Klaus had just returned home and immediately walks upstairs to the room Cami had been staying in to find an empty blood bad on the bed. He sighs in annoyance as he picks up the blood bag and throws it aside, before making his way into Elijah's study. Elijah was in his study as he was going through old-looking notes printed on parchment
"Where the bloody hell is she?" Klaus asks annoyed as he enters the room
"I assume we are talking about Camille..." Elijah states while his eyes stayed on the pages before him, "Just refresh my memory, Niklaus-- was I the one who impulsively handed her a daylight ring? Oh, no, that's right. It was you"
"She left, didn't she?" Klaus says with a roll of his eyes
"Shocking turn of events, yes. So, why don't you go and find her? I shall deal with the growing nightmare of our family's potential extinction" Elijah says sarcastically as he finally looks up as his brother who stood at the other end of the room
"Yes, always the diligent defender, despite the fact that the danger has somewhat subsided, what, with Tristan de Martel now literally sleeping with the fishes?" Klaus says as he walks towards the desk Elijah stood behind
"A darker threat remains. Now, if something out there is capable of killing us--" Elijah says while lowering his voice to a mocking whisper "--We should probably find it"
"I'd love to. However, I got Camille into this mess..." Klaus says with a sigh just as an exhausted and overwhelmed Hayley appears in the doorway
"She left around sunrise" Hayley says making Elijah turn and stare at the brunette widow in surprise while Klaus looks at the two with concern "My guess is that she needed some air?"
Elijah and Klaus continue to stare silently at Hayley, "I couldn't sleep. I saw her leaving from my balcony" Haley then pauses and fidgets nervously for a moment before speaking "So, I was wondering if maybe it was okay... if I stay here a few days?"
"Of course you may" Elijah says with a weak smile as he was surprised but not unhappy to hear her request
Hayley gives him an appreciative look, but before anyone can say anything, Elijah's phone buzzes. He reluctantly pulls out his phone to check, he sees what is and gives Hayley a guilty and apologetic look, "Forgive me"
Elijah then leaves to deal with his call. Once he out of the room, Klaus gives Hayley a comforting smile and approaches her on his way out the door, "Hayley, this family comes with many, many hardships, but there is at least one benefit-- you will always have a home here"
It was clear that Hayley was still grieving but Klaus could tell that she was grateful for his kindness.
~~
Hayley had informed Odette how she was going to be staying in the compound for a while. So the two, including Hope, return to the Kenner apartment in order to get a few things to take back to the compound. Once the three enter the apartment Odette was able to feel all the pain that Hayley felt from being in the home she shared with Jackson.
Hayley, wanting to get out of the building as soon as possible, starts to hurry. So she walks over to the kitchen table and starts rifling through the toys and other possessions that are sitting on top of it.
"What do you want to take?" Hayley asks but Odette couldn't interpret if she was talking to the mom or the baby
"Hales..." Odette says in a whisper yet it was loud enough for Hayley to hear without her supernatural hearing, yet she just ignores Odette
"She likes her knight, right?" Hayley asks Odette making the mom nod her head and then Hayley picks up a stuffed horse "What about horsey?"
Hayley looks up to see Odette shaking her head but that wasn't what had caught her attention. It was the flannel shirt handing over the back of the chair next to Odette who stood across from her. Hayley becomes overwhelmed by the memory of Jacksons death, and so after a moment she hastily grabs a stuffed rabbit from the table and throws it to Odette who quickly catches it with one hand confused "Bunny it is. Let's go"
Hayley quickly rushes out of the apartment and Odette doesn't protest as she walks behind Hayley with Hope in her embrace while also holding on to the bunny. Leaving behind anything else that was in the apartment
~~
From the moment Klaus and Cami had left Lucien's apartment the two started to argue which didn't seem to stop once they returned to the compound. Cami yelling at Klaus as they enter the first floor living room is what disrupts Odette's peaceful time with her daughter and Hayley.
