The Red Herring Revives: A Mikaelson Love Story

Chapter 63: Choices

Today was the culmination of the deals made with the wolves and at the insistence of everyone and their dog, I was told to be as far away from the action as possible. Even though I was reluctant to leave everyone to fend for themselves, I agreed with the knowledge I'd be updated every half an hour. So far, nothing had gone to plan with the wolves gone MIA along with the stones, so I was extra annoyed when I heard nothing in 31 minutes. I called Klaus who picked up with a chuckle.

"Impeccable timing."

"You're late."

"By a minute."

"That is more than enough time to die." I snapped.

"If you worry about me too much Iliana, I'll seem soft." Klaus teased.

"Very funny, just tell me what's up."

"We've located Jackson, he's...a little tied up right now." He said but didn't continue.

"You just stopped. Tied up doing what?" I asked.

"You didn't laugh."

"What?"

"I said he's tied up. It's funny because he is actually tied up." He explained.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I murmured in disbelief. "You made a joke based on a visual gag that I can't even see!"

"But now that you understand, the correct response is to laugh." He added.

"Don't make me side with Marcel."

"Ha ha." He replied sarcastically. "Anyhow, Jackson is surrounded by bombs and beaten by Marcel but alive at least."

"And the stones?"

But I didn't get an answer. Instead, I heard hundreds of bombs go off. There had been an explosion.

"Klaus? Klaus? Klaus?"

No answer. I jumped off the bar stool and ran all the way to the compound where I found Hayley pacing about at the entrance.

"Hayley!" I called out to her.

"Iliana, what are you doing here?" She asked in confusion.

"There was another explosion." I explained to her. "I heard it over the phone, but I haven't heard anything since."

"We have to go—Jack!"

I turned around to see Elijah, Klaus and Jackson ambling into the compound, covered in ash and looking dishevelled.

"Oh, thank god." I said in relief as I wrapped Klaus and Elijah in a tight hug. "I know you're like mega-immortal and stuff, but I still definitely thought you were dead."

"You can't get rid of me that easy." Klaus said with a smirk.

"Now that everyone is alive and accounted for, what happened to the stones?" Hayley asked.

"Scattered across the bed of the Mississippi, I'd imagine." Elijah answered with a sigh.

"Marcel's not a fool." Klaus said as he poured himself a drink. "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." Hayley grumbled.

"This is my fault." Jackson said. "I'll fix it."

"No one is blaming you." Hayley said, softly rubbing his shoulder.

"Speak for yourself, I'm bloody blaming you!" Klaus snapped. "Those stones will be hard to replace. Lucky for us, I always ensure on Plan B."

Klaus smirked as he brought everyone down into the courtyard to meet Francesca along with five other men, all wearing suits and one with a briefcase.

"Jesus Christ of Nazareth." I exclaimed in disbelief. "Francesca Correra! Are you insane? She is a literal gangster!"

"She is simply a means of procuring rare items at short notice." Klaus told me. "Ms. Correra!" Klaus greeted with a smile. "And company."

"These are my brothers. I always include them in delicate business matters." She said, gesturing to the brothers. "Meet Mr. Mikaelson."

"Call me Klaus. All my friends do." Nik added.

"We are not friends." I corrected.

"Agreed." She said as she pulled out a drawstring bag from the briefcase her brother held. "But if you and Marcel are having a throw-down, I'd prefer to be on the same side as the inevitable victor."

"Then you have what we asked for?" Klaus asked.

"Not enough for an entire army, but with such short notice—it's a start." She answered as she handed Klaus the bag.

"Strange, I wasn't aware that she was familiar with our plan." Elijah muttered with a scowl.

"My price for doing business is full disclosure and your brother complied." She replied with a cavalier shrug.

"What do the humans even benefit from this?" Elijah asked suspiciously.

"A solid alliance." She said ambitiously. "It's good for business."

"If only everyone had your capacity for reason." Nik said 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." She took a fake deep breath before she continued. "It might be in our best interests if we combine our efforts."

"The more bodies to defend the compound, the better. Let's get started." He said as he led her away.

"Elijah, I don't trust her." I told him.

"Neither do I. Stay away." Elijah warned before going to meet Hayley and Jackson upstairs.

~Elijah POV~

Just as Elijah went to check on Hayley, he saw Jackson on his way out. The two nodded in acknowledgement of one another, an unspoken agreement passing between the two of them, before Jackson left.

"I understand he risked his life to save his friend. He's a good man." Elijah told her.

"Yeah, he is." Hayley confirmed before taking a deep breath. "Elijah, you should know...I was meant to be betrothed to Jackson."

"Oh." Elijah murmured in disbelief.

"Yeah, it's crazy I know." She muttered. "I wanted to tell you sooner, I just didn't know how."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." Elijah assured her. "I understand the need to make sacrifices for one's family."

Hayley waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, she let out a hysterical laugh. "For goodness sake Elijah. You can't even turn off the whole nobility thing for one second, can you?"

"Hayley..."

"I know that you feel something for me." She began. "I just know it's nothing like what you feel for her. Maybe if I had come first, maybe if she chose Klaus, I don't know maybe we'd have had a shot. I don't think I even really got it until him. Because in another life, I might really have loved Jackson enough to marry him. But you came first. There is something between us, Elijah. I just don't know if we'll ever have the chance."

"I don't know what you want me to say." Elijah murmured.

"Elijah, 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!"

She was standing right in front of him now and before either of them knew what was happening, she pulled him towards her and kissed him. Elijah was noticeably tense, but he didn't pull away either. When Hayley broke the kiss, she looked back at Elijah in shock, unable to decipher how he felt about it.

"You will always have a choice."

And with that, Elijah walked out of the room without a second thought.