Page 48

The actual funeral for Father Kieran lasted most of the morning, afterwards comes the long march to the cemetery where the Priest will be buried in his family plot.

The Queen of Demons walks side by side with the Original Hybrid and her favorite pregnant werewolf.

Klaus side eyes Juniper seeing the blank expression on her face he nudges her with his elbow.

"What?" June asks adjusting her hat to see Klaus better.

"Whats wrong, little demon?" He not realizing his hand is brushing against her.

June shakes her head, "Nothing. Just don't like funerals that's all." she shrugs.

Hayley turns to the two. "Do you think I was the target of those bombings?" She coughs into her elbow shivering slightly.

Juniper takes off her jacket wrapping it around Hayley. The Demon Queen crosses her arms as she watches Hayley slip her arms through the sleeves wrapping it around herself tighter. Muttering a quick thanks.

"Of course you were. If I were to wage a war on the wolves, you'd be my first kill. I would string you up for all your worshipers to see." Klaus answers smirking as he visualizes how he would start an never ending war.

Juniper can't help but let out a soft laugh,"Well don't sound so excited,"

"I believe that was my brother's way of telling you he'd like you to return home with us." Elijah buds in. "Perhaps try a different approach, Niklaus, with fewer references to murder."

"As much as I would hate to throw you over my shoulder and drag you kicking and screaming to the Compound, we both know I will for the sake of my child." Klaus threatens with a smile.

Hayley scoffs "One bad dream, and suddenly you want to be a responsible daddy."

Juniper cringes. That word just shouldn't be used anymore. Klaus leans over Juniper to grab Hayley's arm pulling her towards him leaving the Queen of Demons to shuffle closer to Elijah.

"You know my father lived to torment me. It is not my intention to become him. This cycle of misery ends with my child." The short fuzzedHybrid whispers in his baby mamma's ear.

Hayley chuckles throwing Klaus arm off her shoulder, "You forgot one thing in your attempt to plead your case. She's not your child. She's ours."

Hayley grabs Juniper's hand taking her up to the front of the march to Camille.Juniper shrugs at the Hybrid before she is completely dragged away muttering something along the lines of Hayley having a point.

When the two friends walk up to Camille Hayley quickly clears her throat causing Juniper to look at her.

"Hayley, hi. Hey June." Cami offers them a small weak smile.

"Hi. I know you don't know me. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about your Uncle, he was really good to people like me during the storm, and I really appreciated that." Hayley tells the blonde.

"Thank you. You want something don't you?" Cami asks.

"I'm sorry about the timing."

"Hayley!" Juniper cuts her off giving the pregnant woman a stern look.

Hayley continues, "I was just wondering if before he died, he said anything about Francesca Correa. I think that she may have been involved in an attack on the Bayou. If you hear anything-"

Cami cuts Hayley off, "Look, Hayley, I'm trying- mostly failing- to stay out of all this stuff but she's a real bitch. So, yeah, if I hear anything, I'll let you know."

Both dark haired women are taken back by the blonde's answer. "Thanks. Again, sorry about your Uncle." Hayley steps out of the march.

"I'm sorry about her. Vina and I will be by later if that's okay with you?" Juniper asks Cami nods.

June gives the grieving blonde a quick hug and kiss on the forehead before speed walking back to the harshly coughing pregnant werewolf. Hayley coughs blood on the Queen of Demons causing both women to panic.

"KLAUS!" The Queen of Demons yells for the Hybrid, catching Hayley before she can hit the ground. She picks Hayley up bridal style.

"Give her to me," Elijah demands, Juniper doesn't hesitate to hand her friend over.

"What happened?" Niklaus questions.

"I don't know I turned my back for like a second then she was coughing blood. And she just passed out."

The three along with the red haired witch race into the Compound. Hayley dying in Elijah's arm. Juniper and Klaus scramble to clear off the mahogany table.

Genevieve offers her help. Klaus and Juniper allow her to help regardless of what Elijah says. Niklaus goes to fetch chamomile per Genevieve's orders.

The soft heartbeat of the child in Hayley's stomach can be heard but not her own. The wheels turn furiously in Junipers mind, she tries to come up with a possible solution. Then it clicks.

"If she has no heartbeat then technically she is dead. Which means she's in Purgatory. There's a chance I can save her. I just have to go in and get her." Juniper looks up at Elijah then to Klaus who hands everything to Genevieve.

