Lightning Strikes Twice

Twenty Two

"What the fuck Elijah!" Méalla shouted as he ripped her blanket off.
"Klaus said we could do some renovations. We're getting started today."
Méalla immediately perked up at that. The bastard knew how much she loved anything that involved creating, making, or fixing.

"What are we working on first?" Méalla asked Elijah, who was waiting for her in the courtyard. She had put on an old oversized T-shirt and leggings because she knew she would want to get her hands dirty.
"You are going to fix all the furniture that was left for dust or storage while the workers work on the supports and foundation." Elijah said. "The furniture has been moved into the Courtyard for you to start when you're ready."
Méalla kissed her brother on the cheek before darting, well as fast as a very pregnant woman can move, over to the furniture. Hammers, drills, levels, and basically any tool she'd need were put in an organized pile. She took a table and plopped herself down on the floor, starting to measure the slant it had.
Elijah was still standing where he was when Méalla left, shell shocked at the display of affection she had done so casually and without thinking. He watched her focus on working the table, checking the legs and saw that maybe she was finally healing and trusting them again. He smiled at the thought and left her to her work.

"Enough with all the racket!" Klaus shouted as he and witchbitch walked onto the stair landing.
"Is there a problem, brother?" He turned to the workers. "Gentlemen, please."
"I agreed to a general sprucing up, not a bloody three-ring circus." Klaus looked around, finally seeing what he realized was Méalla happily covered in dust, polish, and fixing the back of a chair. Elijah saw his brother's realization and smirked a bit.
"Marcel and his minions abused our home for the better part of a century. Now, you might be content to live in squalor. I'm not." Elijah called up to Klaus.
"I agree with your brother. It's a new era in the French Quarter. This place could use a makeover." Genevieve said.
"Careful, Elijah. When this one agrees with you, it's a sure sign she wants something." Klaus warned.
"Actually I do have a request. I'm told our coven hasn't been able to celebrate feast days in the open since Marcel restricted the use of magic. Now with the new peace, I'd like that to change."
"Am I to assume that you have a certain feast day in mind?" Elijah asked impatiently.
"The Fête des Bénêdictions. Feast of the Blessings. In the past, members of the community offered witches gifts in exchange for blessings. We'd like to use it as a forum for introducing our young Harvest girls to society."
"You want us to throw you a goddamn party with gifts after you tortured us?" Mélla shouted, incredulously. Klaus smirked a bit at the glare on Genevieve's face.
"So your coven attempted to destroy my family and you yourself held my siblings in unspeakable torment. And you would like a party for the witches." Elijah added his own thoughts. Klaus chuckled at the scene.
"I made my amends with your brother."
"Oh we know witchbitch. We heard you last night, the night before, the night before that and so on." Méalla remarked to Elijah's amusement.
"Why don't you think it over?" Genevieve left quickly.
"Oh, don't be such a stiff, Elijah. The tourists love a good festival. Besides, what better way to cement the solidarity than a show of faith toward a one-time enemy?" Klaus said.
"A onetime enemy with whom you've grown rather nauseatingly intimate."
"Well, who said maintaining alliances can't be fun?"
"I did." Méalla said, once more looking down at her work. Klaus gave her a look.
"One would think you'd be a little more interested in attending to the needs of the mother of your child."
"So, she's the reason behind this oh-so-thoughtful renovation? Elijah, the truth is, the mother of my child is werewolf royalty. She's far safer in the bayou with her pack than she would ever be here with us. Don't worry. I'll bring her home before the birth. No child of mine will be born in a swamp." Méalla frowned slightly at his words.

Méalla pushed her braid out of her face, accidentally smearing some dust on her forehead as her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw it was Hayley, so she wasted no time in picking up.
"Hello, love."
"Hi Méalla. Did you know about the Feast of the Blessings? Are you going?"
"Well I guess that means Elijah granted witchbitch's request. I'm currently knee deep in wood polish and dust bunnies, and I'm not sure I want to leave my work for a party that has ulterior motives." Méalla balanced her phone on her shoulder as she caught a piece of wood before it fell of the table.
"What are you doing?" Hayley sounded curious.
"Elijah started renovating the compound and he let me fix all the furniture. I'm currently working on refinishing a coffee table. What about you?"
"Well, I'm just watching werewolves from all over show up to see my miracle baby or me the mystical wolf messiah. I always wanted to find my family, but I never knew it could be so exhausting." Méalla laughed at Hayley's comment.
"It gets better. How's Alex?"
"Alex is still sleeping, but she'd want me to say hi for her. I swear that girl is brighter than the sun. I'm really worried what's going to happen once or if we find her dad. She seems so happy and I don't want her to lose that."
"Me, too. This may sound awful, but I'm really hoping he's out of her life for good. She doesn't deserve the way he treats her." Méalla heard a loud crash.
"Méalla, gotta go, somebody's sent the firewood rolling. Please go to the party, it'd be much better with a friendly face." Hayley hung up and Méalla could feel her smile widen. She could deal with the schemes if it meant that she could see Hayley.

