Lightning Strikes Twice

Thirty Three

Méalla woke to Hayley tracing her finger along her back. She didn't open her eyes, not wanting the moment to be over.
"I know you're awake." Hayley said softly, never once taking her finger off Méalla's back. Méalla turned over to face Hayley, smiling softly at her.
"This is nice. A bit of happiness away from everything else." Méalla intertwined their fingers. A bit of happiness before it's all ripped away again. Méalla thought silently to herself. "How did you sleep, love?"
"You always ease the anxiety and fear. You make me feel safe." Hayley sighed. "Will you still want to make me feel safe after I'm married?"
Méalla raised her hand intertwined with Hayley's, kissing Hayley's hand before she spoke. "We promised each other we'd always be there. I don't intend to break that promise just because our relationship and circumstances have changed. I won't say it won't be hard cause god knows it probably will, but we'll get through. As friends, lovers, or something else."
"As family. Whatever that means." Hayley responded quietly.
The two of them lay quietly, rubbing fingers over the other's hand before the wail of a baby, shortly joined by a second baby, and by Alex trying to calm them sounded throughout the house.
"We've been summoned." Méalla joked and forced herself to sit up next to Hayley, to get ready for whatever this day will bring.

"Alex, your food's getting cold." Méalla reminded gently, as Alex ignored it in favor with playing with Saoirse and Hope. Hayley was upstairs grabbing a change of clothes for the girls and Méalla made breakfast. Elijah was reading in the sitting room.
"You know, Saoirse looks a lot like you and Hope like Hayley." Alex said.
"Oh no, not more doppelgängers." Elijah groaned.
Alex raised her eyebrows in question.
"I'll tell you the story in a few years when you're older." Méalla grinned at Alex's puppy eyes. "Now, I'll play with them while you eat, okay? You need breakfast." Méalla lifted Saoirse out of Alex's lap as the young girl got up and made her way to the counter where her plate was. Méalla sat where Alex had been sitting, starting to tickle Saoirse. Hope started to want attention so she used one hand to play with Hope's fingers. It felt normal. Like the girls weren't miracle children, they weren't in the midst of a magical war, where Elijah and her weren't tortured by their mother, where Hayley and Méalla weren't kept apart. But alas, that ended with a phone call from Klaus.
She cradled Saoirse with one arm as she reached into her pocket for her phone.
"Did it work?"
"There were a few hitches, like Rebekah's not in her own body, Esther enlisted Mikael to break Finn out and Cami is in danger but Esther herself is no longer a threat at the moment."
"Can't wait to hear this story." Méalla groaned. "I assume you and Cami will be here anytime now?"
"See you soon, Little Quill."
Méalla hung up the phone as Hayley watched her from the doorway.
"You heard?" Méalla asked. Hayley nodded and came forward, picking up Hope.
"Hi baby, mommy just needs to put you in a new outfit. This one's dirty." Hayley spoke to Hope, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Hayley passed a onesie to Méalla for Saoirse. It was cute, Rebekah obviously picked it out because of Méalla's love of words, as it was covered in stacks of books and quills.

Méalla heard Klaus and Cami outside before they came in.
"I'm a little more worried about Finn, considering I totally stabbed him in the back." "He won't find you here. This is the safest place you could possibly be. Come on! There's someone I want you to meet." Méalla saw Klaus start to lead Cami to the house. "I'd like to introduce you to the newest members of our family. The little troublemakers all the fuss has been about." Feeling Hayley behind her, Méalla took that as her cue. She opened the door, Saoirse in her arms and Hope in Hayley's. "Camille, this is Hope." He pointed to Hope. "And this is Saoirse." He gestured to Méalla's arms. Cami was absolutely stunned, and looked at them in confusion.
"Oh, my God. What? You said... I thought they were..."
Klaus stared at Hope as he talked, a small, wistful smile on his lips.
"The only way to truly protect them was to convince the world of their death." He turned to face Cami. "I hope you understand, once it is safe for you to leave here, this secret cannot leave with you."
Cami, clearly happy at this news, nods in understanding and smiled at him before she walked past him to see the girls for herself. Saoirse gave her a giggle and Hope grabbed her finger, cooing at her, and Cami, Hayley, and Méalla laugh.
"Oh, they're perfect!" Cami gazed at the babies in adoration when Alex came out to say hi.
"And you're Alex, the sweet werewolf I've yet to meet." Cami said to her questioningly. Alex nodded yes.
"Come, let's go inside. We'll talk there." Méalla said, one arm holding Saoirse and resting the other on Alex's shoulder, guiding the girl into the house. The young wolf pressed herself into Méalla's side with a big smile.

"Now that we've entombed our mother, I intend to finish making the city safe for the girls. Which, to start, means dealing with the lingering problem of Finn." Klaus stated, all of them sitting in the living room, figuring out the next steps. Cami sighed.
"Oh, once he figures out what you've done to your mother, he's gonna go off the deep end."
"That's exactly why we need to keep you out of harm's way. Hayley and I will return home and take care of my wayward brother. Elijah, Méalla and Alex will remain here with you."
"Wait what?"
Klaus looked over to Méalla who looked confused and a bit annoyed and then over to Elijah, who looked displeased as he peered out the window.
"Elijah's been experiencing some side effects since his ordeal as our mother's captive. Best he stay here and convalesce. And Méalla, we really don't know the symptoms yet."
"A single violent outburst at a filthy road-side café, and one never hears the end of it." Elijah was just as annoyed as Méalla.
"Klaus, I'm fine. I can help."
"Méalla, you were held captive by our wickedly delusional mother for days, so until we know you're back to a fraction of yourself, we'll let you back into the fray. And Elijah, Cami has a way with minds plagued by demons, brother. You two can bond!" Cami looked awkward, while Elijah simply looked uncomfortable.
"Well, if you excuse me, I best be on my way! Rebekah should have already woken up in the body of Angelica Barker. Once she has cut the ties of Miss Barker's former life, she'll make her way directly here. You should expect her shortly."
Klaus got up and started to leave with Hayley. Méalla followed him, stopping before he joined Hayley at the car.
"It's not just because of Esther, is it?" She mumbles extra quietly so even superhearing couldn't hear.
"She's your lightning strikes twice wolf who's marrying someone else. You need time to figure it out. Besides, who knows what Mother did to you. Elijah's composure has been fractured and it takes quite a something to do that. Just because we haven't seen anything doesn't mean it's not there."
Méalla sighed, hearing the logic in his words.
"You call me the second something goes wrong,  you hear me? The second!" Méalla said sternly. Klaus nodded and walked away.

"Hey Alex, feel like watching a movie?" Méalla turned to her daughter, smiling as her face lit up.
"Can I hold Saoirse?"
"As long as you're sitting in my lap." Méalla said, pushing a loose strand of Alex's long braid behind her ear.