Lightning Strikes Twice

Twenty Three

"Thanks for letting me stay here." Méalla said to Eve as she sat with her on the porch. Eve smiled at her.
"It's no problem. Alex loves you, and I think the pack might even be starting to like you a bit." Eve chuckled.
"I'm honored." Méalla said with a grin.
Hayley came walking up to the two of them.
"I was told there were birthing classes that were mandatory." Hayley said unenthusiastically
"Yup. Come right in. You too, Méalla, don't think you're getting out of this, I see you slipping away." Eve said without looking and Hayley laughed at Méalla's scolded look. The Hybrid followed the two werewolves into the shack.
"I guess this means no epidural, huh? You sure I can't do this thing in, say, a hospital, the place with the doctors and the drugs?" Hayley remarked after half an hour of breathing exercises.
"Can supernatural children even be born without odd looks in normal hospitals?" Méalla said. Hayley gave her a "why such a stupid question" look.
"Honey, the werewolves have been having babies out here since before you were born. Stop worrying." Eve told Hayley.
"Okay. Then what, Eve? I don't even know what it's like to have a mother, let alone be one." Hayley said grumpily.
"Trust me, when the time comes, you'll know exactly what to do." Eve spoke reassuringly.
"I hope so. As fun as it is to image Klaus changing dirty diapers, I'm pretty sure that I'll be doing this alone." Hayley muttered.
"I somehow doubt that." Eve said as Méalla gave a fake hurt look.
"Excuse you, we're in this together." Méalla knocked Hayley's shoulder with hers.
"Pardon the interruption. I wonder if I might have a quick word with the conspirators of a supposed uprising." Elijah stood in the doorway. Méalla sighed.
Elijah met with Jackson, Oliver, Eve, and Hayley. Méalla stood off to the side watching Alex.
"You're making a grave mistake." Elijah said to the werewolves.
"So, you're just worried about us. Is that it?" Oliver challenged.
"Look, Elijah. We know all about your brother's reputation, but if there is even a chance that these rings can help us take control of our curse..." Jackson intervened to reason,
"Our gift." Oliver interrupted.
"Then, honestly, we don't care what he's really after. Won't have to." Jackson finished.
"I see. There are those in the Quarter who will consider this a great provocation." Elijah replied.
"Apparently, most of them see us breathing the same way." Oliver muttered.
Elijah turned to look Hayley in the eye. "You signed a pledge, and you looked me in the eye as you did so."
"We don't want a fight, Elijah. We just want a better life." Hayley responded.
"Allegiance with my brother will guarantee you anything but that." Elijah barely finished his thought before they heard the sound of a motorbike approaching. Méalla joined them as they went to see who it was.
"What the hell?" Jackson asked.
A man on a motorbike rode into the encampment and stopped as the group approached him. Alex came walking to Méalla with a question on her lips but hid behind her upon seeing the man.
"Which one of you is in charge?" The man asks.
"Who's asking?" Jackson shot back.
Elijah must have noticed something because he tackled the man, just as the motorbike explodes. Everyone was thrown backwards in the blast.
Méalla ears were ringing as she sat up. Looking around, she saw wolves knocked down and some were injured.
She immediately turned to look for Alex, who was sitting up gingerly a few feet away. Méalla picked herself up, stumbling the first few steps before regaining her bearings to make her way over to the girl.
Alex seemed to be uninjured besides a few cuts and scrapes but Méalla wanted to make sure. She knelt down next to the girl, who immediately threw her arms around Méalla, crying.
"Are you hurt?" Méalla asked softly, hugging her back. Alex nodded yes and pointed to her leg, which, upon looking closer, looked broken.
Méalla picked her up gently, looking around. Elijah was carting an injured man away and Hayley was tying a tourniquet on a wolf with Oliver and Eve. Eve then took the wolf away from the blast site.
Méalla slowly made her way over to Hayley and Oliver, careful not to move too sharply and hurt Alex's leg. Hayley saw her and came over, seeing Alex's leg in the process.
"You seem to have experience. What should I do for her leg? I don't know if she wants to take vampire blood and she hasn't triggered her gene." Méalla asked Hayley when she reached them.
"Put her down and I can make a splint for her." Méalla nodded and slowly set Alex down as Hayley picked up a study branch and Méalla gave her the sweater she had been wearing.
"Alex, this is going to hurt. You're being really brave and I need you to keep being brave for a few more minutes. Squeeze Méalla's hand through your pain." Hayley spoke to the girl, who nodded and grabbed Méalla's hand in a vice grip. She whimpered and tightened her grip as Hayley gently set her leg and aligned the branch, tying it steady with the sweater. Méalla kept whispering to her as Hayley finished.
"There. Can you take her to safety? I'm going to go deal with this." Hayley said, her eyes dark.
"Hayley. Be safe." Méalla said softly. She nodded and left.
"Okay Alex, I'm going to lift you up. We'll take it slow and steady." Alex nodded and Méalla picked her up, trying to keep her leg straight while also having a secure hold on her. She walked her to the main clearing where everyone was gathering. She saw Elijah and Jackson talking and Elijah's face go wide with panic when he screamed.
"Get everyone out of here! Now!"
More explosions went off, one close to Méalla and Alex, and Méalla reflectively tightened her grip and turned her back to the explosion, blocking debris from hitting Alex. She stood still until there was dead silence and started to move when sounds of pain and fear started to get louder with no more blasts. She saw many, many more injured and dead this time, and spied a familiar man who wasn't breathing. It was Alex's father. Méalla quickly turned Alex so she wouldn't see and then looked down to check on her. Alex was frantically clutching her eyes shut and gripping onto Méalla for dear life.
"You're okay, you're okay. It's over, you're okay." Méalla whispered and held the girl.
Her insides turned to lead when she saw Eve stuck under a RV.
"Elijah!" She shouted for her brother and directed him towards the pinned woman. He and Oliver managed to lift the RV off Eve, and lift her up into her shack. Méalla walked with Alex and set the girl down on a battered cot that must have been tossed from its place in the blast. She stroked the girl's hair.
Elijah appeared next to her. "How is she?"
"Hayley set her broken leg and that's the most physically, but she's terrified. I don't know what to do. How's Eve?"
"Not so well. Hayley asked me to stay and watch over the pack. I assume you will as well." Méalla nodded. Elijah sped off to help a nearby wolf.
"Alex, sweetie. There's something you need to know. Your dad was hurt and he died." Méalla said as gently as she could. Alex looked even more upset.
"Promise me you'll stay?" Alex said hoarsely.
"I promise. I pinky swear I will stay." Méalla held out her pinkie and interlinked with Alex's. Alex nodded.

