𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍.
﹙ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒙 ﹚
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
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Beverly huffed out, looking at her fingers as she waited for the manicure to dry in anticipation. She pressed sent on her last assignment for the day and stood up.
She descended the staircase, stopping when she found Rebekah blocking her way before she could ask what was going on the blonde Mikaelson explained, "There's a dead body downstairs...you probably wouldn't want to go down now."
Beverly pursed her lips together, "Right...I almost forgot how bad Klaus' influence could get."
"You and me both, sweetheart," Rebekah chuckled humorlessly before asking, "You needed anything from downstairs?"
"I was going to make myself breakfast after two hours in front of my laptop but I guess could wait a few more hours," Beverly shrugged her shoulders with an exhausted sigh before retreating upstairs.
The Mikaelson girl called after her, "I will get you something to eat, don't worry about it."
"Thanks, Rebekah."
Beverly walked back to her bedroom, closing the door after her. She sighed before picking up her phone from the nightstand. The hint of a smile made its way onto her face when she checked her emails, the assignment she turned in last week was graded; A+.
The smile soon turned to a grin, remembering how much effort it took to finish all of that in three days. She opened her contacts, scrolling through to her father's number before pausing. Beverly furrowed her eyebrows together, letting that sink in again.
She can't call her father to tell him about her grade, to tell him that the film school that he was so against turned out to be the right place for her. She can't call him to hear his slightly impressed tone because he was dead.
The almost unremovable smile she had on her face two seconds ago faltered as she sat down on her bed and placed her phone beside her. She shook her head at herself, trying to remember all of the times her father was the worst person on Earth for her. All of those months with him being gone, she turned grief into anger.
Beverly wouldn't like to admit it but she did have a few good memories with her father. They were rare but they were there and remembering them hurt her.
She took in a deep breath and walked out of her room, taking the other stairs and turning around from the yard to get into the kitchen. Hayley let out a soft gasp as Beverly opened the kitchen back door and walked in, "Morning."
"Morning...you okay?" Hayley asked, frowning as she gave Beverly a once over, "You look a little—"
"Miserable, depressed, angry? All of the above?" Beverly sighed, raising an eyebrow.
The pregnant werewolf shrugged her shoulders, trailing off, "I was going to say exhausted..."
The blonde witch forced a smile onto her lips, "Oh, well. Life is exhausting," She walked around the island, opening the cupboard, and pulled out a pack of oatmeal cereal just as Elijah walked in, finding Hayley rooting through the fridge to make herself breakfast.
Elijah leaned on the doorway and smiled at her, "Good morning."
Hayley smiled back, greeting, "Hey."
Beverly paused, looking between the two of them before rolling her eyes, "Ugh, milk. People, milk is a necessity."
Rebekah entered through the back door, dragging a trashcan behind her as Hayley agreed, sighing, "Listen, I know we're the only ones in this house that actually drink milk, but would it kill any of you to make sure it's on the grocery list?"
"Speaking of, add bleach," Rebekah said before stomping through the kitchen and into the living room to clean up the mess her brothers left.
Elijah dug around in a cupboard while Hayley pulled ice cream out of the freezer. Beverly looked down at her bowl of oatmeal missing the milk. She sighed, picking up a spoon anyways and sitting down.
"You know, I do hope my siblings were hospitable to you in my absence," Elijah said and Beverly deduced that statement was addressed to Hayley before he added, bringing to her attention, "Both of you."
Hayley rolled her eyes, starting, "In your absence, as you like to call it—which is a way-too-polite way of saying that your brother put a dagger in your heart—" She looked up to see Elijah bringing a bowl, a spoon, and a bag of cereal to the counter, "We have been attacked by French Quarter vampires, had to live in a house with a secret dungeon full of coffins, and I was nearly murdered by witches who are convinced my baby is Lucifer."
"I nearly bled to death," Beverly shrugged her shoulders, revealing before raising her spoon to her mouth.
"That's a little overdramatic," Hayley chuckled, shaking her head.
"I am known to be overdramatic," She replied, a small smirk on her lips.
Elijah looked between them, remembering vaguely how Beverly couldn't bear the presence of Hayley with her in the same room a week after being here but somehow he had a feeling she was just pushing the pregnant werewolf away to avoid being friends and making actual connections.
He could remember Jayden Hills once saying that Beverly was a lot like her mother in the sense she hated connections or grounding emotions. She liked to be free and to make her own decisions. While that made her seem selfish, it was the complete opposite.
