Hayley's Point of View
"How's the little ones?" Mary asks in concern as I approach her through the heavy rain. She is doing something with some herbs. "And Kelsey?" The rain has been nonstop since last night, making it hard for us to continue on.
"The twins are sleeping right through the storm. As for Kelsey, I have Will keeping an eye on her. Every time she starts to come to, he breaks her neck again." I sigh, absolutely hating that we have to do it. "Mary, I appreciate you coming, but you should know what you're going up against." My hair is drenched and sticking to my face and my neck, as we talk over the raging winds.
"Ancient witch wants to steal the closest I have to granddaughters? Not on my watch." Mary tells me without hesitation. "I brought you something, might come in handy." She shows me the herbs tied in a small bundle. "In my youth, wolves and witches had peace. A Voodoo queen I knew showed me how to use herbs to tell when magic's afoot. Combine Solomon's seal and snapdragon, and burn them." She lights a lighter and puts it to the end of the herbs. Then, she places it in a small bowl. "If the smoke is white, all's clear. If it's black, there's a hex in the air. And if it's red, well, then you know you're in trouble." Both both look down at the bowl and see thick black smoke rolling out of it. "Just what I thought. This storm ain't natural."
"It's Dahlia." I nod looking at the sky. "She's trying to pin us down."
Jackson joins us under the tarp. "The road to the highway is flooded. Quickest way out is on foot through the back roads." I sigh getting more anxious. "What's wrong?"
"Elijah called." I inform him and Mary. "Klaus is gone. That's why Kelsey is now waking up periodically. We don't know where he is."
"That settles it. We gotta get out of here." Jackson decides.
"What about the others?" I question.
"Let's go talk to them."
We walk back out into the rain. I pull my hoodie to cover my head. Jackson leads me to the place where most of the wolves are congregating.
"All right, everybody listen up!" Jackson announces, stopping any conversations and gaining everyone's attention. Once all eyes are on us, Jackson gives me a nod letting me know it's my turn to speak, as he interlocks our fingers.
"I wanna thank you all for staying with us, protecting us. For the past few weeks each one of you has shown me more kindness than I have ever known." I tell them honestly. "Despite hardships and tragedy, you've all become the family that I always wanted. You're my pack. But I can't let you risk your lives anymore than you already have. The witch is coming. She's powerful, and she's not gonna stop. Jack and I will be better off taking Kelsey and the twins and getting as far away as we can, alone." The crowd starts exchanging looks. "I want you to know how grateful I am for everything that you have offered me. Us. But I can't be your queen anymore." As soon as the word leave my mouth one by one the pack begins to kneel. Jackson steps in front of me, facing me and keeping my hand in his grip.
"You will always be their queen." He says with rain dripping down his face. Then, he bows and places a kiss on my hand that is in his.
___________________________
The rain finally stopped as we trek through the wood, both babies strapped to me again. Jackson leads the way up to a river. Will and another wolf, Jon, carry Kelsey's stretcher behind me with Mary staying close.
"This is it." Jackson announces as we step up to the rivers bank.
"Good." I say. "Tell the others they can go. We'll be fine from here." I don't want the wolves risking their lives anymore than they have.
"Well, they said they're not leaving us till we get where we're going." Jackson replies.
I look back at Mary and she holds up a tin can with a handle that has white smoke coming from it. "So far, so good." She lowers the tin and nods at me. "Here, let me hold the little girls while you figure out where to cross." She sits to tin on the ground as Jackson helps me unbuckle them. When Bexley is off my back Jackson passes her to Mary and I free Hope and do the same. When she has them I walk towards the river with Jackson.
"What do you think?" I inquire.
"Get across, get to the highway, steal a car, and just go." I scrunch my eyebrows in thought.
"You okay?" He asks.
"It was a nice idea." I shrug. "Marry you. Make our people strong. Help Kelsey raise the twins surrounded by the pack."
"Hayley--"
"This morning when I told them they could go, I never let you off the hook."
"Don't do that." He says.
