Disclaimer: I don't own The Originals. That honor goes to Julie Plec, Michael Narducci and the CW.

Hello, my lovely readers. So, this is the second story that features Haylijah as the central couple. Everyone in this story is human. I'm super excited about publishing this fic because I love Haylijah. Without further ado…

Chapter 1: What Can Go Wrong…

Puffing out a long sigh, Hayley looked up at the For Sale sign above the entrance of her first attempt at a self-owned business. She should have known that it was too good to be true. There were just too many other bakeries in New Orleans and hers was just too small. Afford advertising? Are you kidding me? Right. Sure. She was lucky to be able to keep new shoes on her feet every year after the original pair fell apart.

Cursing her luck, Hayley headed down the street. Things could get worse. They could always be worse. That was what she would have to hold onto. The idea that no matter how bad things got that she could always find solace that she was not all the way at the bottom. Turning around the corner, crossing the street and stopping in front of a tall building, Hayley dug out her key and opened the front door.

Entering, she hurried up the stairs past the loud neighbors on the first floor and the second where the creepy guy who she was sure stole her underwear on laundry day, lived, she managed to arrive on the third without too much trouble. Feeling relieved, she walked down the hall and then felt her stomach drop. "No. No NO," Hayley moaned as she pulled the eviction notice off the door.

Staring at the notice in horror, Hayley felt tears fill her eyes but she forced them down. She could not let Hope see her like that. Forcing the key into the lock with an unsteady hand, Hayley walked into the cramped apartment and smiled at the little girl sitting on the floor. She was drawing and took a second to realize that someone had entered the room. Then she looked up and grinned widely. "Mommy," climbing to her feet, the tiny girl came rushing at her mother like a tiny cannonball.

"Hi, Hope," Hayley said, leaning down and picking her daughter up.

"Hey, Hayley," Davina Claire called as she pushed herself to her feet. Davina was a God send and Hayley would not know what to do if the girl and her best friend, Josh, did not live down the hall from Hayley and Hope. They would be up the creek without a paddle for sure. Between the young people who were still in their teens but were geniuses with Hope, they kept an eye on Hayley's offspring while she was at work.

"How did your day go?" Hayley asked Davina who was in the middle of yawning and stretching.

"Oh, the usual. We drew. Had some lunch. Made some prank phone calls," Davina made the last remark with a glint in her eye that told Hayley she was kidding. Or at least Hayley hoped that she was kidding.

"And how was your day?" Davina inquired as she packed her bag up to leave.

"Same old, same old," Hayley replied with a forced smile even though the girl was not looking at her yet.

"What's that?" Hope asked, reaching out with the wide, inquisitive eyes of a three year old. Her hand was moving toward the eviction notice clutched in Hayley's hand. What would come next was Hope not knowing what the word was and then she would try to give the paper to Davina to read to her like another of her numerous fairy tales.

"Nothing, baby girl," Hayley murmured, shoving the paper hastily into her purse. "So, Davina, I know that I already owe you for last week but do you think that you could hold on until this Friday for your check?" Hayley hated to ask the question. She felt like the biggest jerk on the earth but right now she had to make sure that her daughter ate this week.

Shaking her head, Davina rolled her eyes. "You know that you don't have to pay me period, Hayley. Josh and I love Hope. We'd happily watch her for free."

"No," Hayley said swiftly and a little too loudly making both Davina and Hope stare at her in shock. "I am not going to have you working for me and not pay you. That's just not the way I am."

"It's a pride thing," Davina finished for Hayley whose cheeks flushed red.

"Yeah, I suppose it is a pride thing," Hayley said slowly, thinking about how that would be accompanied with a fall. And she had already fallen a few too many times lately. Maybe it was time to push the pride down and force herself to do something that she really did not want to do…

"Pay whenever you have the money," Davina said as she walked to the front door and unlocked it. "I'll see you later, Princess," she called from the door, waving at Hope who blew her kisses. As the door closed, Hayley sat her daughter back down and walked over to her desk in the corner.

Sitting down and peering at her daughter who had walked back over to her picture, Hayley placed her head in her hands. What was she going to do? She had lost her only source of income and she had no one to go to at this point. She was already up to her ears in debt. There were student loans from culinary school. There was the loan from the bank and then too many private sources who had donated money to her dream of owning her own bakery. Now, that dream was no more. She was utterly and completely screwed. Who was she supposed to go to now?

Leaning back in her seat, Hayley looked at her daughter who was moving toward her with the picture in her hands. "Look what I made for you, Mommy," Hope said, coming to stand in front on Hayley who pulled her into her lap.

