Last flame | Hayley Marshall

𝟷.𝟼: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚝 𝙾𝚏 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙿𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚃𝚛𝚎𝚎 (7)

-Narrator's perspective-

In order to calm herself down, Danielle was walking under the sun, just besides the pool which sat dormant near her. She had her eyes squinting from the brightness of it all.

After having ordered by Elijah that she should be the one to watch Hayley with Rebekah, she didn't disagree and neither did she agree to it. Nobody seemed to refuse of Elijah's intentions, and it was settled.

She was sure Hayley can handle herself, reading a book or two up in her room.

That was when she was wrong, Hayley clearly watching her from outside her window. Danielle was simply looking around her surroundings while walking slowly. She didn't sense someone watching her, and Hayley was grateful for it.

The werewolf read every page, every word and letter inside the journal. She knew she should feel a little different from what she expected, but, Hayley felt like she wanted to get to know the female hybrid more. Not just by a book, by Danielle herself.

"She's fighting her thoughts."

Hayley almost jumped from shock when she heard Rebekah from the door, almost as if she got caught doing something bad.

"Can you stop scaring me like that." She growled, crossing her arms, and stole one more glance at the hybrid before walking up to her bed.

"She's fighting her thoughts." Rebekah repeated, walking smoothly to where Hayley was earlier to watch her older sister.

"Am I supposed to know what that means?" Acting innocently, Hayley asked.

"Oh please, you act like her sometimes." The blonde retorted, gesturing to the brunette, who was outside. "Clearly, my sister likes you. We both know what I really meant, Hayley, so don't bother hiding it."

Hayley stayed silent before pursuing her lips. "She has a good way of showing it." The words made Rebekah laugh.

"Sounds like her." Rebekah said, prying her eyes off her sister, then to Hayley. "My sister, bless her, has never fallen in love with anyone."

"That's impossible- she's lived like, what, centuries?" She guessed, clearly not buying whatever Rebekah said, but the original nodded.

"Yes, she's never been put in a coffin. Always stuck besides Klaus' side with no choice." She added before getting into the topic further. "Unlike our siblings and I, nobody caught her eyes."

"You make it sound like love is an important thing to her." Hayley hinted, afraid of the word now that she mentioned it.

Rebekah furrowed her eyebrows, hummed in response. "You can call it like that.
Though-" Before she could finish what she was about to say, Hayley exclaimed in shock.

Hayley gasped as a feeling of something pricked her neck, touching it and felt blood smudged her skin. She looked at her red covered fingertips in confusion, showing it to Rebekah.

"What the hell happened?" Danielle questioned, could have heard that wince in pain from a mile away if it was Hayley. Good thing she was just by the pool. "Hayley?" She asked, walking towards the girl.

"Hell if I know. It felt like I was being stabbed." She exaggerated, clearly right, but it was needle instead of knife.

Danielle, out of worry, mostly, brought the edge of her fingers to Hayley's cheek, slightly moving her head side wards as she looked at the newly healed wound. The hybrid was too fixated on studying it when she didn't see how Hayley swallowed hard of their contact.

"It's Sophie." Rebekah said, snapping the two out of their own trances, making Danielle retreat her hand back, stepping back.

"Great. I'm off to kill a witch or two in the cemetery." Danielle perked up, about to walk away but Rebekah held her arm telling her that Sophie was still linked to Hayley. "Of course I know that, Rebekah. I didn't say it's Sophie I'm going to kill."

"Can you just stay here and keep an eye out for Hayley? Who knows what happened out there, so we might as well stand our ground." The blonde said, letting go of her sister when she calmed down. "I'll fix a snack." She gave Danielle a stern look before exiting.

Danielle exhaled, retracting her neck before looking at Hayley, who kept her gaze on her the entire time. "My niece will be one hell of a savior if she's born." She said, grabbing a clean cloth on the table nearby.

"Why?" Having nothing else to say, Hayley asked, taken aback when Danielle walked towards her, clearly about to do something.

"Saved you twice." She whispered, brushing the cloth off the blood that was smeared on Hayley's neck. Danielle clenched her fist to a ball, prying her eyes off Hayley before she does something she regrets. Danielle took her hand back as soon she finished.