"I'm sick of other people making sacrifices for me, fighting my battles." I look at Mary with the twins talking to Jon. Him and Will had set Kelsey down for a minute.
"Hey, that's what family is." He reassures. "There's people you're born to, and people you choose, who stand beside you when things are hard. There ain't no place I'd rather be than right beside you. Okay?"
I nod at him with a small smile.
"Hey!" Someone yells. "We should cross over here. It's shallow enough."
Jackson and Mary quickly help me strap the twins back into the carrier on my chest and back. Then, we head over to Warren, who yelled. He leads us through the shallow part of the river with a few others. Mary walks ahead of me and Jon and Will carefully tote an unconscious Kelsey.
As we walk in the water it doesn't go deeper than our thighs. Our pants and shoes are submerged and it's not the easiest to fight the current, but it's manageable. "Pretty slippery right here. Be careful." Warren warns us a few feet ahead. As I pass Jackson and a few others they help me, making sure I stay steady with the twins.
We make it across and to the highway, just as a white Ford truck pulls up next to us. One of the wolves had ran ahead earlier to get a vehicle.
"Look what I got." He says proudly.
"Okay." I nod appreciatively. "Let's go."
________________________
Kelsey's Point of View
Groaning I sit up and immediately put my hand to my neck. The aching is slowly starting to fade, thanks to vampire healing. However, it's clear my neck has been snapped numerous times. My memory slowly comes back.
Me, standing over the twins in the safe house with Jackson and Hayley... and then darkness.
I sit up from some sort of makeshift stretcher and look around in confusion. Somehow I'm in a place that looks like a salvage yard. There is a crescent wolf standing a few feet in front of me with his back to me and I can hear others moving around the area.
My blood begins to boil as I realize what happened. Jackson and Hayley disregarded everything I said and knocked me out, so they could take me and the twins and run. Nik must be going out of his mind. I jump up to my feet and the wolf, Will, I think, turns back to face me. His entire face falls when he sees me standing. Fear radiates off him and he takes a step back.
"Where's Hayley and my babies?" I seethe. He raises his hand and point in a direction.
I clinch my fist and storm in the building he pointed at. I throw open the door and barge in. Hayley is standing in front of Jackson next to a table with a light and a map. Her hand is caressing his face and she's looking at him deeply.
"I just want you to know that I love you." Hayley tells him sincerely.
"And I just want you to know that I'm going to fucking kill you!" I snarl, causing her to jump away from him and look at me in surprise and guilt. Jackson swallows thickly with the same shocked expression.
"Kelsey, I--I--" Hayley stutters.
"Where the hell are my children?!" I spit.
"They're asleep." She mutters. "They're safe."
"How dare you?!" I squint my eye at her threateningly and I take a step forward. "I told you I didn't want to run and you kidnapped me and the twins."
"I had to." She pleads. "You wouldn't listen to reason."
"Reason?" I scoff. "We are out in the open in the middle of no where. She will find us eventually and instead of being on our turf, we're here. You took my daughters from their father!"
"You all are better off without Klaus!" She shoots back.
"That's not your decision! It's mine!"
"We did what we thought was best." Jackson interjects calmly.
"These are MY children! I decide that, Nik decides that, NOT you!" I snap. "Do you have any idea what you've done? I have spent two years telling Nik that I would never leave him, that I would never take the girls. You made me break that promise."
"So what?" Hayley scoffs. "He's a danger to you and the twins."
"No, he isn't. He's a damn good father and he does everything he can to protect us." I counter, tears leaking out of my eyes. "I love him! And now because of the two of you I've abandoned him, just like his parents."
"Kelsey--" Hayley tries.
"No!" I snap wiping my face clean. "In the morning, me and the twins are going back."
"You can't." Hayley begs. "I'm trying to keep you safe."
"Then you should have listened to me and stood by me. Instead you tried to strip my babies of their family. The Mikaelson's are their family just as much as you, rather you like it or not." I sneer. "And it's not just them, you took us from my sister, did you even think about that?" Hayley bows her head with guilt. "Of course you didn't."
I storm out of the building, leaving Hayley crying and Jackson to comfort her.