Elijah came back to Méalla after some time.
"Méalla, Eve would like to talk to you." Méalla looked down at Alex questioningly and Alex nodded slightly.
She got up but asked Elijah to stay with the girl.
She approached Eve's bedside slowly, taking in the not so good condition of her friend.
"Eve?"
"Méalla. I know, it looks bad. I don't know how bad it is but I wanted to ask you something. Just in case."
"Yeah, of course, although I know you'll be fine."
Eve smiled weakly.
"I saw Alex's dad was dead. She's been staying with me and if I don't make it, please take her in. She adores you, and it's obvious you adore her." Eve said.
Méalla's head spun. Alex, with her? The Compound? With the baby coming? Will she even want to? Will she need to?
"Méalla. I can see the wheels in your head turning. That girl deserves a home and a family, and while the pack is what she's known, she's never been close with any of us because of the curse. You can give her a home. You can be her family. I see the way you treat her as if she were your own. Please promise me you'll make sure she's happy." Eve spoke firmly.
"I promise I'll make sure she's happy. You just get healthy." Méalla said, a bit lost. Eve gave her another weak smile and Méalla made her way back to Alex.
Alex was sleeping and when Méalla came back, Elijah left to go care for the other wounded. Méalla sat at the head of the cot and in her sleep, Alex shifted so her head was on Méalla's lap. Méalla stroked her hair, realizing that taking her in would make herself happier than she thinks. She smiled as the girl sighed, and felt the grip Alex had on her heart solidify and tighten.

Hayley returned when night fell. Elijah had told her Eve didn't survive and she saw Jackson go in and he hasn't come out. She saw Hayley rush in, and assumed Elijah had broke the news to Hayley. She just didn't know how to break the news of taking in Alex just yet. Hayley came over to her as she exited the shack.
"How is she?" Hayley nodded to the sleeping Alex, who's head was still on Méalla's lap.
"Probably in pain, probably still terrified. Her father died in one of the blasts. Eve asked me to take her in if she couldn't. I want to but I don't know if she does or if she'll be okay under my care." Méalla looked down at Alex's face, still scrunched with fear.
Hayley sat down next to Méalla.
"I think you have to listen to what your gut says. I think she deserves someone who cares about her greatly, just like you. Someone who knows her, just like you."
Alex stirred.
"Hey there, sleepyhead. Be careful, take it slow." Méalla helped Alex sit up.
"Is it over?" Alex asked timidly.
"Yes, it's over. I wanted to ask you something but I think you need a good night's rest. Can I take you home with me to watch over you and we can talk tomorrow?" Méalla asked. Alex nodded, yawning. Méalla picked her up, said her goodbyes to Hayley and carried Alex to the car where she put her in the backseat. Elijah drove and Méalla took shotgun.

"You want to what?" Klaus furiously whispered.
"I want to take her in. I want to care for her." Méalla responded evenly.
"Méalla, are you sure it's a good idea?" Elijah asked.
"No, but I do know that she deserves someone who cares and I do. I'm going to ask her in the morning."
Elijah and Klaus look at each other, but agree.

"First Marcel's massacre, now bombs in the bayou. I'll assume you're ready to give up this doomed treaty." Klaus said to Elijah.
"This alliance with the wolves, well, if it is to succeed, I believe you'll want this." He handed Klaus Esther's grimoire.
"Seems I have Hayley to thank for your change of heart."
Elijah poured him and Klaus drinks and an empty glass for Méalla.
"The rifts in this city run far deeper than I even imagined. These tribes, these factions, they're families, families who choose to fight. Mayhem has descended upon our home, and if I'm to choose a side..." Elijah handed Klaus his drink, the empty glass to Méalla and held his own out to toast them. "To our victory, brother."