"You have no right! Those dark objects are my family's legacy" Cami angrily states as she walks behind Klaus
"Well, that's funny, because I seem to remember my brother Kol making them, so perhaps they've been my family's legacy all along!" Klaus replies as he turns his back to her making the blonde vamp-speed in front of him to block his way before she sneers at him coldly
"Give them back, or I will take them back, and I swear you will regret this moment" Cami threatens as she felt the power and adrenaline of being a vampire course through her veins
"The only thing I regret is failing to realize how far you've spun out of control! And you can forget about leaving" Klaus says exasperatedly
Cami continues to stare at Klaus with a blank expression as she moves so they're nearly nose-to nose"She was right, wasn't she? Aurora? She did this to turn you against me, to rob me of the one advantage I have over her... My humanity. And me, like this? It's a problem for you, isn't it? Not the darkness-- that you find intriguing-- the fact that I am out of control."
Her words make Klaus scowl at her accurate assessment which only makes Cami more smug that she previously was, "I'm out of your control, and you hate it, don't you? You have spent ten centuries getting the entire world to tremble at your name, but you're the one who's terrified, Klaus. You are a scared little kid, convinced he'll be tossed aside the second he isn't needed"
Cami starts to walk away and past Klaus but he angrily grabs Cami by the arm making her yelp in surprise, "Let go of me!"
Klaus is forced to let go of Cami as a knife is thrown in his direction as he catches it before it can hit either one of them. The two turn to see behind them an exhausted and annoyed Odette, accompanied by an equally exhausted but weary looking Hayley
"Nik, you can't just force Cami to stay here" Odette speaks making Cami look relieved that someone for once wasn't against her
"Finally! Someone who's on my side" Cami says making Odette give the newbie vampire a look as she walked towards the door
"I'm not but I do remember when I turned. Meaning you for sure shouldn't have a box of witch crap" Odette says before turning her attention to Klaus who looks annoyed by the entire situation and walks towards her after setting her knife on the table before them "Doesn't mean you can hold her hostage. Just... let us talk to her"
"I hardly think now is the time for a women's empowerment meeting" Klaus says unamused and if the previous events hadn't happened, Odette would have smiled, snickered or scoffed at the statement but she stayed silent
"She died, Klaus, because she got caught up in the Mikaelson world. Just like me. Just like Odette. Just like Jackson. So yeah, we have a few things to talk about" Hayley says as she was not backing down and neither was Odette
Klaus looks as though he's about to argue, but before he can say anything Elijah enters the room
"Niklaus... A word" Elijah says making Klaus sigh before leaving Odette, Hayley and Cami to talk while joining Elijah in his study.
~~
Cami had been listening to Elijah and Klaus conversation with her enhanced hearing meaning she wasn't quite listening to Hayley saying, "Look, I know it may not seem like it right now, but what you're going through? It does get better. And there are people around you that are willing to get you to that point"
"Cami?" Odette asks as she can sense that she was distracted which pulls Cami out of her trance
"Yes. That's very sweet, Hayley, and I think you should take your own advice. I mean, that is why you wanted to speak to me, right? To get some words of wisdom from the Mikaelson family therapist?" Cami says patronizing Hayley as she knew that she could easily hurt her "I say admit it. It's not guilt, it's relief"
"What did you just say?" Hayley asks not believing that those words had left Camis mouth. As Odette sinks her nails in the palm of her hand so she wouldn't do something that she might regret
"Oh, come on. It's just us girls! You don't have to deny it. It's obvious-- you're in love with Elijah, and now that Jackson's gone, you're free. It must be nice, like a weight lifted" Cami says playing dumb, making Hayley look absolutely furious but breaths in deeply to keep her calm
"You're going through a really hard time right now, Cami, but you are never, ever to speak to me of my husband again. Do you understand me?" Hayley says sharply which seems to cut Cami down to her old self, and she looks horrified by just how cruel she just was before she begins to panic
"I... I don't know what's wrong with me. Why would I say that?" Cami says which makes Odette roll her eyes not fully buying her shocked expression as Cami was emitting many emotions which Odette couldn't fully grasp or identify
"Being manic is all part of it" Odette says, as she remembers her first few days before making it to her childhood home, making Cami processes it all
"I think I wanted to make you feel pain like I do. And so I said an evil, unfair thing... An untrue thing, Hayley" Cami says apologetically to which Odette still couldn't tell if Cami was telling the truth or not as all the emotions she was feeling, Odette wasn't able to interpret. Odette sighed and simply blamed it on being tired as she hadn't slept since Jacksons death
"Forget it. You're not you" Hayley says with a sigh as she can't meet Cami's eyes
"I thought I could handle this..." Cami says sadly as her eyes start to gloss up
"You are strong enough to. All you need is time" Odette says making the three sit still in silence for a long moment. None able to make eye contact with the other
"I think maybe I should go home..." Cami says waiting for one of the hybrids before her to say something but when they don't, Cami simply walks out of the room and leaves without another word
~~
Klaus frantically walks into his and Odette's room as she looked down at a blue book which contained a small photo. Without consideration Klaus asks, "Where is Camille?"