________________________
I'm standing outside the building, leaning against it when I hear someone screaming. I straighten my shoulders and look around. Hayley and Jackson rush out and look at me and I shrug. Another scream cuts through the night and we take off in the direction it came.
Sliding to a stop near a broken down bus, we find someone holding a wolf, before slashing their throat with his claws. The wolf falls to the ground dead, revealing Nik. He stares straight at me, murderously. Pain hidden deep, but still there.
"Good evening, Crescents." Nik greets casually approaching us. "It will come as no surprise to learn that things will not be ending well for you."
"Go back inside, get the twins and Mary out of here." Jackson tells me and Hayley taking a step towards Nik.
"What? No!" I exclaim as Hayley says. "I can help."
"I'll be right behind you." Jackson says.
"Jack." Hayley protests.
"Just get the twins and run." He orders stilling staring Nik down.
"Are you insane?" I snap. "I can talk to him."
Hayley grips my shoulders from behind and vamp speeds us away. When, we are in the room with the twins and Mary she let's me go.
"I swear, none of you listen." I roll my eyes.
"Talk to him later, right now let's go." She says and something about the whole situation makes me listen. Nik thinks I abandon him, there's no telling what he's gotten himself into and now isn't the time to find out. Hayley looks at Mary. "We have to leave. Klaus found us. The wolves are holding him off."
"Okay." She nods. I grab Bexley and Hayley gets Hope.
"Hey, pretty girls. Let's go for a drive, okay?" I say softly as we exit the room and rush through the building.
"What about Jack?" Hayley asks Mary in concern.
"He and the others will meet us at the road." We stop at a table that has a tin can and red smoke barreling out of it. "Oh!"
"What does that mean?" I inquire, my heart beat rising knowing it isn't good.
"It's her. Dahlia." Hayley states.
"All the more reason to go." Mary nods as Hope starts crying.
"No." Hayley and I say in unison.
"We are not going to teach the twins that it's okay to leave the ones you love to die." Hayley says, making me scoff.
"Except that's exactly what you made me do." She looks at me with more guilt and I roll my eyes. I turn my attention back to Mary and pass her Bexley. "Take them and get them as far away from here as you can." Hayley passes Hope to her other side, as she continues to cry. I place both my hands on the side of their heads. "Shh, it's okay, babies." I kiss each of their foreheads and then whisper. "I love you both more than anything and I'll see you soon."
"What about the two of you?" Mary asks in concern.
I glance and Hayley and nod. "We're gonna rip that bitch apart." Hayley confirms.
_______________________
We run to where Nik is taking down the wolves one by one. He is currently in a face off with Jackson, taunting him.
"I reckon you've gone from field mouse to lapdog." He smirks.
"Come on, then." Jackson grits.
Nik starts to vamp at him, but Hayley cuts him off landing a hard punch to his cheek. Then, every blow she throws he blocks, until Jackson comes at him from the side and kicks the back of his knee.
Jackson grabs him and throws him over his should and onto his back on the ground. Jackson goes to slam his foot onto his chest, but Nik catches it before it makes contact and pushes him off and into Hayley. The force sends them both flying back.
"Nik, stop." I tell him, getting between him and Hayley and Jackson, who had jumped right back to their feet.
"The days of you having anything to say about what I do are over!" He seethes. "You abandoned me!"
"Nik, I--" I begin to shake my head in denial, tears threatening to fall.
"Enough." Dahlia appears behind him. My expression turns stoic and I take a step back. I look between Dahlia and Nik and his face shows no signs of surprise that Dahlia's here.
"Why is she with you, Nik?" I ask unsure and terrified of the answer.
"Unlike some, he's doing what is best from his daughters." Dahlia answers and my heart breaks with betrayal.
"I'm going to skin you alive, you bitch." I grit advancing forward.
Before, I get to her she raises her arms and Hayley and Jackson start grunting and groaning. I quickly turn around and see that they both have fallen to the floor and were in excruciating pain. I vamp to Hayley and kneel beside her. I can hear every one of her bones breaking.
