Lightning Strikes Twice

Twenty Seven

"What do you mean, go talk to Hayley? I'm not her bloody keeper!" Méalla shouted at Elijah. He had just informed her of Hayley's festivities last night and how she seems to be spiraling. To be fair, Méalla was incredibly worried but Hayley hasn't spoken to her since the nursery.
"I know that. However, she's your lightning strikes twice wolf."
"Fucking hell, does everybody think that and going to use it against me? I should've never told you guys what I was writing." Méalla muttered.
"But you did!" Klaus singsonged from across the hall.
"Shut up, Klaus! It's not the bloody time!" Méalla shouted at her brother who just walked into her room, where Elijah and Méalla were talking.
Klaus' face grew serious after a few seconds of smirking.
"Little Quill, you may be the only one able to reach her. She won't even talk to me or Elijah."
"She won't talk to me either."
"I'm sure that's not the case, or if it is, she'll break out of her shell quicker with you. Please try?" Elijah asked.
Méalla ran a hand through her hair, messing up the already sloppy braids. She let out a deep breath and nodded.

"Hello, love." Méalla stood in the doorway of Hayley's room, where Hayley had just tried to sneak in.
"Méalla. Come to check up on me?" Hayley's tone was bitter.
"Yes."
"Well, here's your update. Everything sucks. My daughter isn't here, my pack is ruined, and I'm now a hybrid who has to feed on blood to survive."
"I have a question." Méalla leaned on the doorframe. Hayley raised her eyebrows.
"If you think being a hybrid makes you a monster, what do you think I am? I mean, I'm an Original Hybrid. My family are the first vampires, first of the arch nemesis of your kind. Does that automatically make me a monster? Because I'm pretty sure you didn't think that before we had to send our daughters away. Good night." Méalla left Hayley to consider her words and headed to Alex's room to check on the sleeping girl.
Hayley groaned, and grabbed her pillow to hurl it against the wall. She felt tears brimming in her eyes and collapsed onto the bed, holding her face. She knew she wasn't doing well. She knew she was lashing out and Méalla didn't deserve it, and Méalla was going through the pain of losing her own daughter. And still, Méalla is trying to help her, even after all she's said about hybrids. Méalla is anything but a monster. She grabs a second pillow and hurls that one at the wall. She was so goddamn angry and hurt and sad and everything was too much, too overwhelming. It was consuming her.

Klaus, Méalla, and Hayley arrived at the werewolf encampments and started looking around for any wolves who may still be around.
"I told you, this place is deserted." Hayley groaned.
"No, their scent is fresh. They're hiding." He searched tents. "Which means, somewhere nearby we will find the remnants of your pack."
Méalla walked off, not wanting to deal with Hayley and Klaus' bickering. She started looking around the far side of the encampments.
"Méalla!" Méalla heard Klaus call, who pointed his head to Hayley striding confidently in the other direction. Seems she could track her pack. Méalla strode after Klaus, easily catching up.

Hayley, Méalla, and Klaus watched the werewolves from the woods for a few minutes. Oliver and the rest of the Crescents were gathering up their belongings.
"So, Jackson is MIA and Oliver seems to think he's the alpha. They're not going to listen to me." Hayley assessed.
"The birthmark on your shoulder did not disappear when you became a hybrid. Go on, talk to them." Klaus replied.
Nervous, Hayley slowly made her way toward the group of Crescents, as Klaus and Méalla followed behind her. The wolves all turned to face her and defensively formed a circle around them.
"The hell you three want?" Oliver tried to look challenging.
"Hold your tongue, or I'll tear it from your gaping mouth." Klaus shot back. Hayley gave him the universal look of "Shut up."
"We didn't come here to fight, Oliver. Our pack has been divided by people who want us to be their slaves. What we need right now is a leader. Someone who will reunite us and make us strong again. Someone who will fight for our pack. If you let me, I can be that person."
"You think we can trust you? You're not one of us! Hell, you're not even a wolf, you're a blood - sucking vampire parasite! And we're not little girls with daddy issues who attach themselves to the first parental figure they meet."
"What was that, you asshole?" Méalla stepped forward, ready to rip out Oliver's lungs for speaking about Alex and Hayley that way when Hayley held her arm out in front of Méalla.
"You want to say that again and see what happens, Oliver?" Hayley's tone was even.
"You tough girl, you're gonna attack me? In front of all them? You'll just give them another reason to say yes to Cassie and her moonlight rings. Yeah, they would rather follow a witch than you. Me? Hell, I'd rather die than follow you."
Klaus vamp sped over to Oliver, knocking him flat on his back and stomping on his chest with his boot before the words were even finished coming out of his mouth. Méalla came and rested her foot on his throat.
"Well, at least you didn't drag this out." Klaus shrugged.
"Hey! Let him go, Klaus! Méalla, you know he's just aggravating you to make you look bad. He won't insult Alex again." Méalla glared at Oliver for a hard moment before removing her foot. However, Klaus did not.
"You need to learn about the art of politics, love. You gain support by killing your detractors!" Klaus told Hayley.
"They may not like me very much, but these people, including Oliver, are my family. Let him go, now." Hayley stood firm.
Klaus looked around at all of the wolves who were watching intently and smiled before letting go of Oliver.
"You see? There's your queen. Powerful, fearless, and, unlike me, merciful." Klaus turned to Hayley. "These people need to show you more respect. How you handle them now is up to you."
Klaus turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Méalla asked.
"I'm going to find the witch. Seems I need to educate her as to what she may or may not do in my city." Klaus took off.

Méalla didn't turn as she sensed Hayley walk into her room. It was late and she had just put Alex to bed.
"Thanks for the support earlier." Hayley said hesitantly. Méalla nodded slightly. "So I heard both your parents are back." Hayley was nervous. Méalla could hear her fiddling with something on her dresser.
"No one manages to stay dead in this family, except the ones we can't bear to lose. Cruel joke, huh?" Méalla spoke, turning to face Hayley.
"I'm sorry. For everything. Pushing you away, adding to your hurt, lashing out. You don't deserve it." Hayley spoke softly, but she knew Méalla could hear her just fine.
"Remember when we said we were in this together? That promise didn't break when the girls were born."
"I know."
"Do you? I know you're grieving but you're not the only one and you don't get a monopoly on it. Klaus and I also lost our daughters. You died and I thought you were gone forever. I know your emotions are heightened because of your new hybrid nature but that doesn't mean we don't feel them just as acutely."
"But you just seem so, unfazed, I guess, looking after Alex."
"If I didn't have Alex to care for me and to help me not be alone, I would be numb. I'm throwing myself into making sure Alex is safe because I can't make sure Saoirse is. It's a different way of coping than yours."
"I get that now."
"I hope that you do. Now you should go get some rest. We have work to do if we're going to get our babies back anytime soon." Méalla turned away, when Hayley gently touched her arm.
"Ever since Hope's been away, I can't sleep. Can I stay? You have a way of making my anxiety calm." Hayley's voice was soft, shy.
Méalla nodded, letting Hayley climb into her bed while she closed the door slightly. As she joined Hayley, Hayley lay her head on Méalla's chest, feeling her steady heart beat. Méalla rubbed circles on Hayley's arm. They stayed that way until they fell asleep.