Lightning Strikes Twice

Twenty Five

"Well, aren't you a little more giddy than normal today?" Klaus smirked at Méalla as she walked into the study. "Let me guess, something to do with lightning strikes twice?" Méalla shot him a glare but it changed into a smile at the thought of what happened.
Klaus had given Genevieve the pages of Esther's grimoire that contain the moonlight ring spell. She examined it as Klaus and Méalla watch.
"Your mother's spell is as complicated as it is elegant. She was clearly a very gifted witch." Genevieve sounded amazed.
Klaus snatched the page from her hand and pointed at section. "Is this the bit, here?"
Genevieve snatched it back. "Hey! Like I said, it's complicated. She bound protection magic to black hyanite stones. A werewolf with the stones is free from turning on a full moon."
"And what of the improvements?" Klaus looked over Genevieve's shoulder.
"This spell will enhance speed, strength, and agility." She said without looking up.
"There should be something in there about fangs, it's what our mother used on us when she turned us into vampires." Klaus told her.
"Not just fangs, you said you want venom, so the bite is still lethal to vampires." Klaus smiled, as Genevieve laid the pages carefully onto the table.
"Here. It should make a nice gift. I'm sure Hayley will be thrilled." Genevieve didn't sound as thrilled. Méalla watched this all with a careful eye, still not totally sure of the plan's efficiency.
"Not just Hayley. You'll be making quite a few of these. Lets call it an even hundred." Klaus remarked breezily.
Genevieve frowned. "That's not the deal I made with Elijah."
"Well, you're dealing with me now. And I am offering considerably more."
"You think because I sleep with you, I'm suddenly at your beck and call?" Genevieve sounded a little insulted.
"Because you sleep with me, love, I will protect you from those who might do you harm, including my brother. Because I need you, however, I'm prepared to offer something more valuable than my protection."
"Which is?"
"My mother's grimoire, from which I took these spells. You see, Elijah is offering you a mere peek at these pages, but I will grant it to you as a gift. If you pledge your loyalty to me, beginning with the creation of those rings." Méalla looked at her brother incredulously. He ignored her.
"This has been your plan all along! You want to build a werewolf army, and you're using me to do it!"
Klaus placed his hand on hers. Méalla gagged internally. "Sweetheart, I'm not the enemy. Nor the wolves. Your abusive coven expects you to sacrifice yourself for the last of the Harvest girls. Do this one favor for me, and you need never fear anyone ever again."

Hayley was pacing around the compound, worrying about Elijah and Klaus' retrieval mission of Jackson and Oliver. Méalla was shaking her leg nervously, and Alex was weaving in the chair by the window.
"Elijah should have called by now." Hayley muttered.
"Worrying isn't going to help. You should sit down, try to keep calm." Genevieve said.
"What are you, now, magician slash zen-life-coach?" Hayley glared
"The treatment of pregnant women has advanced remarkably since I was a nurse, but even I know high blood pressure is bad for you, and your baby. You too, Méalla. I get you're worried but stressing can only add to it." Méalla groaned under her breath while Hayley sighed and sat down.
"Especially now, since you're so close to term."
"I hate this. I feel completely useless."
Méalla agreed with Hayley.
"Don't you get it? You're the point of all this. Klaus and Elijah running all over town? It's all for you. I'm a bit envious." Genevieve sighed a bit.
"Great. Lucky me."
"Is there anything I can get you?" Genevieve tried to help.
Hayley smiled anxiously. "How about a moonlight ring?"
"The spell can't be performed until the full moon reaches its apex. And, of course, I need the stones, which will be here soon enough. Have a little faith!"
Neither Méalla nor Hayley is convinced, but they try to calm themselves anyway.