Beverly got attached to people quickly, way too quickly. She cared more than she would like to admit but she hated pausing her life for someone in any scenario case so pulling up the bitch face and the 'I don't care' facade was just a barrier to shield herself and her feelings from the outside world.
Elijah pulled orange juice and milk out of the fridge, poured Hayley a bowl of cereal, and then filled it with milk. He turned to Beverly about to fill her plate with milk before she raised her hand, asking, "Is that skimmed?"
"Probably not."
"Then I probably don't want it," Beverly replied, pulling another spoon to her mouth, "It's fine, I like it without the milk too."
When Hayley realized that they had milk all along, she looked slightly guilty and embarrassed, "Oh... milk," She paused for a beat before answering Elijah's first question, "They've been fine. Your siblings are weirdly protective, I know I have you to thank for that."
"Yeah, I mean if you can get your brother to leave his dinner out of the house that would be amazing but other than that, all is well and alright in the world," Beverly said with a slight shrug of her shoulders.
Elijah nodded, reassuring her that he would take care of that problem before handing Hayley her bowl of cereal, "So, back to the murderous witches. I have some concerns."
The Hills girl rolled her eyes, claiming, "They are a bunch of bitches, evil bitches."
"And, my life is still magically linked to Sophie Deveraux, which is not comforting."
The noble Mikaelson agreed, stating, "Yes, I think it's time we took care of that little problem."
Rebekah suddenly re-entered the kitchen, dragging the corpse of the girl Klaus killed across the floor behind her as Beverly internally gagged, Rebekah was facing her back but her mind could already form a picture of the dead girl—a picture full of blood.
"I am all for it," Rebekah had her hands on her hips, "As soon as they're unlinked, we get to leave this crap town. Who do we have to kill?"
Elijah considered it for a moment, saying, "Probably no one," Hayley and Beverly exchanged a look before turning to the Original with a significant look of disbelief.
He rolled his eyes and sighed, "Alright, potentially everyone."
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
Elijah and Klaus left a while ago to deal with unlinking Sophie and Hayley. Beverly had her legs crossed together from where she sat on the floor of Hayley's bedroom, reading through her book about filmmaking in the '90s.
"Do you do anything other than study these days? I mean...it gets boring, right?"
Beverly looked up at Hayley, "It's better than sulking in bed."
"What happened to planning pageants? You were excited about that," Hayley asked, in concern that Beverly felt like she doesn't deserve, in a way.
She shrugged her shoulders, "It wasn't going the way I wanted it to. The girls here are too much to deal with. I am not used to that kind of carelessness, it drives me mad."
The Marshall huffed out, "You are Beverly Hills, I am pretty sure you can make anyone do whatever you want."
"Is that a compliment or a confirmation that I am a control freak with no emotions?"
"Bit of both."
Beverly chuckled, closing her book, "Well, I am flattered. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me in a while."
Hayley furrowed her eyebrows together but before attempting to ask, she suddenly yelped in pain and instinctively grabbed her neck. Beverly sat up quickly, worry evident in her eyes. When Hayley pulled her hand away, she noticed blood on her fingers from a small puncture wound that was already starting to heal.
Beverly's eyes fell on the blood and blinked, stepping a few inches away from Hayley to hold herself together when Rebekah heard Hayley's cry of pain and rushed into the room.
"What the hell was that?"
Hayley's lips parted, shaking her head, "Hell if I know. It felt like I was being stabbed."
The three supernatural girls exchanged looks, realizing that something bad was happening. Or about to.
"How likely is it that I go on a day in here without seeing blood?" Beverly spoke after a few quiet moments, "On a scale from 1 to 10?"
"A negative 10," Rebekah pursed her lips together, claiming.
A while had passed with Beverly staring out the window of Hayley's bedroom. She really hated that backyard. It was too dull. She loved her apartment back in California because of how busy the streets down there always were. Beverly would get lost in the cacophony of sounds and feel content, somehow.
Rebekah returned to Hayley's bedroom, where Hayley was sitting in her armchair, "Time for the demon spawn to snack!"
She laughed out, saying, "I really wish you wouldn't call her that."
"Oh, sorry, have you picked another name yet?" The Original held out a basket of apples, "Take one, the plantation's lousy with them."
Hayley chose an apple and held it for a moment, "I feel fine... which is weird. I'm sure it's Sophie-related."
Beverly turned to them, suggesting, "Or maybe they managed to sever the link and the stab was like...a confirmation? Testing?"
