Phoenix Rising

2:20: Hayley's Goodbye

I'm at the Compound with Rebekah, Elijah and Kol as we're looking at Klaus' daggered body since Elijah managed to dagger him last night with the golden White Oak Dagger Kol, Davina and I made.

I soon arrive to the woods to meet Hayley after doing a tracking spell to find her and Jackson as she's holding Hope and Jackson is making a crave for Aiden; hammering in his initials into the ground as I see a wooden coffin behind him. "Thank God you're here. Seems like you're not the only one doing locator spells. Elijah called. Freya is doing a locator spell to find us. We need to leave. Now." She says and looks at Aiden's grave. "Wait, you're burying Aiden here?" She asks. "We can't keep carrying him around forever. Just give me a minute to get him in the ground and we'll get out of here." Jackson says. "You said that this is how wolves bury murderers and traitors. I know that Aiden was answering to Klaus, but he was loyal to the pack in the end! That's what got him killed, Jack." Hayley says, appalled. "You don't think I know that? You think this is how I wanna.. put Aiden to rest?" He asks, gesturing to the grave after walking over to us." He asks as I give a small sigh as Hope coos and Hayley rocks her. "I don't have a choice, Hayley, Adam. You said it yourself, we gotta go, guys." Jackson says and Hayley and I shake our heads. "It's not right." I say. "If we expect the wolves to put their lives on the line for Hope, they deserve to know that those lives matter to us." Hayley says and sighs before nodding. "We'll take Aiden down river, give him a true Crescent funeral. Too much has been taken from our pack. I won't let them lose this, too." She says and Jackson walks over to the grave market, grabs it and throws it onto the ground.

We meet up with the rest of the pack as they're carrying Aiden and Hayley has Hope to her chest as we're walking in the woods as everyone has weapons; Jackson with a quiver of arrows while holding a bow. "You used to run these woods when you were cursed to your wolf form?" Hayley asks as we're talking quietly. "And before it. I was an angry kid. I was pissed we were exiled, I was pissed at my parents, pissed you were gone.." Jackson says. "Every kid with the wolf gene is angry. I was a nightmare. Triggering the curse actually settled me down." Hayley says as Hope stirs in her arms and stars fussing. "And my gifts made me stronger. I won't be that weak kid anymore." I say, smiling softly at both of them. "Not to calm me down. I got worse. Of course, it was different, you know, when I triggered my curse, the Crescent curse kicked in, so I was stuck as a wolf all month long. One full moon, our Alpha didn't show up. He was killed. So, I stepped up. Protected these people, kept them safe, and that calmed me down, at least, for a little while." Jackson says and Hope cries loudly as she's hungry. "I need to stop and feed her." Hayley says as she stops walking and Jackson steps in front of her and we all stop walking. "There's a hideout about a half a mile south from here. Grab some guys to watch your back. I'll round up the rest and we'll make a perimeter. This bayou is our territory, and we'll defend it." Jackson says, turning and walking off and Hayley and I walk the other way.

Hayley and I are at the hideout that is an abandoned, old cabin as Hope is playing in her playpen and Hayley is on the phone with Marcel. "So, after all that, Klaus wasn't even the one that killed Aiden? Why would he take the blame? Because he's stubborn, and irresponsible, on top of being a bloodthirsty murdering lunatic? It's.." Hayley says, setting down one of Hope's toys and I pick Hope up, gently as she giggles at me and Hayley smiles at both of us. "Pack morale isn't exactly awesome right now. Jackson's heartbroken.." She says and stands up. "Aiden was our friend." She says as she looks at something with wooden carving initials, JK, AL, OR, 2005.

Hayley and I return to see Elijah surrounded by the pack with Jackson standing in front of him. "Elijah." I say. "You shouldn't be here." Hayley says. "We have another plan. Rebekah and Davina found a way. If we can replicate Hope's magic, we can lure Dahlia into a trap." Elijah says, emotionlessly and we Hayley and I nod our heads at him. "After which, I'll kill her myself." He says and turns around to face us. "All we need.. is a vial of Hope's blood." He says and Hayley and I glance at each other, worriedly and she looks back to him, sighing after she looks at Jackson. "I'll give you her blood. I'm trusting you, Elijah. We're trusting you." Hayley says and he Elijah smiles at us. "The moment our home is safe, you can return Hope to where she belongs." He says and turns to the side, speaking to Jackson. "With family." He says.

It's nighttime as I return with Elijah to the Courtyard as Freya is surrounded by paintings filled with Mikael's ashes in the paint, waving around a sage stick. "Once the spell has set, Dahlia won't be able to enter without being rendered mortal." She says and turns around to look at us, furiously as we don't have Hope with us. "Where is the child, Elijah? Adam?" She asks, looking between us both. "If we use her power to lure Dahlia, swear to me that Hope will come to no harm." Elijah says. "Dahlia won't get close enough to hurt Hope. She will not be able to hurt any child ever again." Freya says and Elijah quickly grabs her and holds her neck to the side, injecting Hope's blood into her neck as she gasps. "I do hope that is true." He says, pushing her onto the sofa. "You are now the bait." He says and she looks up at us. "What did you do to me?" She asks. "Hope's blood is now in you, therefore Dahlia will now be hunting you." I say. "All we needed was a beating heart, and though I question the purity of your heart's intent, I hear it beating just fine." Elijah says as she stands up, shaking her head. "No! No! If Dahlia senses a ruse.." She says and Elijah interrupts her. "Rebekah assures me this will work, and I trust her far more than I trust you." Elijah says. "I am not your enemy, Elijah!" Freya says, panicking. "We shall see. Proceed with your preparations." Elijah says and turns around walking off and I follow him.

Rebekah, Elijah and I are in his study as we're listening to Hayley on speaker phone. "Elijah.. I'm calling to say goodbye. Hope and I.. we can't be part of your family anymore. All Hope's life, her family has tried to destroy her. That can't be my little girl's story. Family is supposed to love you. Even if she is free of Dahlia's first-born curse, Hope would still be Klaus' daughter. She'd inherit a thousand years of enemies, all his anger and rage.. I don't want Hope to be a Mikaelson, all the pain that comes with that name.. She doesn't deserve that. Elijah, I.. goodbye. Tell Adam to keep strong and not to destroy the world in my absence." She says.