Hey all! I suspect there is never going be enough screen time in The Originals for Hayley and Elijah to talk about all the things they need to. And frankly the writers make me nervous. So...I will always find a safehaven in fanfic. Please enjoy!

Elijah was on his way upstairs when he heard the sound of the shower being turned off. His feet sank into the plush carpet of the second floor as he paused to take in the strong scent of the steam-diffused herbs that Freya had prepared to help bolster Hope's strength and shield her further from the magic that sought to harm his niece. Even without the benefit of his enhanced senses he could he could hear the hushed voices of the two women speaking within. He listened for it, but there was no tension in their conversation. Elijah was thankful that for the moment at least there seemed to be no significant ill will between Hayley and Freya over their disagreement in the barn earlier.

The door opened then, releasing a stronger burst of herbal-laden steam from the hot confines of the bathroom as well as Freya. His older sister carried an awake and relaxed Hope in her arms, near-hidden underneath the pile of towels that cocooned her. Seeing her Uncle waiting in the hallway she offered a sleepy smile and a wave, seemingly unconcerned with the bustle surrounding her as they prepared to head back into New Orleans.

"We should be ready to go within the hour." He offered.

Freya nodded and headed off towards Hope's room. "Let's get you changed into some fresh PJs kiddo, you'll have plenty of time to sleep in the car." Freya's voice intoned as they disappeared around the corner.

Elijah turned to the bathroom then, seeing Hayley wrapping a towel around her own body as she stepped out of the shower basin. Her back was a bright red from taking the brunt of the hot water while she cradled Hope in the medicinal steam, but despite the intense warmth of the humid air surrounding them, he could see clearly from the hallway that she was shaking.

Frowning, he stepped inside the bathroom he closing the door behind him, and she folded herself immediately into his arms. His hand going up to cradle the base of her skull, she rested her head against his chest, taking slow calming breaths. She was angry. From the slow rattle in her breath as she worked to calm it, he realized furious was a more accurate description of her mental state.

"One day Elijah. One day. I wanted one day where my baby girl is safe. One day where you and I could just be together without….." Her fists clenched at her sides, shoulders slumping somewhat with her disappointment. Elijah took a calming breath of his own, not immune to the same frustrations, but also understanding that while he had just awoken, she had toiled. He realized then how desperately she must have hoped to find a much needed reprieve at the other end of saving his family from Marcel's wrath. Elijah moved both hands to the sides of her face, tilting it upwards to him, not surprised when he could see the gold of her wolf-self receding from her eyes as she forced herself to calm down.

He placed a kiss first on her brow, letting his lips linger on her overwarm skin as his lips tasted the herb-laden moisture of the steam. Moving then to place a second kiss at her mouth, slow and deliberate, as if to say be calm my love, you do not face this alone. His hands moved off her neck to bury themselves in the damp mass of her hair he could feel her body begin to uncoil, at least a little bit.

Twisting her hair back into a lover's knot to get it off of her neck, they took a slow deep breath together, after which she was now demonstrably calmer. Her hand reached up to give his a squeeze, thank you , before turning to open the rear door of the bathroom that connected it to her own bedroom. Elijah watched her go, and was about to follow when he paused to retrieve his white button-down shirt from the towel rack where it had been hung.

He allowed himself the briefest moment of self-indulgence, recalling how Hayley had looked wearing it and nothing else not even an hour before. Draping it over his arm as he stepped into the her room, watching as she bustled about to get dressed and pack a few things. Pulling a fitted tank over her head she paused for a moment to regard her hair, still in the knot he had tied in the mirror. She glanced sidelong at him which a touch of her own fire back in her eyes.

"Do I even want to know when you picked up this little trick?" She inquired, pointing at the now clearly exposed expanse of neck that he was incredibly fond of. A sly smile quirked at the corner of his mouth.

"A story for another evening perhaps. But first, let us secure the safety of my niece."

Hayley nodded, a sadness moving across her face the likes of which he had not seen in a very long time as she grabbed a small pile of clothes from the drawer closest to her and tossed them in her waiting bag. Pausing for a moment as she looked down at her belongings, being packed up again for a count she had long lost the number of. When she stood up to face him finally she regarding his face for a moment before holding out her hand to him. Without hesitation he moved to close the distance between them, taking her hands in his own, his heart constricting at the sadness that had suddenly settled in her expression.

