still drinking, a goofy smile automatically spread on her lips.

Jackson and Sierra exchanged knowing smiles when they saw the look. Sierra cleared her throat, barely catching Hayley's attention when she did so. "Well, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't tell you to fuck off like she did the other woman."

"You need to get over there before someone that she can actually stand offers her a drink." Jackson said when Sierra gave him a pointed look. A low growl left Hayley, just like it did when that woman touched her vampire. It didn't take Hayley five seconds later to start walking to the vampire.

Arriving at the bar, Hayley had no idea what to say. It's been a month since they've talked to each other. The last time they did, was before Khalia got daggered by Elijah. After a while of staring, Khalia made the first move. The vampire turned to her. She didn't say anything. Just stared at Hayley. The next move was the werewolf's.

"Not a fan of dancing?" Hayley finally asked, aiming for a smile but it fell flat a second later. Nerves bubbled in her body, making her hands tremble ever so slightly.

And just like that, with that once sentance from Hayley, the hollow feeling that had made itself a permanant home for itself in Khalia's chest started to heal. The one that started forming when Klaus told her that Hayley has decided to move to the Bayou.

"Not a fan of her." Khalia responded slowly, gesturing to the space next to her that Francesca occupied just seconds before. The vampire turned back to the bar, picked up her drink and for the first time that night, she took a small sip of the alcohol instead of just downing it in one go. She tried to shake off the way her heart was jumping with joy at seeing Hayley again, trying to shove away how it felt like everything in her world was okay again. "You heard all of that?"

Hayley nodded, fingers fiddling with her dress out of nerves, "Why didn't you say yes to her offer?"

"Cause I wasn't interested." Khalia responded easily, shrugging slightly, her eyes never moving from Hayley.

"Can we, maybe, dance?" Hayley asked shyly, cheeks burning hotly as she looked up at Khalia through her lashes.

Khalia was going to say no, she honestly was. Then Hayley gave her a look, her eyes filled with hope and teeth biting down on her bottom lip and Khalia was rendered completely powerless. She wasn't able to do anything but nod yes. A wide and brilliant smile took place on Hayley's face, causing Khalia to feel more than a little breathless.

When Hayley took her hand, lacing their fingers, and led her to the dance floor, Khalia internally cursed herself. She shouldn't have drunk so much, maybe then she would have been able to say no.

Maybe it was the booze, maybe it was the fact that she had hadn't seen Hayley in a month or maybe it was just having the werewolf this close to her - whatever it was, Khalia couldn't help the sigh of complete and utter content that fell from her mouth when she rested her hand on the small of Hayley's back and the werewolf's body pressed against hers.

Tomorrow, she could blame it on the alcohol. Right now, she could enjoy it.

Hayley looked Khalia up and down, "You look nice."

"Thanks." Khalia nodded, not looking down at the pregnant girl as her cheeks suddenly felt hot from the words. She didn't see what was all that nice about the bright red figure hugging dress that she had put on for the party, but she certainly wasn't going to ask. Instead, she opted to return the compliment. "You, too."

Hayley's stomach fluttered and her eyes lit up. Khalia hid a smile - it was so easy to make Hayley smile, to make her happy.

Khalia twirled Hayley and when her hair flared around her, Khalia's senses was filled with Hayley's familiar apple scent. She breathed in for a moment, then she shoved all of the feelings in her chest down and locked them tightly in the deepest corner of her shattered heart.

Hayley looked up and Khalia looked down, their eyes locked and neither of them could tear their gaze away from the other. Finally, the werewolf decided that she needed to say something before this moment was over, before Khalia shut herself from Hayley forever.

"Khalia, I . . ." Hayley trailed off, not knowing where to start. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn't know where to start. All Hayley wanted to do was help her family and get to know them - that was the whole reason she came to New Orleans in the first place but then the witches discovered she was pregnant with Klaus Mikaelson's baby and Hayley met Khalia - she never meant to hurt Khalia.

"Don't." Khalia begged for the first time in her millenia long life, the soft and vulnerable tone of her voice was one Hayley only heard once before. It was when the female Mikaelson talked to her about Kol. "Please, Hayley, don't."

Hayley nodded, swallowing past the rocks in her throat and gave Khalia a watery smile. Then she laid her head on Khalia's shoulder and breathed in the Original's comforting scent and wrapped her arms loosely around Khalia's waist as they swayed to the music.

A loud crash sounded in the Compound from out of nowhere. Immediately alarmed, Khalia pulled Hayley impossibly closer to her and sped her up the stairs and onto the balcony. She broke the hug but kept an protective arm wrapped around Hayley as she looked over the railing of the balcony to see what was going on. She spotted the table that held the champange glasses that everyone - except her - was drinking from was shattered. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head when she saw that it was Diego, Oliver and Elijah in a pissing contest.

"This ends now. I won't ask again." Elijah said and Khalia watched as the rest of the party stared at the fight with anticipation.

"Oh, we'll end it all right." Jackson said, his voice dark and full of promise. Elijah looks over to find Jackson pinning Diego to the wall, a stake aimed right at his heart.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Hayley muttered when she saw what all of commotion about, ignoring the way her heart singed due to the fact that Khalia's first instinct was to get her out of danger. Hayley walked down the stairs, Khalia keeping her eyes glued to the werewolf girl and ready to speed infront of her should the situation calls for it.

Hayley looked at them and Khalia leaned on the railing with her forearms, watching with curiousity while still ready to kill anyone who puts a harming hand on the pregnant werewolf. "What's stopping you? Kill him. Go ahead, Elijah. Do it. I mean, it's not like he doesn't deserve to die." The werewolf paused briefly. "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."

Elijah looks at her angrily, "Are approaching a point?"

