TVDU one shots ; mainly gxg

(freya/hayley) Stand By You

MissLuthorsHizzie on ao3

Year 1

Hayley didn't know how to do this. There was no way she'd be able to take care of her three year old daughter, Hope, all by herself. Before, she had had Klaus who came by almost every day and helped in every way to raise his little angel. She had also had Elijah who Hayley had loved with everything in her. The whole situation had been messy at first (Hayley getting pregnant from a one-night stand with Klaus then meeting his brother and falling for him), but none of the Mikaelson's judged them or their situation.

Instead, all the Mikaelson siblings had taken Hayley into their little family unit, Rebekah being the most excited for the coming baby. Kol was friendly enough with his big smile and enthusiastic personality and Elijah was obviously more than charming. Then there had been Freya.

Freya Mikaelson was the eldest and had been relatively distant at first. Kind but distant. Hayley was honestly intrigued the most by this Mikaelson, her elusive smile, hard green eyes, short temper that matched Klaus', and dry humor that always made Hayley chuckle. Over the course of her pregnancy, Freya had slowly learned to open up and bond with Hayley. Their bond felt different to Hayley than her bond with the other siblings, but Hayley could never really understand why that was.

Overall, the Mikaelson's had been the family Hayley had always wanted, had always needed. They were all so different yet bonded so deeply that they would do anything for each other. The perfect family to raise her daughter in.

But it seemed like so fast everything turned to shit. One minute they had been celebrating Hope's third birthday at Hayley's house, Freya, Rebekah, and Kol helping her get the cake and decorations ready, and the next minute Hayley was getting a call from the New Orleans hospital.

Klaus and Elijah had gotten into an accident and neither had made it through surgery. Hayley just remembered how she had dropped the phone, how she couldn't stop shaking in the hospital waiting room, how everything had seemed to be a blur around her. The only shape she had been able to make out at the time, surprisingly, was Freya who had held her throughout the whole thing. She remembered Freya's warmth, her reassuring hold and whispered words.

The accident had happened only two months ago and Hayley still felt like she hadn't healed even a bit from the pain of losing the father of her child and the man she had loved so much. Hope seemed to miss her dad and Uncle just as much, crying almost every day in a way that broke Hayley's heart. Everytime Hope asked for her dad or Uncle Elijah, her young mind not wrapping around the idea of death, Hayley questioned how she would even get through this.

However, one day Hayley found a surprise guest at her doorstep. Freya stood outside her door, looking unsure and hesitant on the doormat. Rebekah and Kol had visited multiple times since the funeral but she hadn't seen Freya since the solemn day, which only surprised Hayley all the more to see the blonde with piercing green eyes on her doorstep.

"Hey, Freya." Hayley began, bouncing Hope in her arms. Hope, for the first time in a while, had a bright look in her eyes at seeing her aunt. She was letting out an adorable giggle and wiggling her fingers towards the woman. Freya couldn't help the smile that slipped on her face at just seeing her niece.

"Hi, I'm sorry I haven't visited. I just..." Freya's voice trailed off and Hayley felt her heart clench, understanding her reasons without having to hear them. Freya stood awkwardly in front of Hayley, not seeming to know what to do with her hands. "Can we talk?"

Hayley had opened the door further without hesitation, letting the eldest Mikaelson into her home like she had done a hundred times before. Five minutes later, the two of them sat at Hayley's kitchen table (this one was bigger than her first one because of all the Mikaelson family gatherings over the years ). Hope sat on Freya's lap, giddy from the closeness to her aunt. Freya played with the little redhead's fingers in such a tender way that Hayley couldn't help but watch with amusement. Hope had definitely missed Freya's visits.