The werewolf shook her head, expressing with her face how unlikely that is as Rebekah sighed, "Then, do me a favor, and don't die on my watch. I'll never hear the end of it."
"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a real bitch."
Rebekah smiled at that, asking, "What changed your mind?"
"Oh, I still think you're a bitch!" Hayley chuckled before clarifying, "I've just grown to like that about you."
The blonde Mikaelson chuckled back as Beverly smiled, "Aw, well, that's sweet of you to say," She got serious before saying, "Remember it when I'm gone."
"Gone?" Beverly raised her eyebrows at that.
The pregnant werewolf frowned, "Where are you going?"
"I only came to town to make sure everything was okay with Elijah. He's fine, and he hasn't punished Klaus for daggering him, so... as usual, they'll be thick as thieves, and I'll be left to clean up the mess," Rebekah shrugged her shoulders, "It's time for me to fly the coop."
Beverly nodded, trying not to feel a little upset by that just as Hayley took a bite of the apple in her hand, but she suddenly started to feel woozy before she got the chance to eat it.
The blonde witch placed a hand on her shoulder, asking, "What's wrong?"
Hayley shook her head, "I dunno, probably morning sickness..."
Rebekah's eyebrows almost raise to her hairline as she placed a hand on Hayley's forehead, "Oh, you're burning up, actually."
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
Beverly always internally panicked whenever someone around her got sick or slightly too ill to move. Call it bad intuitions or just bad aura, it always had her distancing herself. In case that sickness is more serious than it looks.
She always remembered walking on her mother drowning in a pool of her blood, she didn't stop at that door. Beverly walked inside and didn't think anything of it before her socks were soaked in blood, her mother's blood. She tried to erase that day from her head but it resurfaced every time she was around blood or people that are too ill to move and in New Orleans that was a daily kind of thing.
Hayley laid in bed as Beverly blotted sweat from her forehead and chest with a washcloth, "Hey, hey, try to calm down and take deep breaths, it helps."
All she got was a small nod from Hayley and a failed attempt to do as she said before Rebekah walked back inside, "Elijah will be here any minute."
Hayley groaned out in pain, "I feel like I've been microwaved."
"Hey! Just because you're carrying a baby doesn't mean you get to act like one!" Rebekah turned to Hayley, shaking her head, "I'm sure my little niece is healing you up as we speak."
Beverly sighed, knowing that was probably Rebekah's worry getting the best of her. Elijah ran in with Sophie. Rebekah stood to greet her brother but was appalled when she saw who Elijah had brought with him.
"What the hell is she doing here?"
Sophie sighed, claiming, "I'm trying to help."
"Help?" She scoffed out in disbelief, "You're the reason we're in this bloody mess!" Rebekah turned to her brother, questioning, "Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?"
"Rebekah, let her do what she can."
Sophie nodded before stating, "I may know a way to slow the fever down. But, I'm gonna need some special herbs," She turned to Rebekah, "I'll text you a list."
Elijah nodded at his sister in encouragement, and though Rebekah didn't look pleased to be ordered around again, she eventually relented and smiled at them patronizingly, "Fine. Happy to play the fetch girl."
"Wait, take me with you...I can't see her like this," Beverly rose to her feet and gave the washcloth she was using to Elijah before following Rebekah outside.
She followed Rebekah downstairs as the Original sighed, "At least one of us should be with her up there."
"I can't," Beverly shook her head and pursed her lips together when the vampire continued to give her a look, "I seriously can't. It brings back memories so just drop it!"
"Fine."
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
Beverly stood outside Jardin Grin Voodoo Shop with her hands in her jacket's pockets as Rebekah searched inside for the list of herbs Sophie texted her. She knew nothing about herbs let alone witch-y herbs so she rathered waiting outside.
She looked down at her shoes and frowned, realizing she just went out with her jog shoes and that wasn't a jog. Beverly sighed, telling herself she can work over her shoes wearing schedule later, Hayley and her baby's life were on the line now.
She looked up and instantly wanted to turn the other way when she saw Marcel headed her way. Okay, so Beverly might have lied to Hayley about giving up planning pageants in New Orleans, it wasn't just the girls' personalities. It was also a very handsome vampire with a smile that she couldn't quite get off her mind.
It wasn't that Beverly wasn't excited to try to have another go at the whole relationships thing but there was still a solid chance that this Marcel is the same Marcel that Klaus is always referring to as an enemy or old friend—or even family, it really only depended on Klaus' changeable moods.