"Méalla, are you okay?" Elijah asked as they followed the parade down the Quarter. She was pulling at her collar, feeling itchy.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just the dust from earlier." Méalla responded, looking ahead at the three Harvest Girls hoisted into the air. Abigail in white, Monique in floral, and Davina in fiery red.
Méalla watched the show the girls put on for the tourists, growing increasingly more nauseous and hot.
She followed the party in a daze. She watched Hayley and Klaus talk, Klaus pardoning Josh, and a drumming band come in. As they pulled out razor blades she knew something was wrong and sped over to Hayley. The vampires went frenzied when the lights cut out but Méalla fell unconscious as they flicked on. The last thing she heard clearly was Hayley calling her name.

"Elijah! Klaus!" Hayley called. Méalla has collapsed after the lights went out. Not after she had moved Hayley to safety, though. Hayley saw she had been out of it through the party but thought she was just tired from the housework.
"You stay here with Méalla, I'll deal with the drummers." Elijah directed towards Klaus as Klaus knelt next to Méalla.
"She's breathing but shallowly. What happened?" Klaus asked Hayley, hand checking Méalla's sweaty forehead.
"She collapsed after she sped me away from the vampires. I noticed she wasn't herself but I thought she was just tired and annoyed because she didn't want to come." Hayley replied, brow furrowing with worry.
"Let's get her home." Klaus picked Méalla up and Hayley's heart lurched at the limp way Méalla's limbs hung. She was scared. She'd never seen Méalla like this, at all.

Méalla shot up with a gasp in a dark room. She saw Alana by the door.
"Méalla. You're awake."
"What did you do to me?" Méalla spit out.
"You'll be fine when we're done. It's a simple out of body spell that well, replicates death. I needed to speak with you on the astral plane. Have you thought about my offer?"
"You can go straight to hell, you insufferable bitch! I'm not letting you turn my baby into a thing to cause destruction and certainly not a sacrifice." Méalla growled.
"I tried to play nice. I really did. You're going to regret saying no." Alana sighed and waved her hand.

Hayley watched as Méalla's eyes shot open and she bolted upright. She checked her heartbeat and looked around wildly before taking a deep breath. Klaus came bursting in, obviously having heard Méalla's breathing.
"Méalla! What happened?" Hayley sat in front of Méalla, reaching out to hold her arms. She rubbed them as Méalla started to shake.
"Alana. She needed to talk to me she said on the astral plane. She's going to try and take my baby I said no and she'd said she was done playing nice I have to protect my baby!" Méalla started to shake harder and Klaus came to her side.
"She's not going to take your baby Little Quill. We're going to protect her as a family, I won't let her take your child." Klaus pulled Méalla into a hug as Hayley let go of her arms. Méalla buried her head into Klaus' shoulder, still upset.

Méalla accompanied Hayley back to the Bayou, thinking seeing Alex might help calm her down. Hayley was discussing the Klaus alliance with Jackson and Oliver by the bonfire while Méalla and Alex sat weaving. Méalla was telling Alex the story of Pandora's box, as Alex wanted to hear more about mythology. Méalla was all too happy to oblige.
Later that night, Alex had gone to bed and Hayley was sitting by the fire with some of the wolves while Méalla had gotten up. She was talking to Elijah and Eve by the tree line.
"You don't need to keep coming out. I'd tell you if something was wrong. But she's doing okay. The girl has a natural gift for leading. She surprised everyone." Eve told Elijah. He smiled, watching Hayley.
"Not everyone." Méalla replied. Both Elijah and Eve could see the pride on her face and smiled softly to themselves.