"Elijah," Hayley choked. Seeing the former love of her life for the first time in over a decade. At first, she could've sworn that her eyes were playing tricks on her, or she had somehow made it to the "other side without feeling so much as a tug at her throat. Then she concluded that he must really be there since she'd also seen Klaus's body fall to the ground. Why he was there she wasn't sure. According to Vincent and Marcel, they'd wiped his mind clear. Anything involving his family, New Orleans and her, he'd been compelled to forget. Maybe Klaus went to her for help, and upon seeing his brother he regained his memories, she thought. Although that didn't explain why he had dug a stake into Klaus's back. Maybe he wanted to make sure he was the one to save you! Although the thought of him coming to save her was idealistic it seemed unrealistic.

Who was standing in front of her Hayley was unsure of. Sure, it was Elijah, which Elijah she was unsure of. Was it the Elijah she loved or the Elijah who she had heard was roaming around the streets of France. She knew that the only way to find out was to look into his eyes. Elijah was a master at lying, not only to the ones he loves but to himself as well. Beneath the perfect appearance and the designer suits was a broken man. The man in front of her wasn't broken. That she was sure of. As she looked into his eyes for more incite she could tell he had no idea who she was. This realization made her feel like venom was being shot up her veins; a pain so unbearable that she thought she may pass out. His eyes which had once been filled with so much love were now blank. Although their entire relationship had been extremely back and forth, she had not once questioned if he loved her. As she looked into his eyes now she could see without a shadow of a doubt that he did not anymore. Everything they had, had been erased.

If realizing he no longer loved her wasn't bad enough, she also realized that he wasn't here for her. He was here for someone else. Someone he loved. The pain that Hayley felt from Greta crushing her lungs was nowhere near the pain she felt knowing that the past 16 years they'd spent together and apart meant nothing to him anymore. Standing in front of her was a shell of the man she once loved. A man that she had loved with everything inside her now saw her as nothing more than a stranger.

•••

A tsunami of emotions had hit Elijah as soon as he had stepped into the house. Automatically he knew he was in the presence of people who had meant a great deal to his old self. As much as he wished he could shake off that feeling of familiarity he didn't quite have the strength. He knew in his head that he was there for Roman. However, his heart was telling him he was there for someone else. From the second his eyes landed on the woman being choked against the wall he felt like his whole world stopped.

As she choked out his name she said it with such hopefulness it made his core shake. Obviously, she thought he was here for him. Which is an incorrect assumption, he reminded himself. Though he knew very little of his precious life he did know a little. From the way she was looking at him, Elijah could only assume that this was Hayley Marshall. The hybrid who had become impregnated by his brother. The former love of his life. He'd always found the idea of him loving anyone other then Antoinette preposterous, however in this second, he was questioning if the woman in front of his truly meant nothing. He felt a pull to her. A pull he'd never experienced before.

It's not that he loved her, he was just feeling things for her that he'd never felt before. Unlike Klaus, who always looked at him with this desperation, who had always asked something of him. Hayley just looked at him with love, pure and simple. Even though he wasn't in love with her, he could understand why he might've been. She had kind eyes, and he could tell that she was brave as hell.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked in disgust.

From the moment Elijah laid eyes on Hayley his whole world changed. Over the past 1000 years, he had never met someone who had quite that effect on him. He felt this intense need to protect her and provide for her. Despite the fact, he never let people in, not willingly at least. She had managed to get under his skin in mere seconds. He knew that even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have the strength to leave her, now, or ever again. At that moment their souls intertwine.

She spoke to him with such confidence it made him shudder. Unlike most people whose path he'd crossed she wasn't scared of him. Even though she was being kept there against her will she wasn't scared of any of them. He couldn't help but be impressed, that type of fierceness was hard to come by.

"Give us a moment, please."

The distorted memory flooded its way back into Elijah's mind. Despite his best effort to shy away from his old life, it seemed to pull him back in. Ever since Klaus had made it known who he was, pictures and words like "always" would randomly pop up in his mind. This though was the first time a memory had flooded back into his conscious mind. It was also the first time that ones of these manifestations had made an emotion arise inside him.

He knew with absolute certainty that that had been the moment he met Hayley. Everything he had felt then mirrored what he was feeling now. Despite all rhyme and reason, he wanted to protect this woman. Amid all this confusion he had to remind himself, you're here to save Roman. He had made a promise to Antoinette, the woman he loved. The woman he would always love. Although the woman in front of him was breathtaking, and he knew he'd once felt a great deal for her. Surely, he'd never felt even an ounce of the love he felt for Antoinette for her.

You aren't there for her. She means nothing to you, he reminded himself. Using all the strength he could conjure up he looked away from Hayley. He took a deep breath and shook off the reaction that had arisen inside him. Without a glance back in her direction, he dug the stake even deeper in Klaus's back. As a message to everyone that he wasn't there for his old family. He was here for his new family, and with this newfound motivation, he turned away to search for Roman.

