Part 19

[Klaus helped Hayley regain her strength/energy and the day is almost ending. There will be a Haylijah confrontation, HopexElijah confrontation, and the happy Mikaelson dinner but the only difference is that Hayley will be there. I won't write the dinner only Klaus and Elijah in the end. This is the last chapter. I hope you loved reading this series as much as I loved writing it. ❤]

With new blood in her veins Hayley felt like a whole new person. It had been an hour since her and Klaus had arrived at the compound and since Hope was sound asleep, she'd decided to take a much needed long bath.

Hayley was sitting at her vanity table, combing her hair when a soft knock on the door disturbed her. Setting the comb down she opened the door only to find herself face to face with Elijah.

For a moment, his eyes changed. Hayley barely contained a shudder. Yet they didn't break eye contact, through their eyes it felt as if the same memories were passing. Her dying.Elijah letting her die.

He was the one who broke the silence."May I come in?""Yes, yes." Hayley nodded, stepping back. Elijah came in yet no one spoke. There was just too much to say, too little time and no excuses.

Elijah had been mustering all his courage, all his strength for this moment. For the time he would come to face his lover and yet his tongue was tied. All words lost. Every word seemed too mundane, too simple to apologise for the grave action he had committed.  "Elijah-""Forgive me!" He pleaded, hurt drowning his voice, shadowing his eyes. "Please forgive me! Please-" Hayley raised her hand, motioning him to stop.

"You're forgiven Elijah. I forgive you.""I..""No you don't need to say anything." Hayley spoke ever so softly, her voice void of any traces of anger. "I understand what happened. Your blind devotion has always been your weakness and your strength. Our strength, when you were devoted to this family. You were devoted to the woman whom you loved for the past seven years, I understand. I really do but maybe it's time to...change us. Me and you."

Elijah could feel the words attack his heart like tiny little splinters of wood.  Of course, of course he'd been foolish to not think of this outcome. He'd been foolish to think that he deserved a place beside her any longer.

"I understand. I do." He couldn't mutter more than those words. All of them seemed pointless either way. "You're right.""Hope just triggered her wolf side and I wasn't there for her." If Hayley would continue to speak any longer Elijah'd start to desiccate. "She needs me by her side more than ever. Klaus spent a lot of time away, and now he's trying to leave us for good. I do not have time for further...distractions." 

"I understand." He swallowed. "I am happy that you're among us now." Elijah turned his back at Hayley turning towards the corridor. "Elijah."He stopped in his tracks, not daring to breath while Hayley walked to him. She put a hand in his shoulder and Elijah stiffened.

Slowly Hayley rose to her toes, and pressed her soft lips against his cold cheek. Elijah had turned into a statue by now.  "I hope you find your happiness Elijah. I found mine." She whispered against his cheek. Not bearing to speak anymore Elijah left the room.

⚜[After the dinner, before Klaus' speech.]"Come in." Hope's gentle smile dimmed when she noticed Elijah in her doorstep. "Yes?" Her tone turned to ice."Hope." He hesitated. "You know for many centuries that I have shared with my family, the main purpose in my life was to lead Klaus to an honorable life. His redemption was my cause.

The moment Klaus saw you for the first time, you had already accomplished what I couldn't in a thousand years. You were a miracle Hope. Our family's hope. 

When you were born, I declared that you would be... the savior of this family. That wasn't fair. We should never have been your burden to bear." 

"I'm sorry for hurting you that day. Maybe I went a little overboard."

"No," Elijah shook his head. "No. I understand it. I deserved it. And I know what you deserve as well." Hope cocked her head a little on the side, not understanding where her uncle was truly going. "I don't think I'm quite following."

"All your life your fate has been hard on you. You deserve to live with both your parents by your side."

Hope gasped, her eyes going wide. "You..."

"I give you my word that Niklaus will return home tonight." Hope made to speak but she couldn't seem to find the right words. "I-I don't know what to say." 

"Nothing Hope, nothing at all. It's my duty to family and most importantly to you." Saying nothing more, Elijah made to leave when two lean arms wrapped around him. 

"Thank you." Hope spoke against his back. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes. He turned around, wrapping his arms around his only niece. One hand splayed on her shoulder the other on top of her hair.

"I love you Hope." 

"I know. Thank you."

⚜ 

"I want to come with you." Dinner had finished a while ago and everyone was in their rooms preparing to leave after Klaus' 

"I don't think you should."

"Then you stay. Stay with us. With Hope." Hayley whispered. "Does it have to be tonight?" Sadness etched Klaus' face. "This magic has to be wiped from the Earth's surface as soon as possible. Yesterday...I had visions, about Mikael, telling me to hurt Hope." Shadows hunted Klaus' eyes as he recalled the day before. "And I tried so hard to resist, yet Marcel and Elijah's interventions were needed. I need to end this tonight."