"Beverly?"
"Hi, Marcel...," Beverly greeted shortly, "How are you doing?"
He had an unreadable expressionless on his face as he answered, "I am okay," She nodded then before Marcel asked, "Are you avoiding me?"
"No, why would I?" She brushed it off like its the dumbest thing he'd ever said but it was true. Beverly was avoiding him and she was terrible at hiding that.
"Then why didn't you show up at the pageant?"
"I was sick," Beverly pursed her lips together answering. It wasn't a total lie, she did nearly bleed to death a day before the event and needed a day off from everything, including bossing people around.
It looked like he didn't believe her but before he could question her further, Rebekah walked out of the Voodoo shop and looked at him, "Marcel?" She glanced at Beverly, "You know Marcel?"
Beverly wanted to say, "Yes, I met him briefly a few times."
However, Beverly said, "Nope, never met him before," She didn't miss the look on Marcel's face as she turned to the Original, "Are you done? Can we go?"
Rebekah nodded, not suspecting a thing before leading the way.
So that confirmed it. It was the same Marcel. No chance for them.
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
Hayley was wrapped in a towel, sitting outside beside the swimming pool as Rebekah stood behind her, checking her temperature, while Elijah assisted Sophie in helping with the herbs. He shrugged off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
"She's burning up! We need to do this now."
"Get her in the water!" Sophie said as Elijah jumped into the pool and helped Hayley in. She mixed the herbs in a cup and followed them into the water as well.
Beverly stood with her arms crossed beside Rebekah in front of the pool, worried about Hayley before the blonde vampire exclaimed in frustration, "I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help."
"Her temperature is sky-high. The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down," Sophie explained before handing Hayley the herbal concoction, "Drink this!" She turned to Elijah, "You're going to have to get her heart rate down."
"How do you suggest I do that?"
"Hold her. It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure."
Beverly didn't want to be the pessimist at that moment but she didn't see what they were doing working in any way, "This is pointless."
Elijah picked Hayley up and held her bridal-style in the pool, "Davina will break the link, we just need time."
Hayley clung to Elijah and groaned as she gasped for breath before Sophie spoke up, "What if she siphoned the curse?"
Beverly furrowed her eyebrows together, "Um, I am sorry...who siphons what? Do you guys know other siphoners?"
"Technically the dark object's effect is a curse that has to do with magic, if you can siphon the curse out of her...it should work," Sophie nodded to herself, explaining as Elijah and Rebekah looked at the Hills girl.
"Are you that stupid or did the heat catch up to your brain cells? I haven't siphoned a damn person in years! I could kill her without meaning to...I am not doing that," Beverly declined quickly, shaking her head, "It's too much of a risk."
Sophie sighed, looking at Beverly, "What other choice do we have?"
"I said no."
Hayley began hyperventilating, "I can't breathe!" Beverly instantly backed away from the pool. It wasn't that she didn't want to help Hayley because she did. She didn't trust herself enough to do it.
"Okay, long deep breaths, Hayley! Look at me. Long deep breaths, just focus on the sound of my voice," Elijah attempted to calm her, repeating over and over again, "You'll be okay."
Hayley screamed in pain and thrashed in Elijah's hold as Beverly took a few deep breaths, squeezing her eyes shut. She never believed in God but at that moment, Beverly really wished there was God that could save Hayley from this, and if there was one, she was praying as hard as she can that he was listening at that moment.
Sophie started to gasp as the linking spell began to lift. Hayley continued to groan in pain. In the pool, the Deveraux looked up at the sky, looking almost disappointed, "I just felt it lift."
Beverly sighed in relief as Hayley started to calm down, and Elijah looked stunned as Hayley stood up on her own, still leaning against him for support. Sophie removed one of her earrings and poked her palm with it. Hayley looked at her palm, and she and Elijah both looked relieved when they saw it didn't leave an injury.
Elijah helped Hayley out of the pool, "Come on, let's go."
Sophie ran after him, "Elijah... as soon as your brother finds out that the link is broken, he'll kill Agnes. I know you don't owe me anything, but please, don't let him kill her."
He zoomed out of the pool and pulled his phone out of his jacket on the table as she turned to him, "Elijah! She's our only access to the power we need to survive. Promise me that you'll stop him!"
He continued to ignore her and dialed a number into his phone before raising it to his ear as Beverly helped wrap a towel around Hayley.
A few seconds passed before Elijah hung up and turned to Sophie, "I'll make you one last promise. I won't let my brother kill Agnes."
