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There had been a lull in activity around the city after the absence of the Mikaelson siblings, but that wasn't to say that it was completely restful during the first couple of years.
Minuscule power scuffles due to antediluvian attitudes from each faction did arise now and then, causing unrest in usually manageable ways.
Caught in the midst of one now, Freya had to play mediator as per usual between a group of awry werewolves and abrasive vampires.
"Look, arguing about this in the middle of the street is not getting us anywhere" she stated firmly, "All of you leave for now and we can reconvene in the church once Marcel and Hayley arrive".
"No, we are going to resolve this now. It was a mistake to let these mongrels back into the quarter".
"Mongrels? Coming from you parasites? That's rich!".
Freya was a second away from giving everyone in the vicinity a magically induced migraine but before she could, a werewolf and vampire had clashed somewhere in the outer circle after exchanging further gnomic statements about each other, causing a domino effect of violence.
One second everyone was still, the next second, bodies were flying everywhere as rapacious yells erupted.
So Freya and Josh, as well as Lisina spent the next 10 minutes, with the help from others who wanted a more peaceful approach, separating the herd via any means possible.
It was bloodshed and carnage, something that Niklaus would've revelled in once upon a time, though it was said that he had returned to his roots.
Just as Freya had used her magic to dismantle a particular barbarous fight, a werewolf had struck her in the back, all claws elongated and the pain ran deep within the witch.
She dropped to her knees as the claws were retracted when the werewolf had realised whom she had wounded, but it was too late.
Hayley had arrived at that moment with Marcel, "Freya!".
The hybrid appeared faster than the culprit could've imagined, a swift punch sending her flying backwards and crashing into a nearby bar.
Just seeing Freya injured inflamed Hayley's ire while she quickly ran and caught her, keeping her against her shoulder, "I've got you" she reassured, her own head pounding at hearing the laboured breathing, "Hang in there, Freya".
"All of you, this ends now!".
Marcel's voice echoed as the fighting had started to halt the moment Hayley put the werewolf through a wall, signalling the end of the debacle with an elucidated clarity.
Holding onto Freya, Hayley looked at Marcel, "Marcel, take care of this. I'm gonna take Freya home".
"You got it" he nodded, looking at the injured blonde, the only one who could get rid of the curse for the Mikaelsons, "She's gonna be okay".
Hayley was aware of this much because if this was fatal, she knew she would've killed the culprit without a second thought.
With her accelerated speed, Hayley got Freya back to the compound and immediately put her down on the couch, making sure she was leaning against her so that she wasn't applying any pressure on her bloodied back.
"Hayley, I'm okay" Freya winced as Hayley lifted the top up, five jagged lines ripped through the material, "Help Marcel".
"I'm not going anywhere and you are not okay".
The gashes ran down beneath Freya's left shoulder blade and to the right of her waist, blood weeping from the wounds as she ran her fingers around the edges.
"Damn it" the brunette muttered, "Listen, you have to drink my blood, okay? It will be the fastest way to heal you enough for now".
The blonde managed to look up from Hayley's shoulder, breathing heavily whilst she clung onto Hayley's jacket, nodding as much as she could.
It was another incident which reiterated to Hayley of Freya's fragile mortality, regardless of how few could emulate who she was.
Hayley was relieved that the witch didn't refuse her considering the blood loss leading to Freya's etiolated state, so she extended her fangs and took her right wrist into her mouth and bit down, a loud crunch emanating from the bite.
She then moved her wrist to Freya's mouth and supported her lower body with her other arm while Freya fed, still clinging onto Hayley's back.
They had done this numerous times before when Freya was injured for one reason or another and it never failed to make something tingle across Hayley's spine, the feeling of Freya's mouth over her wrist far too evocative.
Hayley was just healing her, she knew that but it had always felt different with Freya, especially since Freya never accepted such methods from anyone else other than her siblings.
The all redoubtable Mikaelson witch, taking from her, needing her.
It was a feeling that Hayley treasured, especially when considering how often Freya put her life on the line for all of them, so to know that Freya could rely on her like this was reassuring.
With each pull, Hayley bled into Freya's mouth, giving her what she needed to recuperate, entranced with the way the blonde hair would shift whenever Freya gulped.
Hayley stroked her lower back gently till Freya was done, keeping a hold of Hayley's wrist whilst she leaned against her chest, catching her breath with her eyes closed.
"Feel better?" Hayley asked, "I know you're not a fan of drinking blood, but the wounds are bad".
The blonde sighed in understanding, "I know" she said, "Thanks for helping me, not just with this but for stopping whoever attacked me".
"Yeah, I'll deal with her myself. Sorry we cut it so close, we were at the Bayou and-".
"Hayley" Freya stopped her and sat up, the pain easing while she kept Hayley's healed wrist in her hand, "You don't have to apologise. I'm just glad you were there".
Freya wasn't sure how the fray would've ended, let alone in her condition, so she didn't want the brunette to feel rueful, offering her a smile.
Something Hayley was seeing more of despite the pressure Freya had put herself in to reunite her siblings.
