Something was right; Hayley knew that for sure. She felt weaker than she had since before she turned and cold. She hadn’t been cold in so long, but she felt it. She was shivering here and there between her body tensing up with each contraction. She could tell with the question coming from Elijah and the looks Freya and Rebekah were giving each other that they knew something wasn’t quite right either. Everyone in the room could prepare for a normal human birth, but a vampire-werewolf hybrid was harder to get ready for.
“I have no idea.” Freya’s voice spoke through the room. “She is ready to push if she has the strength.” The girl said as they all tried to focus on helping Hayley through this. She had to do this. She wanted to have her baby and she wanted to hold her. Rebekah gave her a sip of water and she took a deep, long breath in as she looked over at Elijah for any sign that there was a sliver of hope in the middle of this. With him sitting next to her, she would be fine. And if something happened to her, the people in the room would ensure her daughter would be raised with a family.
Hayley swallowed and mustered enough energy to do this; even if it was the last thing she ever did. “I’m ready.” She said in a unnaturally low voice for the little wolf. Rebekah helped get her legs in the right position for Freya to be able to see and girls started coaching Hayley through every contraction and every push. It seemed like this was the part lasting forever now. The hours that passed before this was starting to feel like nothing as she made slow, but steady progress to delivering their child.Â
The pain through delivery increased for her, but she didn’t fight it. She didn’t try to hide it with screams and groans here and there, but she did not let it get to her. She knew the reward of it and she was ready. The worried looks on Rebekah and Freya’s faces didn’t make her falter either. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed now, but she felt like it had been days. The color of her skin wasn’t coming back to what it should be as she continued to just push their child out of her body. Finally, with one great push, the baby girl was suddenly in Freya’s arms and brought to Hayley’s chest. Happiness filled her as she looked at her daughter and she gently held her in her arms, even as she was filling weaker by the second. A kiss to the baby’s head and a look to Elijah was the last thing she did before her body went limp; her eyes closing and everything stopping.
If Elijah’s heart could beat, it would have been beating out of his chest. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this anxious. Looking to his sisters with a worried expression, he tightened the grip on Hayley’s hand.Her skin lost color with every passing moment and it was as if the very life was being drained from her. For as much as Elijah wanted this child, there was nothing in the world that could replace Hayley. This was a thought that would remain in the darkest places of his mind, that no matter how beautiful and loving his child was, she wasn’t worth losing Hayley over. Elijah pushed the thoughts back into the corners of his mind, letting her words of readiness pull his focus back onto her.Â
The grasp on his hand intensified and he needed to remind himself to be cautious with his grip. With every scream and push from Hayley, he moved closer to her, until he was standing so that he was practically flush against her. Elijah pressed his forehead against hers, the sweat on her brow dripping down his face, but she still felt cold as ice. His mind went to the worst possible thoughts and while Freya and Rebekah tried their best to make sure the baby was delivered, Elijah focused on supporting Hayley the best he could.Â
It wasn’t the call from his sisters that got his attention, but one sharp cry from the baby. It was ear piercing and cause him to jerk back and turn his head towards the source of the cry. Elijah was awestruck. There on Hayley’s chest was the vision of perfection. She was covered in blood and still screaming but the second Hayley’s lips touched the baby’s crown, she was soothed and Elijah felt himself falling in love in seconds.Â
There wasn’t enough time to bask in the happiness and feeling of content that they were blessed with for that moment. Before he knew it, her eyes were closed and her body went limp. He caught the baby before anything could happen, but he handed her off to Freya immediately. “Hayley... HAYLEY!” Elijah was frantic as he tried to shake her awake. Rebekah was right across from him, doing the same and he wouldn’t let up until his sister was checking her pulse and shaking her head. Hayley was bleeding out and he could feel the life leaving her. But he couldn’t lose her. Elijah refused. Without thinking, he ripped a hole into his wrist and held it to Hayley’s mouth. Perhaps this was selfish. Elijah knew how much she hated vampires. But he wasn’t going to just sit there and watch her die. She was probably going to hate him and it was possible she would never forgive him for this, but all of that would be worth just knowing she was still alive.Â
Hours later, Freya had taken the baby out of the room to take care of her and Rebekah had cleaned up Hayley. But all Elijah could do was sit by her side and wait. He hoped and prayed she would wake up, that he wasn’t too late.Â
“Hayley.... please wake up.”