Losing Him (Only His Series: Book 4) *OLD VERSION*

Chapter 24

Alex's P.O.V 

I had just returned home. Also, I brought Cami here last night. She was staying in my room, and when I walked upstairs, I found an empty blood bag on my bed and sighed in annoyance as I picked it up and threw it aside. I then made my way into Elijah's study, where Klaus and Elijah were going through old-looking notes printed on parchment.

"Where the hell is she?" I asked annoyed.

"I assume we are talking about Camille..." Elijah said. Klaus sighed in exasperation, and Elijah doesn't even look up from his research as we continue our conversation. "Just to refresh my memory, Klaus - was I the one who impulsively handed her a daylight ring? Oh, no, that's right. It was you." I looked at Klaus.

"You gave her a daylight ring?" I asked him and he rolled his eyes.

"She left, didn't she?" Klaus asked and I nodded.

"Shocking turn of events, yes. So, why don't you go and find her? I shall deal with the growing nightmare of our family's potential extinction." Elijah said sarcastically.

"Yes, always the diligent defender, despite the fact that the danger has somewhat subsided, what, with Tristan de Martel now literally sleeping with the fishes?" My husband said.

"A darker threat remains. Now, if something out there is capable of killing us -" Elijah lowered his voice to a mocking whisper. "- We should probably find it." Klaus sighed at him.

"I'd love to. However, I got Camille into this mess..." Klaus said and I looked at him.

"We got her into this mess." I corrected him. Behind me, an exhausted and overwhelmed Hayley appeared in the doorway.

"She left around sunrise," Hayley said. At the sound of Hayley's voice, Elijah turned and stared at her in surprise while I looked at her with concern. "My guess is that she needed some air?" I continue to stare silently at her and she sighed. "I couldn't sleep. I saw her leaving from my balcony." She pauses and fidgets nervously for a moment before speaking. "So, I was wondering if maybe it was okay... if I can stay here for a few days?" I nodded immediately.

"Of course you can, but that just means I have two baby vampires under my roof," I said to her and she laughed.

"You won't even know I'm here," Hayley said and I smiled. Elijah got a call and stepped out of the room while Klaus walked up to us.

"Hayley, this family comes with many, many hardships, but there is at least one benefit - you will always have a home here," I said and she smiled, then I turned to Klaus.

"Ok, so what do you suggest we do about Camille?" He asked me and I sighed.

"Well, you can either show Hayley the basics of being a Hybrid...or go find Camille," I said to him and he smiled.

"I'll go find Camille," Klaus said and kissed me before he left me alone with Hayley. I turned to her and smiled.

"Sorry, but I have to go back to the apartment and grab something I left there for Hope," I said to her and she nodded. "Do you think you could stay here and watch Shawn?" I asked her and she nodded again but this time with a smile.

~

I was still-grieving when I returned to Haley's apartment with Hope in my arms in order to get the thing I left here. I might not act like it, but I was in pain. Being in the home I shared with Jackson and Hayley was painful for me, and I seemed to be in a hurry to get out of there as soon as possible. I walked over to the kitchen table and started rifling through the toys and other possessions that are sitting on top of it.

"What do you want to take?" She made no sound and simply looked around the room, so I picked up the little wooden knight Klaus made and held it up. I left it here when Hayley looked over the kids after Christmas. "Your little knight?" I asked, then picked up a stuffed horse. "What about the horse?"

I suddenly noticed one of Jackson's flannel shirts hanging over the back of the chair across from me and was overwhelmed by the memory of his death. After a moment, I hastily grabbed a stuffed rabbit from the table and gave it to Hope. "Bunny it is. Let's go." Then I quickly rushed out of the apartment with Hope and the bunny in tow, leaving the wooden knight and the horse on the table next to Jackson's shirt.

~

I walked into the wine cellar to see Klaus forcing Cami to stay here with us. I was exhausted and weary-looking when I appeared behind them. "You can't just force her to stay here, Klaus," I said to him. Klaus glared at me, but Cami looked relieved.

"Finally! Someone who's on my side." Cami said and I gave her a look.

"Oh, don't get me wrong - I remember when I turned, and you for sure shouldn't have a box of witch crap," I said. I turned my attention to my husband, who was annoyed by this entire situation. "But, you can't hold her hostage, either. Let me talk to her."

"I hardly think now is the time for a women's empowerment meeting," Klaus said unamused. I sighed and stared Klaus in the eyes with a no-nonsense expression.

"She died, Klaus because she got caught up in the Mikaelson world. Just like me. Just like Hayley. Just like Jackson. So yeah, she and I have a few things to talk about." I snapped at him. He looked as though he was about to argue, but before he could say anything, Elijah entered the room and gave Klaus a significant look.

"Niklaus... A word?" Elijah asked. My husband signed before leaving Cami and me to talk while joining Elijah in his study.

~

"Look, I know it may not seem like it right now, but what you're going through? It does get better. And there are people around you that are willing to get you to that point." I said. She wasn't listening and I snapped her out her trance. "Cami...?" She finally looked at me and smiled patronizingly.

"Yes. That's very sweet, Alex, and I think you should take your own advice." She said. I was slightly hurt and confused by this reaction, and after a moment, she continued. "I mean, that is why you wanted to speak to me, right? To get some words of wisdom from the Mikaelson family therapist for Hayley?" I frowned, not knowing where Cami was going with this, so she got to the point. "I say she should just admit it. It's not guilt, it's relief." I was appalled by this statement and scowled at Cami.

"What did you just say?" I asked her and Cami played dumb.

"Oh, come on. It's just us girls! You don't have to deny it. It's obvious - She's in love with Elijah, and now that Jackson's gone, she's free. It must be nice like a weight lifted." Cami said. I was absolutely furious, but I do my best to keep myself calm, as I had been in this position myself. After a moment, I finally took a deep breath and responded in a cold voice.

"You're going through a really hard time right now, Cami, but you are never, ever to speak to me of my friend and her boyfriend again. Do you understand me?" I snapped at her. The sharpness of my tone seemed to cut Cami down to her old self, and she looked horrified by just how cruel she just was before she began to panic.

"I... I don't know what's wrong with me. Why would I say that?" Cami asked herself. I sighed deeply, still furious about what Cami just said but knowing that she didn't necessarily mean it.

"You're manic. It's part of it." I said. Cami processes this all for a moment before she spoke to me again.

"I think I wanted to make you feel pain like I do. And so I said an evil, unfair thing... An untrue thing, Alex." She said and I sighed again but didn't meet Cami's eyes.

"Forget it. You're not you."

"I thought I could handle this..." Cami said sadly.

"You can. You will. You just need time." I explained. The two of us sat in silence for a long moment, neither able to make eye contact with the other out of hurt and embarrassment.

"I think maybe I should go home..." Cami said and waited for me to say something, but when I didn't, she simply walked out of the room and left without another word.