Sun filtered through the blinds of Hayley's bedroom and she peered at her clock. It blinked back at her: 6:30 am. Rubbing her sore eyelids, she got to her feet and forced herself out of her room. Her feet moved in the direction of the bathroom while her eyes ticked to her daughter's room. She needed to get Hope up and dressed. They had to leave. Today.
Entering the bathroom, Hayley flicked the light on and stared into the mirror. She slid her fingertips over the sore purple and blue fingerprints that belonged to Kol Mikaelson. Damn him, she snarled internally, and gripped the sink. The anger that she had learned to control since having her baby welled inside her chest; trying to break free. Sucking in a deep, steadying breath, Hayley calmed down before leaving the room.
Hayley walked back into her bedroom and looked for a shirt that would cover her bruises and then her head cocked to the side when someone began to knock on the door. Cautiously moving toward the front door, she opened a closet and pulled out an umbrella. Not the best weapon but it would have to do. She moved toward the door, her steps nearly soundless as she peered through the peephole. Elijah stared at her through the tiny piece of glass.
Elijah continued to stare at her through the glass before lifting his hand and knocking again. "Hayley?" he called quietly. His voice sounded like it always did. Calm. Reassuring. It made her want to open the door. Then her fingers went to the imprint that his younger brother's fingers had made on her the day before. The same brother that he had raised. No, she couldn't be around Elijah. Not if he could raise a monster like Kol.
"Hayley?" Elijah called again. "Please, answer the door." Elijah placed his head close to the door and Hayley got the sense that he was listening for her movements. "Hayley?" he said, his eyes moving to the peephole.
Her chest moved up and down, her breathing becoming shallow as she placed her hand on the lock. Twisting it between her fingers, she flicked it around and yanked the door open. Eyes widening, she found that Elijah was nowhere in sight. Taking a tentative step into the hallway, Hayley looked to both sides. Elijah had left.
Breathing slowly Hayley moved back into her apartment, closing the door. "Okay," she whispered to herself. "Time to pack," she muttered. Then her phone rang.
Of course someone would have to call her. It's not like she had anything important to do like get her child away from her psychotic family member or members. Heading into the living room, Hayley picked up her cell and looked at the screen. She expected to find Elijah's name on the screen. Nope. Not Elijah. Jane Anne. Really? At six in the morning. Did her boss have nothing else to do?
Hayley placed her phone to her ear. "Hey, Jane Anne, what's going on?"
"Oh, nothing much. Sophie just decided to run off to Bermuda. Not even kidding here. And I know that it's your day off but I'm really in a bind and your client, Caroline, has a special request for today that she wanted you to oversee. So, could you possibly come in? Please!" Jane Anne's words tumbled out, one over the other in her haste to get them out.
Running a hand through her dark wavy locks, Hayley stared at the door to her daughter's room. "Uh..."
"I will pay you double. Hell, I'll pay you triple. I'm going to owe you big time." Jane Anne exhaled heavily and Hayley could hear the desperation in her voice.
"I guess I can put off my plans till tomorrow," Hayley said slowly. If Davina found out that Hayley took Hope somewhere right after the whole Kol ordeal, Kol would become suspicious and might try to track her down. Better to wait just a little longer. Allow him to think that he had scared her. Then she would hide Hope. Right now, pretending like everything was normal might be best. She hoped.
"Great. Well, can you come in early?" Jane asked.
Hayley thought about it. "Yeah. Okay. Let me call you back after I see if my babysitter is free." Hanging up, Hayley strode over to Hope's room. Hope looked peaceful as she slept, probably dreaming of ponies and her daddy. "Hey, kiddo," Hayley called, coming to sit beside Hope whose eyelids fluttered.
"Mommy," Hope said, yawning and sitting up. She threw her arms around Hayley's neck. "Are we going away now?"
"Not today, baby girl. Today you're going to Josh's. Cool?" Hayley wouldn't mind if Hope said no. It would make it easier to tell Jane Anne she couldn't come in.
"Cool!" Hope bounced off the other side of the bed, waiting for Hayley to find her clothes and dress her.
The mindless routine of dressing her child and getting her teeth brushed, face washed and hair brushed calmed her frayed nerves. Picking her child up, she carried her out their front door and down the hall. Davina answered, yawning before smiling. "Hey Hayley. Hi, Hope!" she said cheerfully.
Hayley's jaw tightened at the sight of the shirt that Kol had worn the night before covering Davina's body. He was here. In that apartment that her daughter had spent so many days in. "Hi, Davina. Mind raising Josh from the dead for me?" Hayley asked with as much politeness as she could muster when she wanted to vomit.
Davina's smile faltered but she shrugged and headed back into the apartment, leaving the door open for Hayley to come in—if she wanted to—which she did not. She could hear Davina calling to Josh. "Hey, Josh. Hayley's here and she wants to talk to you."
As Hayley stood in the doorway, Kol came out of Davina's bedroom like he lived there. He smirked at Hayley. "Hello there, darling," he called to Hope.