"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? Kill each other and get it all over with." After considering Hayley's words, Elijah lets go of Oliver, and Jackson reluctantly lets go of Diego, as well.

The pride that shined on Khalia's face was unmistakable, the immortal girl barely hiding the smile that threatened to spread on her face. Then she noticed the knowing smirk on Klaus' face as he looked between her and Hayley. She glared heatedly at him when he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, scowling dangerously when he just continued smirking smugly.

In a split second, Khalia decided that she's had enough of this party and headed out to her room. She poured herself a glass of vodka. She walked out on her balcony, gaze alternating between looking at the New Orleans skyline and the clear liquid in her glass.

Thinking back over the past month, the horrible things she's done, the dead bodies, the blood she drank and shed, it provided her with the distraction she needed to keep her mind off the aching in her heart that seemed to seep right into her soul. Khalia wanted to do it again, that was her plan after the party downstairs was finished, but it suddenly no longer held any appeal. The Mikaelson girl heaved a deep sigh.

Why was life so complicated?

Her bedroom door opened and hearing the familiar two heartbeats, she was torn between being overjoyed and dreading Hayley's presence all together. The pregnant werewolf padded softly through the room and walked closer to the room, only stopping when she was next to the vampire.

Their forearms touched and that delicous fire ignited inside of Khalia. Earlier, she was able to ignore it. She had been building up her defenses up all day, but the vampire hadn't expected Hayley to follow her up to her room. And now, with a touch of their arms, her weakend defenses was shattered and she was left with a fierce desire to take Hayley into her arms and never let go.

Startled, Khalia's glass dropped out of her hands and broke into pieces on the pavement below.

"I miss you." Hayley declared softly, looking out at the skyline.

Khalia inhaled sharply, her heart jumping from the words. The 'I miss you, too' was on the tip of Khalia's tongue but the Mikaelson family was famous for being stubborn. "I don't see why you should, you have your family after all." Khalia noted bitterly, a bit petulantly if she was being honest, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at nothing in particular.

Hayley swallowed thickly, turning her head to the Mikaelson, "Don't, don't do this, Khalia."

"Do what?" The vampire turned her head to Hayley and raised an eyebrow at the werewolf, the look on her face challenging. "Tell the truth?"

"Don't make me feel guilty for leaving." Hayley shook her head slightly. She had been drowning in guilt these last two weeks - since Klaus' visit - as it was. She didn't need Khalia adding onto it.

Khalia scoffed, looking back at the skyline. "I'm not making you do anything. If you feel guilty about something, then that is all you."

"I'm not sorry that I helped them break their curse." Hayley said, her voice quiet.

"I never asked you to be." Khalia sighed, because she didn't want Hayley to be sorry for breaking the curse of her pack, Khalia understood where it was coming from and why she was doing it. No one should have to be subjected to a fate so cruel that they could only be human for one month a night, and even then it was only a few hours. Khalia was just angry - and hurt, ignoring that emotion didn't mean it wasn't there - that Hayley left and didn't come back.

Hayley scoffed irritably, huffing in frustration. "No, you never ask me anything. You never let me in, you give me everything I ask for, except what I really I want."

"And what is it that you want from me, Hayley?" Khalia asked, feeling emotionally drained. All of the surpressed feelings from the last month having come crashing down on her with Hayley's mere presence. All of the carefully constructed walls being teared down with a look.

Being as old as they were, humanity switches wasn't something Originals had the luxury of. For them, the line between human and monster was one drawn in the sand. It wouldn't take much for them to succumb to the darkness and be consumed by the monster. That's what happened to Khalia the last month - she was spiraling into the darkest parts of being a vampire. But with a few words and one dance, Hayley pulled her out of that pit and threw her back on the path of light.

Khalia realised with a feeling of dread that Hayley is her humanity. Dread because if she ever lost Hayley, there would be nothing to keep her from becoming a monster.

"The one think I can't have, apparently." Hayley said, giving Khalia a longing glance.

Internally panicking over her realisation, Khalia didn't think her response or Hayley's words through. "Which is what exactly?"

"You." There it was. Hayley finally said it, she layed all of her cards on the table. She knew nothing was going to come from it, but she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. She needed Khalia to know that she meant a lot to her. That leaving the Compound didn't mean that she stopped caring - or being in love with her, but Khalia was so emotionally stunted that unless Hayley spelled it out for her, she wouldn't get it - about her.

Khalia's heart stopped when she thought back over the last two sentances. And when it started beating again, it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. Then she realised, she could never be with Hayley. Not when she when she was done grieving, not after the baby was born. Never. Loving Hayley would be her greatest weakness and losing Hayley would be her biggest down fall.

"You need to leave, before your packmates come looking for you." The words tumbled out of Khalia's mouth without her properly thinking about it. All she knew was she needed Hayley to get away from her. Before she did something stupid - like forgetting all about how much she could get hurt and pull Hayley closer before kissing her.

Hayley looked at her, mouth hanging open in shock, heart feeling like it was breaking. She didn't expect Khalia to accept her words, but she didn't expect to be chased away either. "Khalia-"

"Hayley, I told you before, I can't give you what you want from me." Khalia snapped, her voice coming out harsher than she intended. Hayley flinched and took a step back - from both the words and the tone they were delivered in. Khalia looked at Hayley for a long moment before speeding away.

Hayley looked at the spot where Khalia stood not long ago, wondering with an aching heart how much more of Khalia's rejection she could take.

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Well, here you go, a nice and long chapter. Another update so soon as an apology for disappearing so long.

Writing this chapter was hard, because I couldn't stop thinking about the season finale and man, Khalia's feelings is such a mess right now. I'm emotionally drained from writing this.

Hope you enjoyed!

-Mixie