"Impeccable timing." Elijah said through the phone.
"What's going on?" Hayley cut straight to the point.
"Jackson is fine. He's...a little tied up right now. Can we call you back?"
Méalla heard Klaus snicker at Elijah's words, and could only imagine that he is, indeed, tied up.
"Elijah, tell me what's going on, now!" Hayley half-shouted. The next thing Méalla and Hayley before the call cut out was an explosion.
"What was that?" Méalla sprang up.
Both Hayley and Méalla are pacing around in the study when Elijah, Klaus, and Jackson, all looking very disheveled and covered in ash, returned home.
"I got it." Jackson groaned more than said to Elijah.
"Thank god you're alive!" Hayley hugged Jackson tight.
Hayley and Jackson sat down to tend to his wounds.
"I'm fine, too, thanks for asking." Klaus quipped.
"What happened? What about the stones?" Méalla asked.
"Scattered across the bed of the Mississippi, I'd imagine." Elijah sighed.
Klaus poured himself a drink. "Marcel's not a fool. He knows an empowered werewolf army would mean the end of vampires in New Orleans. The explosion is his way of saying he means to prevent that. For all the good it'll do him."
"Well, it did him pretty damn well, didn't it?" Hayley muttered.
"This is my fault. I'll find a way to fix it." Jackson started.
Hayley rubbed his shoulder. "No, Jack, you're hurt. No one's blaming you."
"I'm blaming you! Those stones will be hard to replace."
"Klaus!" Méalla slapped him upside the head. As he rubbed his head, he spoke with a smile. "Fortunately, I always have a backup plan."
Downstairs, Francesca walked into the compound with five other men, all of whom are wearing suits, and one of whom has brought a briefcase. Klaus, Elijah, Hayley, Méalla and Jackson go down to greet her.
"You can't seriously mean her! She's a gangster!" Hayley gaped.
"Seriously, you couldn't have gotten it from a New Age store or something?" Méalla remarked. Klaus glared at her.
"I see her more as a means of procuring rare items at short notice." He turned to Francesca and her entourage. "Greetings, Ms. Correa! I see you've brought company."
"These are my brothers. I always include them in delicate business matters. Fellas, meet Mr. Mikaelson." She smiled fakely.
"Please, call me Klaus. All my friends do."
"I don't know if I'd call us friends."
"I'd say." Méalla muttered, very clearly so to make sure the woman heard. Francesca ignored her and reached into the briefcase her brother was holding, and pulled out a small black drawstring bag.
"But, if you and Marcel are planning on having a little throwdown, I'd prefer my family to be on the same side as the inevitable victor."
"Then, you have what I asked for?"
Francesca held out the bag. "Not enough for an army, at such short notice, but it's a start." "Strange, I wasn't aware that she was familiar with our plan." Elijah glances at his brother.
"My price for doing business is full disclosure. Your brother complied." The woman replied easily.
"And what does the Human Faction stand to benefit from all of this?" Elijah was suspicious. Méalla couldn't blame him.
"I only want us to solidify our allegiance to the ruling class. It's good for business."
"If only everyone shared your capacity for reason." Klaus spoke as he examined the stones.
"Sadly, they don't. Marcel is being especially vindictive. I'm worried he might come after me, or my family, just for meeting with you. It might be in our best interests if we combine our efforts."
"Hell to the fucking no!" Méalla said.
"So be it! The more bodies we have to defend the compound, the better. Let's get started, shall we?" Klaus and Francesca walked past Méalla, the woman smirking at her.
Upstairs, Alex watched as Hayley patched Jackson up.
"There."
Jackson stood up and put on his shirt.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me, it was Elijah who vamped your ass to safety and Méalla who asked him to."
"Language!" Alex shouted.
"Sorry, vamped your butt to safety." Hayley grinned at the young girl.
"Yeah, well, they really seems to care about you. Especially Méalla."
Hayley flustered. "It's...complicated."
"I think that's the understatement of the year."
Hayley smiled at him.
"Look, I gotta go get back to the bayou before the moon rises."
"Jackson, this will be the last time. After tonight, you'll never have to turn again. No more pain, no more hiding in the bayou. I promise."
"You know, Klaus isn't doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He's doing it for you. Hayley, you're the one who's going to change everything for us."
Jackson left and Alex spoke up, startlingly Hayley. "You and Méalla don't seem to be complicated. You care about her and she you."
"It's a bit more difficult than that." Hayley said as Méalla approached the room.
"He risked his life to save his friend. He's a good man."
"Yes, he is. Alex can you give us a minute?" Alex nodded and made her way out into the hall. "Méalla...there's something that I need to tell you. My family...wanted me." Hayley sighed.
"I was supposed to be betrothed to Jackson." To say Méalla was shocked was an understatement.
"I wanted to tell you sooner, I-I just didn't know how, it's this insane custody..."
"No, no, you don't have to explain it. I understand the need  for sacrifices." Méalla went silent after she finished her thought.
Hayley waited for her to continue, but she stayed silent.
"Come on, Méalla. For once in your immortal life, can you just not care about someone more than your own happiness?"
"What do you say I should do?"
"I just told you that I'm betrothed, according to some backwater arrangement by people that I never knew. Tell me that you think betrothals are stupid! Tell me that I have a choice..." Méalla interrupted Hayley by kissing her. They stayed interlocked for a long moment before Méalla pulled away.
"You will always have a choice."