"Hayley?" I stress. I look at Nik, who keeping his face masked as he watches. "Nik! Please!" I plead. A flicker of regret flashes across his face, but he quickly goes back to being cold.
"Kelsey." Hayley struggles to speak. "I--I'm so--sor--sorry."
"It's okay." I cry, feeling helpless to stop her from transitioning. Now, all the wolves that Nik had taken down are in pain and their bones are snapping.
"What are you doing to us?" Hayley breathes out to Dahlia.
"Oh, this?" Nik smirks. "No, this was my idea. Stealing from Marcel the Crescent curse he once used on your pack." He walks closer to Hayley and me. "Dahlia was all too happy to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate your hybrid nature." He squats in front of us looking at Hayley. "Now you will be trapped in wolf form, save for the full moon. Leaving you very little time to cause any further mischief." Hayley screams in pain again. "And because of the unification ritual linking you to your pack, now they will share your fate, queen."
My eyes widen in fear, knowing Mary has the twins. She's going to turn and they'll be alone. "Nik." I whisper, panic clear on my face. "Why are you doing this?"
"You promised never to leave and never to take the twins." He say coldly. "This is your fault."
"Please-- Please don't do this, Klaus." Hayley begs as he stands up.
"She's going to steal our babies." I plead with him, trying to get him to see reason.
"It was you who tried to steal my children." He replies and I shake my head. "And for that, you will all suffer."
Nik bends and snatches me up by my arm and yanks me to Dahlia. "You get to watch as I take everything from you and then I will kill you, sweet girl. And your misery will end knowing I won." Dahlia smiles. Instead of saying anything I spit at her. Rage fills her eyes and she backhand me across the face and I fall into Nik. He yanks me up right again and we head towards the twins.
_______________________
It doesn't take long to find the truck on the highway. The drivers door is open and Mary is gone. Klaus quickly swings the back door open, keeping me next to him and looks in at the twins.
"Hey, Daddy's here." He says softly. I may not understand what he's up to, but I know he would never let anyone hurt them. "It's all gonna be okay, I promise." He tells them and glances at me.
"And there they are." Dahlia says from behind us. Klaus and I slowly and cautiously turn to face her. "Such beautiful children. I want to thank you for your hand in procuring them for me." She tells Klaus. "It must not have been easy betraying your family."
"I will not see my daughters handed over like the spoils of some war. To that end, I remind you of your promise." Klaus says and I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. "You will protect and mentor them, drawing only what power you require to keep them safe."
"I will bond them to me first. Once I can channel their power, I will be able to keep them safe from all harm." She walks forward. "Always under my protection." She smiles, but Klaus and I block her from getting any closer.
"I think not." He says. "You offered an alliance that would benefit my daughters. Now you wish to link to them even though you suffer from that sleep spell. I will not lose my daughters to your affliction."
"I will use their power to free myself, as I said."
"And if you fail, or if Hope and Bexley are not strong enough?" He inquires. "They are, after all, children. I will not condemn them to your fate. Not when there is so obviously an alternative." Dahlia looks at him intrigued. "If you require power to be immortal without the need to sleep for centuries, then why not channel one who already has eternal life? Bond yourself to me, the immortal hybrid. Once your sleep spell is broken then, and only then, may you link yourself to Bexley and Hope."
"Oh no no, that just won't do." She denies. "Yes, you are powerful, but their twins. That's twice the amount of power. The both of them together will be enough."
"Actually." I cut in, understanding that Nik has a plan that I don't know about. "If you bond with Klaus, you'll be bonding with me too." Klaus' head snapped over to me, in clear surprise. He hadn't considered that we were bonded.
"And how is that?" Dahlia asks.
"Esther bonded us together. What happens to one happens to the other. You'd be drawing my power, too and that should be enough for you to do what you need to." I step forward next to Klaus.
"And why would you willingly help me?"
"I'd do anything to protect my babies and letting them suffer a sleeping curse is the opposite."
She stands in front of me. "I had wondered why the Crescent curse didn't affect you."
"Do we have a deal?" Klaus interjects.