Sophie nodded at him gratefully, and Elijah picked up his jacket and shoes and walked away. Beverly watched Hayley make it inside and just as Sophie turned to make it out of the pool, she stood in her way in front of the steps, "Wait."
"I wasn't being a weakling when I refused to help. I only know how to siphon a person to death or at least until pain is the only thing they know...It's a curse sometimes but if you touch Hayley again, I will show how much of a blessing that curse can be," Beverly finished, looking down at the Deveraux witch, "Sonya or whatever your name is."
She turned and walked back inside, not leaving her a chance to reply.
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
Beverly smiled at the two cups of hot chocolate in her hands, quite proud of herself before making her way outside to where Hayley sat on the couch, leaning her head on the armpit, "I made hot chocolate."
"You are angel," Hayley had a lazy smile on her face before sitting up slowly to take a cup from her hand, "Thank you."
"You are very much welcome, don't get used to it," Beverly gave her a teasing smile before sitting down beside her, "So about what Sophie said—"
"It's okay, Bev," Hayley cut her off, taking a sip from her drink, "If you could have helped me, I know you wouldn't have hesitated. Maybe I would have doubted that before but not after today."
Beverly looked a little relieved to hear that before raising an eyebrow, "So...you believe that I just couldn't do it but I wanted to, right?"
"Yes, I believe you."
"Not even a tiny bit of doubt?"
Hayley shook her head, the hint of a smile on her face, "You have too big of a heart, it's hard to think you don't want to help."
The blonde witch chuckled humorlessly at that. Beverly Hills had been called a lot of things, starting from a manipulative bitch to an insensitive maniac obsessed with winning. No one ever called her nice things. She'd been called beautiful, ambitious, and smart but never compassionate, understanding, or genuine.
Never the things she wanted to hear or wished to be.
"No...I don't have a big heart. It's probably too small or nonexistent," Beverly huffed out, shaking her head.
"Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that," Hayley mocked her, rolling her eyes before stating, "But I, I see you, Beverly Hills."
Beverly rolled her eyes, "So does anyone with eyes."
"Nah, I think I see the person people don't see with their eyes," Hayley shrugged her shoulders, passing the blonde witch a genuine smile as she took another sip out of her cup, "And the person I see...has a big heart and makes the most delicious of hot chocolates."
The Hills girl liked hearing that but she knew it wasn't true. She wasn't that nice or deep as Hayley made it seem. She didn't have time to come up with a response to that before they heard a knock on the door and she rose to her feet, "I will get that."
Beverly answered the door as Josh rambled out, "Where is he? I've been trying to find him all day. Marcel knows that Klaus lied to him about where he lives."
The blonde furrowed her eyebrows together before shrugging her shoulders, "Josh, for the second time in the same hour, I don't know where he is."
"Fine! Just... tell him to call me, please."
Beverly sighed, "Okay."
She closed the door and walked back inside to Hayley, "I know Josh is under Klaus' compulsion but this is too much stress for me to deal with...Shouldn't vampires have their shit together or something?"
"It's the opposite," Hayley shook her head, "Everything is ten times worse."
She huffed out, "Well, that's a bummer."
A short while later, someone knocked on the door again. Beverly held her breath, "If it's Josh again, I am kicking his ass."
"I am coming along," Hayley sighed, following her outside.
Beverly opened the door with Hayley right behind her, thinking it was Josh again but was momentarily startled when she realized it was Marcel.
Marcel smiled, turning to Hayley who looked confused by Beverly's reaction, "Hi there, I'm Marcel. I don't think we've met."
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°
Beverly felt someone lightly shaking her awake and peeled her eyes open, gasping softly. Her hand was raised to her forehead slowly, feeling a throbbing headache coming on, "What happened?"
Elijah and Klaus looked down at her, the latter saying, "You were supposed to be answering that."
She sat up on the couch and blinked back, rising to her feet a little too fast that she felt her knees go weak before Klaus reached out with his hands, holding her in place. Beverly took in a deep breath, nodding to let him know it was okay to let her go then.
He pulled away and Beverly steadied herself, starting, "Marcel was here...for a few minutes and then he left. I don't know what happened after that but my head hurts so much right now," She ran a hand over her forehead, resting a hand on the couch's armpit to keep her standing.
"Marcel could have come back, right?"
"I don't know...I mean, it doesn't make sense but maybe?"
࿐ ࿔ ✧˖*°