Shielding The Innocent - Niklaus Mikaelson

Chapter 20

Hayley's Point of View

I know that when Kelsey wakes up she is going to hate me, but we had to do something. She is so blinded by her love for Klaus that she can't see clearly to know he isn't helping anything. And one day I hope she'll understand that I'm only trying to protect her and the twins, that I'm not the bad guy.

The plan was to continue to snap her neck every time she begins to stir, until we are far enough away that she doesn't have a choice but to go with us. However, she hasn't came to. We aren't entirely sure why, but we have a theory. When Elijah daggered Klaus with the dagger Davina and Kol made, we think it affected her too. However, since we snapped her neck before Klaus was daggered her skin isn't littered with gray veins like his. She is just unconscious and if we are right she will stay that way until Klaus is undaggered.

After a phone call from Elijah, I immediately rush to find Jack. We had left the safe house after Kelsey was unconscious. Now, we are out in the Bayou. Both babies are on either of side of my hips as I approach Jack.

"Elijah called." I inform him. "Freya's doing a locator spell to find us. We need to leave. Now." When, I make it to him I look at what he is doing. "Wait." I say in confusion. Aiden's initials are carved into a piece of wood, like a headstone and there is a big hole in front of it. "You're burying Aiden? Here?"

"We can't keep carrying him around forever." Jack sighs. "Give me a minute to get him in the ground."

"You said that is how wolves bury murderers and traitors." I point out, adjusting Bexley. "I know Aiden was answering to Klaus, but he was loyal to the pack in the end. That's what got him killed."

"You don't think I know that?" Jack exclaims in frustration. "You think this is how I wanna put Aiden to rest? I don't have a choice, Hayley. You said it yourself, we gotta go."

I shake my head in denial. "It's not right. If we expect the wolves to put their lives on the line then they deserve to know that those lives matter to us." I pause for a second. "We'll take Aiden downriver. Give him a true Crescent funeral. Too much has been taken from our pack, I won't let them lose this too." Jackson turns and walks over to the grave. He pulls the headstone out of the ground and tosses it to the side and into the woods.

_____________________

The pack, Jackson, and I walk through the woods. A few wolves walk in front of us holding a coffin with Aiden's body inside. And behind us two wolves are holding each end of a stretch that holds an unconscious Kelsey. The twins are strapped to my back and my chest in baby carriers. Jackson, among some others, are strapped down with bows and arrows and any other weapons they have.

"You ran these woods when you were cursed to your wolf form?" I ask Jack.

"And before. I was an angry kid." He explains. "I was pissed we were exiled, I was pissed at my parents, pissed you were gone."

"Every kid with the wolf gene is angry. I was a nightmare." I tell him. "Triggering the curse actually settled me down."

"Not me. I got worse. Of course it was different. When I triggered my curse the Crescent curse kicked in, so I was stuck as a wolf all month. One full moon, our Alpha didn't show up. He was killed. So I stepped up." Jack says. "Protected these people, kept them safe. That calmed me down, at least for a little while." Hope starts crying in the baby carrier strapped to my chest.

"I need to stop and feed them." I try to bounce a little to sooth her.

"There's a hideout about a half mile south." Jack replies as he and I come to a stop. "Grab some guys to watch your back. We'll make a perimeter. The Bayou's our territory. We'll defend it."