I'll be There for You

Chapter 15: You've Got a Lot of Explaining to Do

Waking up, Hayley felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer. Not because of Elijah cutting off her oxygen and rendering her unconscious but because finding out that he'd betrayed her inflicted a painful blow. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and her mind shrieked with outrage. She would make him pay for lying to her, for making her believe that he cared for her, for forcing his way into her life and for making her care.

"Are you awake?" Elijah's voice sounded too close. It grated on her nerves now.

"Go away," Hayley snapped, squeezing her eyes closed. "I don't want to talk to you."

Elijah's hand came down on her shoulder and Hayley reached up to push it away to find that her hands were bound at the wrist. "What in the hell did you do?" she yelled at him.

"Shush," Elijah placed a finger to his lips. "Keep your voice down. You don't want to startle her," he said.

Hayley's eyes opened wide. Rolling over, she found Hope, sound asleep and curled up beside her. "I thought you wanted her to stay with Klaus?" she snapped, keeping her voice down.

"I did. But you're right. She should be with her mother. So I brought her here." Elijah's explanation left Hayley with far too many questions and not nearly enough answers. "I know. You must feel rather confused. Let me take Hope back to her room and we can talk." He didn't allow Hayley the chance to argue, gathering Hope into his arms and taking her out of the room.

Her head was falling back against the pillows behind her. Hayley tried to control her temper but her rage was getting the best of her. How dare Elijah try to manipulate her? Again. The minute she got loose, she was going to get her kid and they would never see any of the Mikaelons, ever again.

Elijah came back into the room and Hayley refused to look at him. "Hayley," he said, coming to stand beside her. "Hayley, we must talk."

"I don't think so," Hayley grunted, shifting so that her back was to him.

Hayley heard Elijah sigh and then let out a cry of surprise when the bed shifted. His arms slipped under her legs and around her back, lifting her from the bed. "Elijah, put me down," Hayley hissed, struggling against him but he'd bound her ankles together, too. "Elijah, I'm not frickin' kidding," she continued to hiss as he carried her out of the bedroom.

"Be quiet," Elijah replied, walking past the room that her daughter was sleeping in. "You don't want her to wake up and wonder what we're up to, do you?"

"This wasn't my idea," Hayley snapped as Elijah sat her down. She looked around. She'd been at this house before. "Where are we?" she asked him.

"Where we first met. You remember coming to my door that day, don't you? I certainly will never be able to forget it," Elijah said and Hayley glared at him. "I'll make you a cup of tea to cool your nerves and then we can talk."

"My nerves are just fine," Hayley snapped. "Now, why don't you untie me? I can get my kid and you'll never have to worry about either of us again," Hayley demanded, watching Elijah stare back down at her. She knew that look. He wasn't about to budge. She didn't think she'd ever met someone as stubborn as she was, until she met Elijah.

"Yes, well, tea first," Elijah said lightly. He turned away from her and Hayley gritted her teeth while he poured water into the kettle and then placed it on the stove. "Do you prefer mint or chamomile?" Turning to her, Elijah acted as if this was perfectly normal.

In what universe was it normal to kidnap your girlfriend and her child and then serve her tea? Hayley shook her head, refusing to answer him. "I don't want tea, Elijah. I want to leave," she retorted.