Carrying the large bowl to the dining table, Rebekah handles the glasses and mugs behind me. Damon and Elijah have already plastered the dinner plates before each chair aligning the table. The napkin I fiddled with earlier is now neatly folded. Everything is arranged orderly - the kitchen aroma is pleasant and can take the blame for my grumbling stomach.
The bowl of macaroni pasta swirled with red sauce sits in the center of the table, and around the bowl a plate of stacked dinner rolls and breadsticks. The boys finished the organizing and are now making their way to claim their seats. Rebekah and I sit at the dinner table, and Damon sits by her other side. Jackson sits across from me, as Elijah sits next to him. I watch Elijah and Damon share a laugh about some memory - something about Elijah first seeing Damon in Mystic Falls speeding 90 mph down a speedway, nearly crashing into the Mikaelson's Rover decades ago. My brows furrow at what I gather from their interesting conversation.
I feel Rebekah lightly nudge my arm. I turn to meet her gaze. All she does is share a look, and I know we're OK, everything is OK - we won. I watch Rebekah stand from her seat.
"Now we all know for certain no matter what we face, together," Rebekah begins firmly, her eyes coming across Damon's for one moment, "we can do it. And we have each other." She finishes, raising her glass of dark red liquid.
Following her, everyone lifts their glass to a toast.
My eyes land on Elijah's, and from what I make out in his glinting eyes, he probably gathers what I'm to say.
"Always and forever." I state, the five of us lightly clinging our glasses together. Everyone at the dining table repeats after me. Elijah's lips tug upward in gratitude. I break into a smile, then taking a sip of my drink, I watch Damon be the first to reach over and claim a scoop of the pasta - licking his lips - just before the blonde Mikaelson playfully smacks his hand.
--
It's night, and silent. I stand next to my bedroom window. It's cracked, allowing the windy breeze to chill me, yet bring relaxation. I can hear owls outside, along with it merely the wind - strong and heavy. I inhale sharply, my gaze never peeling from the treetop silhouettes.
I sense someone enter the room, and I breathe again. "The moon is crescent...it's beautiful." I whisper, hearing the footsteps draw nearer.
They stop. "You should see the eclipse over those trees, beautiful isn't even the word for it." I hear Jackson's deep voice behind me. He stands across the room. I turn to see him, my arms crossed snuggly across my chest.
"Jack..." I say quietly, his frame leaned against the doorframe. "I didn't know you were still here."
He smiles, but it's faint. "After dinner I was actually about to head out."
"I didn't mean it that way. I just..." I interject politely, but unsure of how to finish. Then my lips finally part. "I didn't think you would be heading out so soon."
I watch his brows furrow, before his lips tug upward. "It's been almost a full 24 hours since I've been here, Hayley." His smile widens.
I push a strand of my hair behind an ear and chuckle. "Right."
"Well, I could see why you would be use to the company. It has been, what, months?"
I smile. "Yeah, I think so. Time has gone by since you first 'babysat' me."
Jackson chuckles. "Oh, don't say it like that." His smile falters as he watches me. "I'll come back for a few visits." He claims.
I give a half smile and nod, "goodnight, Jack."
He sighs and kindly smiles before turning to exit the room, shutting the door behind him. I sigh, and head over toward my bed. Plopping onto it, I throw the blankets over me, and drain myself in thoughts. Today was good. It started as a rough night last night - being as a battle started and I could've died, or Damon or Jack - but Rebekah and I ended it. It's over. And now what I contain is the hope I needed to get through today.
The hope of Kol and Davina's deal adding up to Klaus' return dwells within me. And I know that hope is all I can suffice until then.
---
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