"She went home" Odette says with a sigh which makes Klaus give her a look, one that she returns "She needed some time and yes, I didn't stop her. What you were doing wasn't helping, instead it was pissing her off and that's the last thing she needs right now"
"I really don't think--" Klaus says mot exactly mad but its clear he's trying not be overly rude to her which makes Odette cut him off as she closes the book in her hand and stands up
"Klaus! We both lost someone, only thing is you got your person back and mine is now only a memory! The Cami that you knew is gone and whoever she's going to be is something that she has to figure out by herself. With luck a part of her old self will still be there"
"I just wanted to keep her safe..." Klaus says quietly, Odette still raw from Jacksons death has little energy to argue with Klaus.
So exhausted and defeated she says, "Well, guess what. The people you think you you're keeping safe? Elijah, Rebekah, me, even Hope? You can't protect us all because sometimes, you do us more harm than good!"
Klaus doesn't look offended by the comment, instead it triggered a realization in him. Klaus huffs a dark laugh under his breath, making Odette look at him confused.
"What?" Odette asks not understanding his sudden change in mood
"What you just said-- keeping Rebekah safe? I know what the weapon is" Klaus says leaving Odette confused as she didn't know what weapon he was referring to or that he was even in search for one, "I made it myself"
~~
Klaus is frantically searching through the shelves and boxes in his study downstairs while Elijah, Hayley and Odette watch. The two Crescent hybrids had been caught up on the new problem they faced.
Aya had found a seer which professed that a storm was coming and that a pale horse is a flame that will burn all of the original family.
"All my efforts to protect and provide comfort for my family..." Klaus says as he looks through the bookshelf and continues to open boxes and move books to the side
"Klaus, you're not making any sense" Hayley says confused and worried he had finally gone mad
"The pale horse! It isn't a constellation, nor is it a Biblical verse. It's a... a trinket I made when we were children. A toy carved from kindling which I gave to Rebekah in the hopes of easing her fears" Klaus says frustrated making Odette and Hayley look at each other as they both knew of an old wooden carved horse that Hope loved, especially since it had become her favorite toy since she started teething
"I collected the firewood myself. It was fallen branches from everywhere, and..." Elijah says as he tries to piece it all together and after a moment he does. Elijah's eyes widen in alarm when he realizes what Klaus had just figured out "The horse was made of the white oak...That weapon is here."
~~
Klaus, Hayley and Odette all search through the Kenner Apartment for the wooden knight. Despite it being on the table when they had been in the apartment earlier, they flipping the room upside down and yet no sign of what they were looking for. After a moment of searching Hayley sighs in frustration
"This doesn't make any sense. It was here. I saw it!" Hayley says making Klaus suddenly get an idea as to who could have heard Elijah and his conversation
"When?" Klaus asks as he looks over to Hayley no longer in search
"This afternoon. I swear" Hayley says making Klaus sigh deeply when he realizes what has just happen and who had it
"Oh, I believe you. We're just here a little too late" though Klaus is smiling weakly, it's clear he is very unhappy about what he's just discovered. "There's only one other person capable of deciphering the witch's riddle, the very person with whom I shared my memories of that night... My trusted therapist"
Before Klaus could leave the apartment, the two hear a scream and the sound of furniture hitting the floor being heard from the room where Odette had gone to search for the pale horse. Klaus immediately runs towards the room only to find that she wasn't physically in any danger
"Odette" Klaus says wary as he finds her on the floor next to broken furniture while looking defeated, as she had tears in her eyes and silent sobs kept leaving her lips
"I just c-can't take it" Odette speaks up in almost a whisper having heard Klaus say her name yet keeps looking down at the floor, "I-I want it all to stop"
"Stop what?" Klaus asks as he walks over to the one he loves and sits next to her as he was afraid to do something wrong
"Everything. It's this numbing feeling in my nerves that just pulses a pain through my veins. Every time I speak I feel this never ending sandpaper scratching against my throat just waiting for me to scream. What's worse is that I know those are my emotions, I know I am feeling it and no one else is, because...I-i don't know what's mine anymore." Odette says as her voice starts to become shaky and she has to pause as Odette had to take a sharp intake because it felt as if there was something stopping her from breathing
"All of yours, Hayleys, Elijahs, Camis and even Hopes emotions are all being interlocked with mine and I- just want it to stop because I feel like I'm suffocating and can't breathe. I-i just want to be breathe"
Klaus realizes that she was in fact having a hard time breathing, move closer to her and holds her face in the palm of his hands. Odette continues to gasp for air as she keeps her eyes everywhere that wasn't Klaus
"Odette, love look at me" Klaus says making Odette look at him with tears in her eyes yet still felt like she was suffocating, "You are breathing, you are okay, you're safe, I've got you"
"I-i can't" Odette says as she continues to gasp for air as a wave of worry starts to over come her and as she looks into the blue eyes in front of her she knows the worry is his and not hers
Klaus takes her into his arms setting her head on his chest making Odette listen to his heartbeat to which she tries to sync hers with his. After a while of listening to his heartbeat and gaining a good rhythm of breathing she looks up at Klaus and whispers a thank you.