"Are you sure you can save her?" Elijah asks the million dollar question.

"Like I said there's a chance." Juniper takes off her heels grabbing her knife from her purse slicing into her palm.

The Queen of Demons pours her blood onto the concrete floor drawing symbols from the circle of black blood.

When she is done she slices into Hayley's palm, pouring her blood into a cup.

Mixing the blood of her's and Hayley's Juniper sits down in the middle of the circle with her legs crossed.

The Queen of Demons carves one last symbol on her chest with her knifebefore dipping her fingers in the cup of Hayley's blood tracing over it.

She mutters something foreign to the others.

~

The Queen of Demons appears in Purgatory version of the Compound. The haunting chill of death runs down her spine. Mikael stalks towards Hayley ready to kill. The dead man insults Hayley and the baby pissing Juniper off.

June grabs a silver candelabrum charging at the dead man's who's main focus is on Hayley. A bone crushing stab echos through the Compound.

"You talk way to fucken much." Juniper growls as Mikael yells. "Hayley get out of here now!"

Mikael throws Juniper to a wall causing her anger to rise to a dangerous temperature. He chuckles. "Well, well, well, I was wondering when you were going to show up. Juniper Claire the woman in bed with my bastard son. I shall kill you too so Niklaus knows what true suffering feels like."

"I'd like to see you try," Juniper challenges with a dark smirk.

The two charge at one another determined to rip the other's head off. Juniper distracting Mikael is enough for Genevieve to finish her spell getting Hayley out of there. Both of them are bloody and panting messes but still angry as ever that the other won't die.

"I will not let you bring yet another abomination into this world because you chose to fall in love with a monster like Niklaus." Mikael snarls throwing June at a chair shattering it.

She stands. "You seem to forget one thing. I'm a monster too." Juniper bares her demon eyes and fangs at the man ripping into his throat with her teeth while her claws dig into his heart.

~

A soft gasp echos through the Compound, Juniper wakes up from her deadly mediation gulping for air.

Everyone stares at her with wide eyes, five agonizing minutes had past after Hayley had woken up.

Five minutes of them waiting for Juniper to wake up.

Those brutal five minutes beat Klaus to a pulp, first he had to worry about Hayley and the baby dying now Juniper.

All because Mikael swore to torment him forever.

Juniper stands up, stumbling slightly from the large gash on her leg. Klaus holds out a hand ready to catch her if she falls. Nonetheless June walks towards Hayley wrapping her arms around the pregnant werewolf.

"I'm glad your alive because these two would have lost their shit if you died." June jokes flashing Hayley a bloody smile. "I'm glad she's alive too," She places her claw on Hayley's stomach careful not to hurt her.

"Thanks for helping me," Hayley offers a small smile.

"Anytime, Baby Mamma. But we both know you could have handled that asshole." Juniper smirks, feeling something drip onto her chest she wipes her chin. Dark almost dried blood stains her claws. She hums sticking one of her bloody claws in her mouth licking it clean.

"Do you guys have a torch?" She questions looking between the two brothers.

~

After burning her wounds closed and showering at the Compound. Juniper makes her way to Hayley's room with a cup of tea. When she knocks on the door the pregnant pokes her head out of the second room.

"So he finally showed you the nursery," June sets down the cup on the dresser entering the warmly lit room.

"You knew?" Hayley asks.

"I helped."

She walks along the hand carved crib, her fingers dancing along the rim of the pale pink floral ruffles.

Her heart ached at the thought of her never being able to have a crib for her own baby to sleep in.

Her eyes danced around the room not regretting helping but longing for her own child to be in her arms.

"I should go. You should get some rest." Juniper blinks back the tears offering Hayley a small smile.

Without another word Juniper speed walks out of the room with a hand on her mouth. A deep shaky breath leaves her lips as she composes herself.

"Everything alright, love?" Klaus asks appearing right behind Juniper making her jump.

"Yeah everything's fine. I should go Vina's probably waiting for me." She lies.

"Before you go I wanted to ask you something..." He hesitates, "Um- Hayley agreed to stay here at the Compound on her own terms. Would you return as well for Hayley's protection?"

Juniper presses her lips in a thin line, watching the small demon flicker in Klaus' eyes.

"Maybe. I'd have to ask Vina if she would be okay with me returning.

So I'll get back to you on that." Juniper stands on her toes to kiss Klaus on the forehead.

"Night Princess." She offers him a small smile before using her powers to disappear into the night.