"Hi, Uncle Kol!" Hope cried brightly.
"Uncle Kol?" Davina let out a startled laugh as Kol opened the fridge, took out a bottle of orange juice and took a swig from the bottle.
"It's just a thing kids say," Hayley snapped as Josh came out of his room, rubbing his face and blinking rapidly. "Hey, Josh, can we talk?" she called.
"Sure," Josh replied with a good natured smile. He stopped near the couch, waiting for her to come in.
"Actually, I have to get to work. Could you come back to my place for a sec?" Hayley inclined her head in the direction of her apartment.
Josh nodded. "Not a problem." He walked out the door, shutting it behind him. "It's good to get away from those two. They kept me up half the night. And by half, I mean all night long. Seriously. Who has that kind of stamina?"
"What's stamina, mommy?" Hope inquired with wide eyed curiosity.
"Nothing important, sweetie," Hayley replied, entering her apartment and closing the door, flicking the lock in case Kol decided to join them. "Josh, can you take Hope to Aiden's today?"
"Umm... Okay. Why?" Josh looked confused, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I just don't like Davina's new boyfriend. He's a little...creepy," Hayley said, setting Hope down.
"Uncle Kol isn't creepy, mommy," Hope muttered, heading over to the couch.
Josh leaned closer to Hayley. "Did he say something or do something 'cause, honestly, there's something off about him. It's like he's keeping some kind of secret. Even D's kind of pissed about his keeping stuff from her. And what happened to your neck?" Josh stared at Hayley's neck.
"Oh. That. I pissed off a Bridezilla yesterday and she tried to kill me. Some people take the icing on their cake a little too seriously," Hayley let out a laugh.
"Right," Josh forced a laugh. "Okay. Well, I'm going to head back. Change. Take like a five minute shower and I should be back soon to pick up Princess Hope and we will go spend the day with Aiden. He loves your kid to pieces."
For the first time that day, Hayley smiled. "Good. It's nice to know someone will be watching out for her."
"You bet." Josh left and Hayley went over to watch Hope's cartoon with her.
Stepping inside the bakery, Hayley found that Jane Anne was on her way out. "I'm sorry, Hayley, I have to go. You're in charge today," she called before Hayley could protest.
"Great," Oliver groaned, kicking a table leg and then stomping into the back.
Jackson looked a little less upset but still he didn't speak. He, too, headed into the back of the bakery. This left Hayley alone with Cami. "Looks like we're going to have a fun day," Cami cried with a wide smile. Hayley wished she could feel her friend's optimism when the bell over the door rang.
"Of course this is it! What kind of fool do you take me for, Marcellus?" Rebekah Mikaelson's voice pierced the air. Yes, she and Hayley had only hung out once but Hayley thought she would recognize Rebekah's voice in a crowd.
"Bekah," Marcel Gerard groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck and then shot Hayley a grin. "Sorry, my girl likes her drama."
Rebekah gave him a scathing frown before pinning Hayley with a long look. Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed. "I know you. Who are you?" she demanded, staring at Hayley intently.
"No one. I must just have one of those faces," Hayley said with a shrug. "What can I help you two with?" She walked over to the counter, peering into an empty display case. Oh, yeah, today was going to suck. Big time.
"I know I know you," Rebekah replied. "Marcel, where is she from?" she asked, glancing at her boyfriend.
Marcel looked from the empty display case to Hayley and then to Rebekah. "Not a clue, babe. Are you sure this is the place that Care told Klaus about?" His voice lowered but Hayley could still hear him. "Cause it doesn't look like they do much business."
"Yes. Yes, this is the place," Rebekah snapped, flipping her long locks over her shoulder. "May we see some sort of box or get some samples. You people do open at this time, correct?" Rebekah glanced at her cell phone before she gave Hayley a pointed look.
Hayley preferred drunk Rebekah. "Yes. Sorry. We're running a little late. Our boss had to leave because of a family emergency and we're down two people with an already limited staff."
"Excuses never got anyone anywhere good is what my father always said," Rebekah muttered, tapping away at her cell, her fingernails clicking against the screen while Marcel stared at the walls and ceiling, looking trapped.
"Yeah. Okay. Well, if you have time. I'm sure we can get you some samples in about...forty minutes," Hayley forced a smile while Rebekah let out a scoff.
"Forty bloody minutes. I could have my hair done in that length of time." Rebekah started to head toward the door when she suddenly stopped. "Wait. Wait just a bloody minute. I know where I know you from." Turning on her heel, Rebekah's lips twisted into a smirk. "You're that girl from Nik's and Caroline's engagement party. Oh, now, it's all coming back to me. Ha! How are you, darling?"
Hayley had no idea how to respond as Rebekah beamed at her before heading over to a small table. "Take your time. Oh, wait, no. Come. Come. Sit. I need to show you something."
Forcing herself to walk around the corner, Hayley sat down in the seat beside Rebekah's. "Here. This is a pic of my big brother, Elijah. Now, it seems like he might be seeing someone but I know Lijah, he'll fall head over heels for you in an instant. Other girl be damned."