Hayley didn't realize that she was holding in a huge amount of air when Danielle turned around, she quietly exhaled shakily. Having no sense of what she just felt, Hayley brushed it off like it was nothing. They were too close. So much so, Hayley could smell the addictive scent that Danielle was wearing.

"I finished reading Elijah's journal." She started, never missed how Danielle tensed up by her words.

"So you have." Danielle exhaled, turning around and leaned on the window edge behind her. "Now, do you get why I ignored you?" There was no reason not to be blunt. She needed to. But never wanted to.

Without missing a beat, Hayley said, "No. No, I don't." She sighed, sitting on a chair in front of the entrance of the room.

As she said, Danielle hid the amusement in her eyes. She pursued her lips, "You should know by now, Hayley. I can, and will, be dangerous to you."

"I just really don't believe that." Hayley countered, watching how Danielle stayed quiet for a while, lips pressed into a thin line while she thinks.

"Well you should."

The two stared at one another, no words exchanged. The silence was deafening but also comforting seeing as their presence was only making them calm and feel warm.

It soonly got short when Danielle heard Rebekah intently walking up the stairs with a loud thud. She heard everything and didn't want to walk into something she'll regret walking into in.

"It's time for the demon spawn to snack." The blonde happily walked in, ignoring the thick tension inside the room, and showed off the bowl.

"I really wish you wouldn't call her that." Hayley sighed, looking at the bowl of apples, clearing her throat of how she just stared blankly on Danielle's pair of blue eyes. The hybrid smiled, never missed the snark.

"I'm sorry. Have you picked another name yet? Take one." She gestured to the fruit. "The plantation is lousy with them. How's your neck?" Rebekah asked, tossing Danielle one with her vampire speed, which the hybrid caught swiftly.

"I feel fine, which is weird. I'm sure Danielle's was right. This is Sophie related." Hayley said calmly but deeply, she was screaming on the top of her lungs.

"Well, do me a favor and don't die on my watch. I'll never hear the end of it." Rebekah retorted, placing the bowl on a nearby table and leaned on the bed frame behind her.

"You know, when I first met you, I thought you were a real bitch." The werewolf's tone was laced with sarcasm, making Danielle sink her teeth in the apple and turned around to hide her smile as she chewed.

Rebekah smiled, knowing what's to come. "What changed your mind?"

"Oh, I still think you're a bitch. I've just grown to like that about you." Hayley finished and Rebekah chuckled, feeling quite sensible.

"Well, that's sweet of you to say. Remember it when I'm gone." She said and just by her words Danielle turned around, more interested now of the topic.

Hayley frowned, surprised. "Gone? Where are you going?" She asked, slight disappointment.

"I only came to town to make sure everything was okay with Elijah. He's fine, and he hasn't punished Klaus for daggering him, so, as usual, they'll be thick as thieves alongside with Danielle, and I'll be left to clean up the mess." When the two girls who was talking stopped for a moment to talk, she commented last. "It's time for me to fly the coop."

"Oh." Hayley mumbled and brought up the apple to eat but, she hesitated and blinked a few times to posture herself.

Danielle noticed, and she stood up, walking their way. "What's wrong?" Rebekah asked in concern, as well as Danielle, who was besides her now.

"I don't know. Probably morning sickness." She excused, but Rebekah didn't take it into account and held her palm against the werewolf's forehead.

"Oh, you're burning up, actually." She said, looking at Danielle, who looked at Hayley in full worry.

"Stop fussing, will you? They will be here any minute." Rebekah complained, seeing how Danielle was only just trying to lessen her sick state by pressing a damp cloth on her neck.

"I feel like I've been microwaved." She complained, as well, didn't miss how Danielle gave her that signature worried look she always has when Hayley's in trouble.

"Hey, just because you're carrying a baby doesn't mean you get to act like one." The blonde said, mostly to loosen her up, and paced left and right in the room. "I'm sure our little niece is healing you up as we speak."

"Well, she should be." Danielle hummed, glancing upwards to meet the wolf's eyes, who secretly gave her a thank-you look. She mouthed a 'no problem' and sent a warm, comforting smile.

As expected, Elijah and Sophie came inside the room after a very distressed call from Rebekah and finding out what really happened.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Rebekah asked, pointing at the witch. "Danielle will kill her." She said, glancing at her sister, who never took her focus off the werewolf. Despite that need to have revenge, Hayley comes first. No matter what.