"Can you promise me something Elijah?" She asked, her voice uncharacteristically unsure.

"I think you will find that there is precious little I could refuse you." He offered, trying to lift her mood, worried when he could not pull smallest of smile from her. She looked down at their clasped hands for a moment before continuing.

"I…" She paused considering her words carefully. "Hope needs to be my priority right now, I know that I can trust this family to keep Hope alive but...I also can't forget what Kol said to Marcel, what Freya was about to say to me in that barn. After everything that I have done, I'm afraid that I just can't trust that they will ever see me as an equal in this family, respect how I want to try and raise my daughter." Elijah felt cold dip into his gut at her words, his mouth opening to protest, but she held two fingers up to his lips to silence him, stirring a familiar memory that he could not place.

"Please let me finish….I just don't ever want to make you choose, Elijah. I love you, and I want to be with you more than anything, but also know I don't want the person that makes you choose. Because I don't know if you would be able to forgive me for it. So I understand if you decide you can't...but if you stay..." She squeezed his hands to say.. stay with me.. "Please promise that you understand. I owe it to Hope to give her a chance before everything else, even if it costs me you." She faltered now, pain in her chest at her words. In her heart, the fearful thought finished itself.. .I'm terrified that you will ultimately, always choose them over me.

His hands moved to her forearms and he pulled her into him, holding on so tightly he could feel the muscles of her ribs as they expanded to take in air. He considered his response carefully, knowing his next words could change everything.

He had heard the entirety of the argument Hayley had with Freya in the barn earlier. Hearing his sister's words, the implicit threat even if only born from her temporary anger. He knew the sentiment in Freya's words clawed at every insecurity that he suspected Hayley held deep in her own heart. That she would never truly belong with his family.

Elijah realized then that his own attempts to help soothe her later in the evening only served to feed those very same fears. That she could never be a Mikaelson. She could never trust that she would be seen as an equal.

Her whole life Hayley had tried to find the comfort of family, and failing that, tried to make her own. Only to be met with failure-sometimes of her own design, and sometimes torn from her, like Jackson-time and time again. Hope was was her only true exception. The one person who beyond doubt or measure of loyalty...was her family.

How frightening must it truly be to flirt with belonging, but know that the thread that ties you was so tenuous? That it could be made into a weapon against you?

He steeled himself, resolved now more than ever to pursue the road Rebekah's line of inquiry had led him down.

"I choose you Hayley. I choose you knowing how fiercely you will fight for Hope's future. I choose you because of it." He rested his cheek against his hair, feeling her relax slightly in his arms at his words. "You once told Niklaus once all you have ever wanted for Hope is something better. Something better than what you had, what he had, what any of us had. That while we each of us struggle to somehow become less broken, you want to give Hope every chance to not ever become broken. I think that is the greatest thing any parent could give their child, a childhood that does not need healing."

He pushed her shoulders back gently, his stance widening has he took her face into his hands. "For that reason alone I would stay. But also because I want for myself what Rebekah has wanted for centuries, what Klaus is beginning to understand too. That wanting families of our own choosing does not make us weak." He looked into the the warm pool of her eyes, searching for understanding. "Standing by them, with loyalty and trust truly as fierce as we have shown to our siblings for a thousand years could only serve to make us stronger. Make our family bigger, not weaker. If I had learned that lesson with Marcel, we would not have ended up in the place we are now. But I want to learn it now. I want to learn it with you."

A sigh of relief shot through her then as she came up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck fiercely. "Thank God. I don't think I could take losing you again." He laughed then, the weight of accepting his choice, of sharing his resolve with her lightened a load he didn't even realize he was carrying. He kissed her then, long and deep until she returned it with equal measure. A boldness in it that he wished they had more time this evening to return to enjoying.

When her sharp ears picked up an inbound Hope and Freya, she reluctantly broke the kiss, nuzzling against his cheek in a manner he suspected was a subconscious holdover from her wolf-self. It was an affectionate touch of hers that he had grown deeply fond of.

"Promise me something else?" She inquired then, drawing a lopsided smile from him.

"Name it."

"One day, when Hope is grown up and doesn't need me as much...take me somewhere. Somewhere that even you have never been, but always wanted to. I want something that is new, that's just ours."

He moved towards the door, mind already churning with the possibilities as he opened the door to admit his sister and niece.

"I would love nothing more."

Fin.