Grimly, Hayley nodded. she knew she was right of course but she couldn't give up on him. "I don't want you to leave us Klaus."

"I don't want to leave either but its all for the better and...I wanted to say thank you. For Hope. You've raised her magnificently. I'm sure it was hard but with every moment I spend with our daughter I could see you reflected in her. The way she carries herself, her strength, her courage. Now that you're awake I can go away with a peaceful mind. I truly believe that you will continue to do a wonderful thing with our littlest wolf."  

"Not only Hope, we all need you Klaus." Tears brimmed her eyes. "Come here." Klaus took Hayley in his arms. "I'll watch over you little wolf." 

⚜

"I don't want your last memory of me to be my death. So, please, let's not say the sad good-bye." Klaus and Elijah sat in the old chestnut wood bench."I agree. Let's not." Elijah rose to his feet, taking the White Oak stake in his hands and breaking it.

"I intend to die by your side."  Elijah declared.

"I'm dying. You're not. The moment I end, you're free."

"Free of what?" Elijah feigned ignorance.

"Free of the-the mad king brother. You can do whatever your heart desires."

"This is my heart's desire. Niklaus, we didn't choose to become what we are. To be or not to be was taken from us by Esther and Mikael, stolen from us, Niklaus. I'm stealing it back.

Brother, tonight, I truly saw a path. I saw a vision of a future for everyone that we love and then when I looked at my own future...The purpose of my life, my unrelenting desire has always been your redemption. And after everything I've done..."

"...you truly believe I am redeemed?"

"Yes, I do."

"You're a hypocrite. You forced me to go through all those painful good-byes and then-then you slipped away without telling a soul."

"How well do you know me, Niklaus? I told them.

I told them that I was going to redefine always and forever.

That, uh...I was going to follow you from this...adventure to whatever lies beyond. 

And each of them gave me their blessing."

"What about Hope?"

"Hope gave me her blessing as well. Hayley gave me forgiveness. Everything that I ever wanted I got it. There is nothing more for me from this life. While you have so much." 

"Brother-"

"This morning I saw it all, you and Hope coming from the Bayou...the delight in her face. And then, when Hayley woke up and you three were together, I saw it. A family. Go back to them Niklaus. Don't break this family apart now that you can be in it."

"You don't understand. I can't keep living with this magic."

"Yes you can. Freya channeled half of it into me. You can handle the other half just fine." 

"What if there's nothing after this? No peace. Just darkness."

"I'll face it. There is nothing you can say to sway me from this decision. Go to your daughter Niklaus cherish her and Hayley. Cherish your family." Tears pooled in Klaus' eyes. 

"So you tell me that you'll die with me and now you're suggesting that I let you go alone?"

"I'll die a happy man at least. Allow this will to be my last service for this family brother." With a smile on this lips and tears in his eyes Elijah took Klaus' hand and put the White Oak stake in it, tightening with hand over his brother's. "I promise to watch over you."

"I don't deserve the love you've given me, brother. But I am so grateful." Elijah's face bloomed into a grin. 

"It's been a glorious ride, Niklaus. And my greatest honor." Klaus put his hand in his brother's neck and pulled him to himself and the stake. The stake plunged into Elijah while he fell into his brother's arms. 

Klaus held his brother, his partner, his friend, his comrade, his guiding light until the wind swept away the last of Elijah's ashes and Klaus' tears.

⚜

Hope has been walking up and down the corridor for about half an hour, agitated. 

"Hope he'll be back. Elijah gave you his word." Hayley tried to reassure her daughter but judging by her white knuckles she was just as nervous as her daughter.

"I know, I know but dad is stubborn...and maybe Elijah wasn't able to convince him." Tears pooled in Hope's eyes as she bit her lip. "I gave dad only some half-hearted goodbye but now- Dad!"

Klaus stood in the doors of the compound, his eyes red from the tears, the remaining part of the stake in one hand. Hayley rose to her feet as Hope ran to her father, throwing her arms around him.

"I thought I lost you." She whispered into his coat.

"I am here sweetheart. I am here to stay and give my very best to you. To our family." Klaus raised his head, his eyes meeting Hayley's. "I will protect you.

I gave my word."

With one arm around  Hope, Klaus extended the other one at Hayley. She took it.

Foreheads touching, with their daughter between them Klaus muttered.

"You're my heart." 

[I almost cried while writing the part with Elijah and Klaus. 

Most scenes looked cooler in my head I promise, and even now as I write this I'm not sure I have the right writing knowledge to describe stuff the way I want, sorry if there were any spelling mistakes or the storytelling was a bit rough, this is my second story and the first one i have finished.

If you can please write a comment about your thoughts on the overall fic or this specific part, what you liked etc 

For now this story is finished but I might post some sort of bonus chapter/or not.

Thanks for your love and support!]