"I'm trying to help." She defended.

"Help? You're the reason we're in this bloody mess. Why aren't we unlinked with this witch already, Elijah?" The blonde questioned- interrogated, was more appropriate.

"Rebekah, let her do what she can." He assured, frowning at how Danielle was quiet the moment they've arrived. Never once taking her eyes off Hayley.

"I may know a way to slow the fever down, But I'm gonna need some special herbs. I'll text you a list." She suggested.

Rebekah raised her hands in frustration. "I'm not your maid." When she said it, Danielle turned around.

"Text it to me." She said calmly, didn't see how Hayley looked so disappointed, she'll leave.

However, Rebekah and Elijah saw it, making the blonde sigh. "Never mind that. You stay here with Hayley. Happy to play fetch girl." Before Danielle could argue of it, the girl walked past Elijah and Sophie with an attitude.

"Thank you." Hayley whispered, eyes shut from all the tiresome fever of hers. Danielle clenched her jaw, holding the girl's hand to comfort her.

All that matters was relieving Hayley off her pain and not losing that child. They quickly went downstairs, with Danielle carrying the expectedly light girl in her arms. Hayley had her arms around her neck, slightly losing consciousness as the minutes slowly passed by.

With Sophie planned to get ready, Elijah assisting his sister to place Hayley on the edge of the pool, Danielle hopped in the pool and got ready in case this needs to happened now.

The water went below her waist, a perfect length to soothe Hayley, who was still burning up. She held her hand firmly, not letting go, and as a gesture of Danielle never leaving her.

"She's burning up. We need to do this now." Elijah informed, looking over his sister, who was in the water.

Sophie told them to go, now.

"Come on, love." She assured, holding the girl tightly on her waist as she carried Hayley down to the cold water.

Danielle lost all sense of hearing, never acknowledged how Elijah jumped in as well to support them in case something went wrong. He kept his distance, but was close if something worse happens.

"I don't see how a midnight swim is supposed to help." Rebekah said, watching Sophie hurriedly gather her ingredients.

Danielle couldn't hear it. All her focus was appointed towards Hayley who was shuddering on her arms, eyes half open, but knew where she was perfectly. In the arms of the she-hybrid who caught her eyes since the start.

"Saraphina." Elijah called, making sure she had it.

"I'm fine. Just hurry the hell up, she's burning." She said in a groggy voice, didn't turn around and narrowed her eyes directly to Hayley beneath her.

"Drink this." Sophie said, handing Hayley a cup. "You're gonna have to get her heart rate down." She said directly to Danielle, who had no idea how to do that.

She gritted her teeth, grabbing the cup as soon as Hayley drank it all. "How do I even do that?"

"Hold her. It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart beating and reduce blood pressure." She explained and for once, Danielle followed and pulled Hayley to a much farther distance.

"This is never gonna work." Rebekah doubted, crossed her arms seeing how Danielle's worried level was skyrocketing to the sky and space.

"Davina will break that link. We just need time." Elijah kept the neutral tension but no use. He swam over towards his sister, holding her shoulder to assist her.

Danielle was already carrying Hayley in her arms, the werewolf's arms wrapped around her neck securely, just like how she did when they descended the stairs.

"Okay. Take a breath here, Hayley. Look at me- focus on me." Danielle softly said, calm, but on the inside she was cursing every witch in New Orleans. Hayley looked at her, the blue ocean eyes making her feel a little better, and everyone saw it. Her breathing were slowing down more, calming down when she saw Danielle gave her a look that everything will be all right.

"That's good, that's good. You're okay." She assured, the back of Hayley's head dipping in the water to cool herself down.

When Elijah saw that everything was handled, he lets go of his sister's shoulder, amused by how much power Danielle held over Hayley and vice versa. It was no secret the two had some sort of connection. A bond no one can break, even if it still isn't confirmed that they like each other. He stood his ground, worry in his stomach, but knew that the hybrid had it handled.

But soon, they got scared for a lifetime when Hayley started to scream in pain, holding her stomach as if something was making its way to kill her child. "Danielle- I can't-"

"-Yes, you can." She interrupted, the ear shattering scream that made her heart twitch in pain made its way to her chest. "I'm here, Hayley." Danielle soothed.