"Do you remember the first time we met?" Klaus as he runs his hand through Odette's hair as she rests her head on his chest.
Odette softly nods her head while whispering, "vaguely but yes"
"I remember every detail" Klaus says making Odette let out a soft chuckle "Your first words to me were 'don't forget notoriously psychotic', all while sat on a chair with your bare feet resting on the desk. You wore a green jacket that made the green in your hazel eyes noticeable all while your fringe was long enough to cover your eyes."
"Mystic Falls feels like ages ago" Odette says as she couldn't help but let a smile linger on her lips at Klaus words
"I never told you this but you looked exceptionally beautiful at the Mystic Falls pageant" Making Odette look up at Klaus confused as she remembered clearly that during the pageant she had to endure a jealous Tyler because Caroline was spending the whole event with Klaus. Not once had she been in his proximity, or at least she doesn't remember seeing him anywhere up close to where is attention wasn't focused on the blonde vampire teen
"If I remember correctly you were infatuated with Caroline Forbes during my stay"
"Didn't mean I couldn't admire the beauty around me" Klaus says making Odette laugh into his chest a she also hid her cheeks starting to heat up. Which makes Klaus smile down at her as it was nice to see her smiling and no longer feeling an intensity of pain
"I don't know what you found interesting about the town, the place just felt too... cozy?" Odette says as she couldn't find the right word to describe Mystic Falls and then she remembered her previous words "It was Caroline wasn't it? The reason you found the town interesting"
"Jealous?" Klaus asks with a smirk making Odette raise her eyebrow
"Jealous of Caroline Forbes?" Odette says with a chuckle as she goes to kiss Klaus "definitely not"
~~
After Klaus had taken Odette back to the Mikaelson compound, Hayley stayed in what used to be her apartment. Hayley was still completely overwhelmed with her feelings about Jackson's death and the apartment was filled with ghost memories.
So as she once again found Jacksons flannel shirt, Hayley picks it up and breaths in his scent before she finally breaks down. Sliding her back down until she's sitting in the corner of the kitchen as she starts to sob loudly. Hayley continues to sob loudly, until she notices Elijahs presence who was looking at her devastated and not knowing how to best comfort her.
"I don't know what to say..." Elijah says making Hayley ultimately stop sobbing as tears still fell from her eyes
"Elijah... I've spent the last 24 hours being so angry at Tristan, at your family, at you, at Odette... At Jackson, even, for always being so brave." Hayley tearfully responds, as she continues to talk Elijahs eyes fill with tears as well and he looks upset at the though go causing her pain, "But then, I realized that I'm not angry. I'm not mad... I'm just guilty"
Hayley starts to cry silently again, and Elijah walks up the steps towards her. He then sits down next to her on the floor, though neither of them make eye contact at first.
"I wanted to blame you, blame anyone... But the truth is that my husband died because he loved me" Hayley says as she finally looks over at Elijah and stares him in the eyes "And loving any of us is a death sentence... Isn't it?"
Elijah gives her an empathetic look, as he knows no answer would be able to comfort her.
A/N: sorry for the long wait.. but I just had to include Caroline because in about 2 or 4 chapters Stefan arrives to New Orleans