•••

"Ahh," Hayley screamed. Partly because Greta had just punched a hole into her chest and now had a hold of her heart, and partly because of the pain caused by Elijah looking away. For a second she had thought he had remembered. Something about his eyes had changed, and she could've sworn he had regained something from his past. As quickly as she had regained her hope in him, she had lost it. Even though it had been Klaus's heart who he'd dug the sake into, she felt as if he had done the same to her.

Even though he had broken their gaze, her gaze still followed him. Instinctively he had gone to crouch beside Roman, who Hayley could only assume he was there for. Behind her neutral expression was a fierce protection that used to be reserved for only her and his family. As Hayley watched Elijah protect Roman, and barely even glance at Hope. All residing hope she'd had was lost.

Clearly, there was only one way out of here, for her. This was going to end one of two ways, and neither way ended with her walking out of here alive. She looked at Klaus for the last time, wishing that they had gotten to spend more time together as a family. Praying that he would be there for Hope, even though she knew he would. Then she looked at her daughter. Her life had only just begun, and she knew that this moment would taint it. She just hoped she could overcome it. Although she knew that Hope was up for a whirlwind of her own problems, she hoped that she'd stay good. She hoped that she had done her job right as her mom.

Lastly, she looked at Elijah. Even though he had turned his back on her today, she couldn't bring herself to resent him. He had saved her life so many times before. She was sure that without him she wouldn't be alive today. Hell, her daughter wouldn't be alive today. Klaus may have been the father, but if it weren't for Elijah, Hope would've never even been born. He had been the first person to ever make her feel like she was a part of a family, and for that, she would be eternally grateful.

Although the Elijah standing in front of her wasn't her Elijah. She knew that one day her Elijah would be back. Always and Forever. Although she knew he didn't remember that promise, she knew that Klaus was bent on keeping it, and wouldn't allow his brother to be a stranger for much longer. Unfortunately, she was going to miss seeing the old Elijah re-emerge. She just prayed that he'd be able to forgive himself for this. Hopefully, this moment wouldn't define the rest of his existence.

Closing her eyes for possibly the last time, Hayley took a moment for herself. She couldn't bring herself to regret the decisions that had gotten her here. Everything she'd ever done with the best intentions. Despite all logic, she couldn't even bring herself to regret sleeping with Klaus, in fact, that may have been one of the best decisions she'd ever made.

She reflected upon the different phases in her life. She had never had parents, but she did have a family. A family she knew would stick beside her through anything. One she knew would be devastated by her absence. Although she had barely lived in respect to Klaus, Elijah or even Freya. The life she'd lived, she'd lived to the fullest. She'd been loved, which is all anyone in this world can ask for. This wasn't, however, the moment to bow down. She'd rather die on her feet than live on his knees. Because she was, and always would be a warrior.

After taking a moment of solidarity for herself, she opened her eyes again. During this whole time, she had paid no attention to Greta. She didn't want her last moments on this planet to be tainted by the hateful creature in front of her. But now she looked at her once again. Greta looked at her with such hatred it made her skin crawl, and Hayley knew there was only one thing she needed to do. She grabbed the hand that was still clutching her throat, and with all the strength she could conjure up she twisted it. Once it was off her throat, she grabbed the finger that had the daylight ring on it and ripped it off. She could see Greta's surprise at her actions and that only made it all more satisfying.

They were in this together. They was no killing Greta without Hayley dying as well, and Greta needed to be stopped. Hayley clasped onto Greta's arm and moved them towards the door. There would've been more resistance from Greta, but Hayley had the element of surprise. Hayley burst through the door with Greta. As soon as she felt the sun hit her skin she knew she only had a second. Although this wasn't the idle way to die, Hayley was glad that she was going down swinging.

•••

After Elijah had made sure Roman was okay, he had resumed watching Hayley. When she closed her eyes, he felt like a stake had been dug in his heart. From the moment he saw her close her eye he could tell what she was preparing to do, and the thought of her going through with it was unbearable. Something had to be done. His options were limited though because Greta was still Antoinette's mom. Although he felt a great deal for Hayley, he refused to jeopardize his relationship with Antoinette for her. As Elijah was figuring out how to maneuver this situation. He heard Greta's finger fall to the ground. Along with her daylight ring. He knew he only had seconds, and when he saw Hayley make her way toward the scorching sun he felt like a bomb went off inside him.

I will always protect you, he heard himself say. In a voice that he knew was his own but felt so different from the one he was used to. At this point, he was on his feet. Why? He was unsure of. Loving any of us is a death sentence, he heard. This time the voice wasn't his, it was Hayley's. Everything in front of him was happening in slow motion. He was both in the present, and the past at the same time. His mind was two places at once. No one hurts my family and lives. He kept hearing things. Things that he didn't remember saying but was also sure he had said. He could also hear her saying things to him. Things that he couldn't remember before now. Since the first day that I met you, I have felt everything, for you. At that moment he knew with absolute certainty what he needed to do. He needed to save that woman. Always and forever.