Guilt ▻ The Originals [3]

6

A few days later, a group of musicians were playing jazz music on the corner of the main street. After a moment, an annoyed Ophelia stuck her head out of the window of her new apartment with Jackson and Hayley, "Hey! It's not Jazz Fest, people!" She shouted at them angrily, "Some of us have toddlers who need to sleep!"

Just then, Hope started to cry, causing Ophelia to groan as she returned to unpacking. It was only Ophelia there at that moment with Hope. Jackson had gone to run some errands while Hayley claimed to have had to get something to eat.

Just then, the front door opened, and Jackson walked into the apartment and looked at her with a concerned smile, "You all right, beautiful?" He asked her, causing Ophelia to turn to him.

Ophelia sighed dramatically, "Oh, well, Hope here was having a fantastic nap until that music outside woke her up. How...How are we supposed to live with all this noise?" She paused, "How did I ever live with this noise? It was never this bad back at the compound."

"You're just sensitive to it, okay?" Jackson tried to convince her, "You're five months pregnant and have the superhearing of both a werewolf and vampire combined. You're still adjusting to it."

"Yes, you're right. Everything for me is heightened," Ophelia responded, sounding a bit annoyed, "It's not just the noise, Jack. It was never like this before, but lately, I feel claustrophobic 24/7. My skin is crawling and burning at the same time. I'm irritable. I'm hungry. And most of all, I'm murderous."

Ophelia sighed as Hope started to cry against and quickly walked over to the young infant, "I wanted to be with you and reunite Hope with Hayley so bad, but now that's it's finally happened after four months, I just feel off..."

"Well, you gotta let it out," Jackson reminded her, "If I've learned anything from you, it's that talking doesn't work when you need to let your emotions out. But I have an idea that will." Jackson picked up his phone, causing Ophelia to look at him with confusion.

"What are you doing?" Ophelia asked her husband concerned.

Jackson smiled, turning to face Ophelia, "Calling Hayley to come back to get Hope. You didn't really think she was going to find someone to feed on, did you?" He told her, causing Ophelia to frown, "She's helping Davina with what you two owe her. But if it involves you, Davina will understand. So when Hayley comes back, I'm taking you out for the day. Just me and you."

Ophelia smiled, yet still seemed uneasy about the plan.

_______

Later on that day, Jackson had just brought Ophelia's to Marcel's new gym, causing Ophelia to look both confused and wary as she turned to her husband, who had just turned on the lights, "I don't think we should be here," She uneasily told Jackson, who shrugged, "This place is for vampires."

"I could've sworn you told me you spent most of your time without the pack here," Jackson reminded Ophelia, who knew for a fact that he was right, "I figured you could blow off some steam what with all that was going on. It might feel better if you hit something, you know. Even if it's me."

"I wouldn't do that," Ophelia argued, shaking her head in response to what he had said, "I don't want to hurt you. And unlike me, you can get hurt. I have a protection spell on me, you don't."

"Hey, you might have tribrid strength and really bad temper, but I'm pretty good with one of these," He paused, holding up to the staff with a smile on his face.

Jackson turned to Ophelia, beginning to spin the staff around in his hand, "It will most likely make us even. At least enough to get a workout in. Just don't use your witch powers on me, please."