Hayley conceded, noting a smidge of her blood at the corner of Freya's mouth so she moved her thumb gently and wiped one side, feeling green eyes on her.
She slowly dragged her thumb across, grazing Freya's lips as they parted slightly due to Hayley's actions.
"No more magic today, Freya, you still need to rest and let the wounds fade".
"I thought I had one doctor looking out for me" Freya teased.
Hayley then moved her thumb to the other side of Freya's lips, clearing away her own blood while Freya pursed her lips a tad.
The subtle movements registered in the hybrid's sharp gaze, as did the way Freya's heartbeat spiked, just enough for Hayley's vampiric hearing to capture the fluctuation.
Before Hayley could say anything inappropriate like, "Your lips are so soft" or, "I wonder how they'd feel if I kissed you", said doctor came rushing in.
"Freya!".
Turning her face slightly, Freya's expression softened that much more, "Keelin".
The hybrid quickly moved her hand away just as Keelin reached them and bent down in front of Freya, one hand on her cheek and the other on her shoulder as she scanned the witch's back. Following the deep lacerations, her anger accrued while her meticulous skills as a doctor had already mapped out the care her lover would need.
Freya reached out and held Keelin's arms, "You had a late shift today".
"Lisina called me and told me what happened" Keelin tried to smile, "I came as quickly as I could. Are you alright? I need to check your back properly. I can't believe they broke out into a damn brawl".
"Hey, breath" Freya smiled, pulling Keelin down and into her arms, "Hayley gave me her blood so I should be healing".
Keelin glanced at the brunette but the nod she gave her was sharp, unlike how Keelin usually was, amiable and warm.
The three women had established a partnership of some sort, all raising Hope together and keeping each other afloat, so they had gotten a better handle on their temperaments.
Which is why there was a notable intensity in the way Keelin thanked Hayley before helping Freya up.
"Come on, I'll clean the wounds just in case" Keelin said, her posture and eyes relaxed as soon as she looked at Freya.
"You're not going back to the hospital?".
"No, I switched the rest of my shift. I have a more troubling patient to deal with, but she's also my favourite".
Freya chuckled, unable to refute Keelin's thoughtfulness, "I can't argue that" she said before glancing at Hayley, her tone soft, "Hayley, thanks for your help. Are you sure you're going to be okay dealing with this?".
"I will be, you get some rest and listen to Keelin" Hayley insisted, "I'll see you later" she said to both.
With one more glance at Freya, Hayley vamp sped out of the compound, her mind a jumbled mess and fingers feeling a hum of electricity that wasn't actually there.
Her thoughts had undoubtedly veered, heightened by her emotions for Freya so that had to be the reason she often felt a certain way for her.
Hayley opted to buy that justification because ruminating on it deeper, on the way she gravitated towards the blonde would only cause dissent.
***
The rest of the evening would be spent with Keelin taking care of Freya in their room, the former immersed in her assiduous doctor mode to ensure that there would be no lingering detrimental effects to Freya.
She was tending to Freya's exposed back as the witch was resting on her abdomen whilst her upper body was propped up on a pillow, feeling Keelin's strong and precise fingers smooth down the bandages.
Freya was at complete ease, just like she always felt with her lover but she knew that there was something on Keelin's mind, so she reached for her left hand and brought it up to her lips, kissing her palm.
"Keelin, what's wrong?".
"Other than you being caught in the crossfire between vampires and werewolves?" the doctor jested.
Freya saw through it though, "Keelin".
She heard the werewolf sigh before moving over her left side, not applying any pressure to the midsection of her back while the bed dipped and Freya could feel strands of Keelin's hair against her skin.
"It's nothing, just my thoughts going off at the idea of losing you".
Be it to an accident, or someone else.
"I'm not going anywhere, not without you".
"I won't let that happen.." Keelin said, her rare territorial side showing up, "Freya".
Keelin pressed kisses to Freya's bare shoulder, her blonde hair now slightly longer so she swept them aside with her other hand before running the back of her fingers across her upper spine and the curve of her nape, pressing down occasionally.
Hearing a soft groan from Freya was all the reaffirming that Keelin needed, knowing that she was the only one who could make Freya feel this way.
But Keelin couldn't get the image of Hayley's thumb on Freya's lips out of her mind, and the way Hayley was looking at her with a stare that was apropos of a vampire when they desired something.
It irked her more than she would've preferred to admit but anything regarding Freya often made Keelin behave in ways she never would and Freya had always had that effect on her.
Freya was here with her, waiting for Keelin when she balanced her hands on either side of Freya's body and moved her face closer to the blonde's, kissing her while Freya moved her hand into Keelin's hair.
For now, Keelin would observe Hayley in an effort to give her the benefits of the doubt, to approach this in a logical manner.
However, when logic was thrown in with its counterparts instinct and emotion, even the most sound of minds would face an onerous battle in keeping their composure.
Which is something that Hayley was grappling with after she had returned to the compound and her need to check on Freya was warring with the warning of Keelin's erratic heartbeat.