G R A C E L E S S

Haunting at the Ballet

"What are we doing here again?" Hayley whined to Klaus as the family was ushered into the new opera house. Her black glittery dress was clinging to her like cellophane on a hot surface. Slowly suffocating her insides and hugging the baby closer to her spine.

Klaus patted her back, sensing her overall discomfort.

"We are here to support an old friend of mine." He smirked his smirk at her, which caused her to raise a brow at him.

Did the hybrid always have to be so damned cryptic? He spoke about her like an old love. The thought alone drove her mad. Damned hormones.

The Opera House was already filled to the brim with people, chattering on excitedly about this new experience.

Vampires easily blended in amongst the humans tonight.

The dark interior was luxurious, befitting of these nocturnal individuals, and not a single person in attendance was underdressed.

Haley was just beginning to relax when irony thought it would be best to send a voluptuous blonde woman to cross paths with them. Walking to her designated seat, she gave Klaus the obvious up and down before winking at him.

A low growl came from between her teeth, threatening to expose them as canines.

The man was undeniably attractive in a suit. It ticked Hayley off. Mostly, it made her want to punch him in his stupidly perfect face. Accompanied by another displeased growl.

Rebecca did her best to ignore the two. Straining her eyes to see if Marcellus had dared to show his face tonight.

To her great disappointment, he did not. Even with them being on "good terms" again, he wouldn't come for fear of Klaus.

All her brother was good for was being a terrific cock-block in her love life.

"I came here for a relaxing night out, not to receive another headache from my baby-daddy." Hayley rubbed at her temples and disrupted Becca's inner monologing before it reached full force.

"Don't be jealous love. After all, we're only here to pay our respects to Isobel Charles. The woman is almost as old as we are. Of course, when first we knew her she was Princess de Marques of the Frankish Empire."

Rebecca perked up. Did he mean to say that Isabeau is a vampire?

"And your point is?"

"She is the very old friend I spoke about earlier. We seldom get to see each other. In fact, this is is the first time she's set foot in New Orleans since the last time we reigned here."

This was news to both Rebecca and Elijah, who hadn't known that she was a vampire, nevermind that she was in contact with their brother.

"Besides, why would I want an old thing like her when I can have a young thing like you?" He flashed his handsome grin at her.

Haley just rolled her eyes and took the seat he motioned for her to take. Of all the dumb things in the world, he just had to say that.

From behind Klaus, Elijah felt physically sick for the first time since he became a creature of the night. Was it possible that he had become even paler, too?

He thought that he had seen her ghost, or at the least, a doppelgänger last week. But to know that she was undead and well after all these years was -

"What's wrong brother?" Klaus turned to him, grin plastered on his face.
"Is your past finally catching up with you? Or is your righteousness condemning you for a change?"