And just like Danielle's words calmed her down more than it should have, the link was lifted. Sophie and Hayley were no longer connected, and the witch knew it.

Hayley was panting, whimpering from where she is and desperately holding onto Danielle who looked close on breaking down if this continued more.

"I just felt it lift." Sophie informed, Rebekah sighing in relief and so did Elijah who looked at her.

Hayley's breathing went back to normal and stood up on her own, gaining her strength back, but Danielle wasn't about to take chances seeing as she was holding onto her waist for support.

They all watched as Sophie pricked herself on her palm using her earring. Danielle brought up Hayley's hand, both waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. The link was really broken.

The two girls looked at each other in relief, both equally seemed so. Rebekah dropped her arms back to her side, surprised to how much her older sister showed vulnerability to everyone here. All in the name of Hayley Marshall.

Danielle blinked her eyes back to reality, gesturing to Hayley to go back up. "Let's go." She whispered, helping her walk to the edge.

"Elijah." Sophie called as soon as Hayley was posturing herself. "As soon as your brother finds out that the link is broken, He'll kill Agnes."

"You needn't worry, our brother, Sophie. I'll kill her myself." Danielle growled, going back to her true self after that, she was certain Hayley was fine now.

Sophie immediately felt fear of the hybrid. "Danielle too- I know you don't owe me anything, but please don't let them kill her." She pleaded and Elijah sped towards back to land, as well as Danielle, who brushed her soaked hair using her fingers. "Elijah, she's our only access to the power we need to survive. Promise me that you'll stop him, and that includes Danielle."

Elijah dialed on his phone, placing it against his ear. "It's me. Where are you?" He asked through the phone. "Don't hurt her. I'll be there shortly."

"You all right?" Danielle asked, kneeling downwards to Hayley, who was catching her breath in the water. When Hayley nodded, she sighed in relief.

"I'll make you one last promise." Elijah said, having just hung up on the call. "I won't let my brother and sister kill Agnes."

"Elijah." Danielle warned, standing up to meet his eyes. When she did, the vampire shook his head, a sign to back away, and he had this handled. She gave him one last stern look before he picked his shoes up and left.

As Sophie was about to exit the pool, Hayley stood up from where she is and held her arm as a warning. "I know you were just using me to save your people... but try it again, I'll kill you."

That was when she turned around, seeing Danielle extend her hand out to help her. Hayley took it, getting out of the pool with the hybrid's help.

"Let's get you warmed up." She said, and sped them off the scene, towards Hayley's room. "I'll handle a few loose ends. Go and change." Danielle assured, taking her leather jacket off as it was soaked.

Before Danielle could leave, "Wait, Danielle." She called the girl who turned around in question. "Thank you." Genuinely, Hayley said.

The words made Danielle's heart flutter. She nodded, getting her mind off the feeling. "Of course." She said before leaving the room in so much worry.

All her life has she not been scared for the life of anyone. That was until Hayley came into hers, made it better, but Danielle didn't want that to happen. She never wanted to feel this kind of protectiveness towards a mortal. Never again.

But, in her years of living, she felt an exhilarating rush. A first for her. Who knows what's more to come after this eventful day.

That night, Hayley was having one of her cravings as usual. Cereals for breakfast, orange juice as her drink but this time, she wanted it as a midnight snack craving.

When she opened the fridge, she expected to see empty spaces but to her surprise, milk was bought as well as a new carton of cereals in the cupboards. A smile lifted on her face when she saw a note on the back of the cereal box.

'If you want me to cook something, you know where to call me.
-D'

Hayley's smile never faltered. Even when she brought the spoonful of cereal to her mouth and munched on it silently in the kitchen.

"Danielle!"

The tone of the vampire's voice made the girl worry. She sped to her brother's way, where he found Elijah inside Hayley's room in panic.

"What is it?" She asked curiously, darting her eyes inside the room where she couldn't see where the werewolf who obtains this room is. "Where's Hayley?"

Elijah looked at her for a few more seconds, knowing full well that she will no longer go running off on her own. Now, she was taken against her will.

"Marcel was here." Klaus told them, stepping in the room to see his siblings with a worried look.

Danielle looked at him, narrowing his eyes towards his hybrid brother to be certain he wasn't bluffing. When he didn't, Danielle snapped.