The Last Sacrifice

Epilogue

*Many years later*

Hayley felt a sharp pain go through her chest and then a bright light. And then nothing.

She kept her eyes closed. She was aware that she was no longer in the land of the living. She felt blissfully peaceful.

Hayley slowly opened her eyes, taking in the sight before her. She was standing in front of her lake house in the bayou. It looked exactly the same as the last time she saw it. Her heart clenched at the sight.

This wasn't where she died, so she must be here for a reason. Hayley sped towards the house. When she saw him coming out the front door to stand on the porch, she ran faster. He met her halfway, catching her as she threw herself into his arms.

"Elijah." She breathed, clinging to him.

He didn't say anything in response, just held onto her as if he was afraid she would disappear.

"I've missed you." She murmured into his white button-down shirt. Elijah pulled back slightly to look into her eyes.

"I've missed you too," he whispered back, "you have no idea."

Hayley's eyes lit up at hearing his voice again. She wound her hands in his hair, pressing her lips to his. She felt him smile against her lips.

"We are finally reunited after all this time and you're laughing at me?" Hayley accused, pulling back slightly.

"I'm not laughing at you." Elijah said, his eyes glimmering with his suppressed laughter. "I just should have known you wouldn't listen to me."

"What? You mean your request for me to move on and forget about you?" Hayley cocked her head to the side. "You know better than anyone else, it's not that easy to move on."

"Yes, I suppose I do." Elijah's look turned solemn. "I didn't want you to go through that pain."

"I had a great life, Elijah. I got to watch my daughter grow up and have an amazing life of her own. I got to help my pack and your family. I have no regrets." Hayley assured him, placing a hand on his cheek. "I just wished you could have been there to enjoy it."

"You know, I've imagined reuniting with you so many times over the years, in many of those scenarios I imagined you slapping me for not keeping my promises again." Elijah teased.

"Yeah, well I was really angry at you after you sacrificed yourself without even telling me," Hayley admitted. "But you did it to protect my little girl. I can't really be mad about that."

"And how is my niece?" Elijah smiled at the thought of Hope, all grown up. She would have been for some time, but he still saw her as the seven-year-old girl he left behind.

"She's great. Her and her wife decided to turn a while back. They've taken over the duties of the school."

"Ah yes, the boarding school you and Niklaus started." Elijah said fondly.

"You know about that?" Hayley questioned. She didn't know how the afterlife worked, how much he was able to see or know.

"Yes, I've been able to watch over all of you for all these years." Elijah murmured. "Did you really expect anything else?"

"I should have known even death couldn't keep you from watching over your family." Hayley laughed and Elijah smiled in response. She had missed that look the most. The open look of love he reserved only for his family.

"I've missed you." Hayley said, stroking his cheek gently.

"You already said that." Elijah's smile widened.