"Rebekah," Marcel groaned, coming to sit across from them. He gave Hayley an apologetic look. "Once Bekah gets something into her head, it's hell trying to get it out of there."
"Yes. Coming from the poster boy for stubborn, thick headed males, I do see your point." Rebekah gave Marcel a mock pout and he grabbed her hand, kissing the back until she grinned at him.
"I love you," Marcel told Rebekah who waved him off while she held out her phone to Hayley.
"Ignore my boyfriend, he's a fool in love," Rebekah said quietly, her eyes flicking to Marcel, softened for an instant and then moved back to Hayley. "What do you think, he's gorgeous, truly, isn't he? Looks a bit stuffy in that suit but he's the best of our lot."
"I wouldn't second that. But I'm prejudiced," Marcel said, still holding onto Rebekah's hand and stroking her skin.
Hayley felt herself smiling at the couple's antics while she examined the picture of Elijah. Obviously this was one of those posed pics where people become stiff and their smiles freeze. His lips only curved slightly but the light in his eyes made Hayley's stomach wobble. She missed him already. What would she do if she found out that he was as crazy as Kol and had to end things?
"Right. Anyway. I forgot why we're here. Caroline has decided to throw another party prior to the wedding which has been moved up to two weeks from now," Rebekah told Hayley with a roll of her eyes. "Looks as if I'll be an Aunt Rebekah sooner than I expected."
"Caroline's pregnant?" Hayley's eyes widened. Well that changed things. Only a tiny bit. It meant her daughter would be a big sister. It also meant that outing Hope as Klaus' child might be a little more awkward as if it wouldn't be awkward enough.
"It would appear so," Rebekah replied. "Or she's just in a rush to tie herself to Nik forever. Why she would want that is beyond me, I've tried to run away from him more times than I can count and somehow I always get looped back into the family's crises." Rolling her eyes, Rebekah smiled. "As I was saying, we're having a party and we need catering. Do you think your little company will be up for the task?"
"When is the party?" Hayley asked.
"Tonight," Rebekah replied.
Hayley inhaled sharply. "Right. That makes sense. And we're serving how many people?"
"Five hundred most likely. And money is no issue. Whatever you need we can afford it. Trust me." Rebekah waited for Hayley's response.
"Okay. We can do that. Let me go get some menus and we can organize what you'd like." Hayley got up and headed behind the counter.
"Did she say five hundred or am I going deaf?" Jackson asked as Hayley walked by him.
"She said five hundred," Hayley replied wryly.
"Five hundred what?" Cami asked, taking a swig from her ever-present Diet Coke.
"We're catering for a party of five hundred people," Jackson called.
Oliver's head sprang up from on top of the table he was lying on. "You're kidding me? Are you nuts?" he demanded of Hayley.
Hayley shrugged. "Do you want this place to go anywhere or not? Come on, people, we can do this!"
"Sure we can," Jackson said. "We've only ever served two hundred and Oliver got drunk and fell on a guest. But that was six months ago. Let's show those stuck up rich people what we're made of."
"I'm going to slit my wrists," Oliver grumbled, heading into the walk-in to hide.
Cami shook her head. "He'll be fine. Just don't let him near any alcohol."
Hayley nodded, found the menu book and headed back out to talk to Rebekah who was talking to someone on her phone. "It's Caroline. She wants veto power over anything that we might vote for." Rebekah sneered as she put the phone on speaker.
"Hey, Hayley," Caroline called chirpily into the phone.
"Hey, Caroline," Hayley called back.
Opening the book, Hayley held it for Rebekah and Marcel to look at the pics. "So are we thinking chicken, beef, seafood or veggie?"
"Seafood sounds good. Oh, I would love some lobster," Caroline moaned. "Oh, or filet mignon. But we have people who don't eat meat. Can we have vegan and meat? Oh, and desserts. I think cupcakes? Or chocolate truffles? Or macaroons? Oh, that sounds good. Maybe macaroons and crème brulee? Sounds awesome. And cheese fondue."
Trying to keep up, Hayley took notes while Rebekah kept rolling her eyes and Marcel began to text someone before he slipped his phone toward Hayley. A message from Klaus stated exactly what should be on the menu and he would handle the bride. Hayley moved the phone toward Rebekah who grinned happily.
"Oh, Care, darling, the reception is dying..." Rebekah made hissing noise and hung up. "Right. And now you will have to come to the party where I will introduce you to Elijah and you will fall madly in love and I will be your maid of honor."
"You mean matron," Marcel corrected.
"When you bloody well propose, I might be," Rebekah huffed, grabbing the menu book and flipping pages.
Hayley headed behind the counter. "Okay, everyone, I have the menu and we have less than ten hours to get this thing moving. Let's go!" she cried. She had missed being in charge and it meant she could avoid the thoughts of Rebekah attempting to set her up with Elijah.
Peace,