"What is it?" Hayley asked, looking at the drawing that looked like small people that were a little more than stick figures but could still be anyone.

"That's you," Hope said, pointing at the stick woman with long brown hair. "That's me," Hope placed a finger over a tiny figure with long blonde curls that reflected her daughter's hair only Hope's was beginning to darken. "And that is Daddy." Hope said proudly, pointing at a tall man with hair that was much darker than Hope's biological father's and was very straight. Again, unlike Hope's father's hair.

"Honey, why do you think your father looks like that?" Hayley asked, placing her head atop her daughter's.

"Don't know. It's just when I think of daddy, that's how he looks. Can I take a nap, Mommy?" Hope asked, rubbing at her eye lids. It was eight o'clock in the evening and if she went to sleep now she would probably be up early but that might not be a bad idea.

Hayley smiled. "Yes." Getting up, she carried her daughter who was already half-asleep to bed.

After tucking Hope in, Hayley strode back into the living room and turned the TV on low before sitting down on the couch. Not paying attention to what was on the screen, Hayley felt tears pool in her eyes again. 'What was she going to do?' she thought while she stared helplessly at the ceiling and then it occurred to her. Sitting up, she stood and marched over to her computer. It did not take her long to find his address even though it was not listed in the yellow pages.

Feeling relieved, like she had actually gotten something done for the day, Hayley retreated to her room and went to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Sure enough when the sun rose, so did her daughter. "Wake up, Mommy," Hope cried with a giggle as she bounced on top of the bed. Hayley groaned. It bothered her that Hope could climb up that high. She could only imagine the other places that her only child might try to climb to and she felt like a lousy parent.

"Make me breakfast," Hope demanded as Hayley opened her eyes.

Smiling, Hayley grabbed her daughter and rolled over, tossing the child down beside her to the sound of loud giggles. "How about I take you out for breakfast?" Hayley suggested.

"McD's. I want a toy," Hope said with wide, sparkling eyes. "Please, Oh, please, please, PLlllEeeeeeAaaaaAaSssSSEEEEEE."

"Why not? Up we go." Hayley got to her feet and walked around the bed before pulling Hope off the bed and carrying her under one arm to the bathroom as Hope held her arms out with her legs positioned straight, making "airplane" noises. "First we clean our teeth, get a shower and put on our nice clothes 'cause we're going to see someone special today."

"Who?" Hope inquired around the toothbrush that Hayley was brushing her daughter's teeth with.

"It's a surprise," Hayley replied as she jammed a toothbrush in her own mouth. She just hoped that she did not come to regret her decision. Half an hour later they were clean and Hayley was on the search for clothes. She had no idea what to wear and unfortunately the nicest clothes she had for herself and Hope were for the funeral of a friend worn six months ago. The dress was a bit short on Hope and velvet in July seemed a bit much.

"Damn," Hayley muttered to herself as she took the dress back off her daughter and walked over to the dresser. "Screw it," she whispered, grabbing a plain cotton dress that she had purchased at a second hand store. Pulling the dress over Hope's head before grabbing a pair of jean shorts and a lace top for herself, Hayley dressed quickly. She really could care what the person she was going to see thought of her clothes.

Taking Hope's hand, Hayley took the time to grab her keys, purse and cell before closing and locking the door. Picking Hope up, Hayley hurried down the stairs and out into the humid air. Moving through the crowded streets, she made her way to McDonald's, holding her breath as she waited for the line to move. She gave her order on auto pilot before collecting the food and moving to a table in a corner.

Tapping her fingers on the table, Hayley watched her daughter eat her breakfast. "Aren't you hungry, Mommy?" Hope asked, her mouth full of pancake.

"Nope. Don't talk with your mouth full," Hayley ordered her child who looked down, her cheeks flushing as she ate. It wasn't long before they were leaving and Hayley was hailing a cab. It would be great if she did not have to regret spending the money on the cab. Getting out and paying the driver, Hayley took Hope's hand firmly in hers. Striding up to the front door of the large, old plantation house, Hayley sucked in a deep breath before she knocked on the door, with a heavy first.

Waiting at the door with her heart pounding in her chest, Hayley felt her body deflate when a young man in his mid-twenties answered the door. He cocked his head to the side with a half-smile directed first at Hayley and then at Hope. "Hello, can I help you?" the man asked, his voice coming out calmly and smoothly.

"I don't know," Hayley said, looking for the address again. "I'm sorry. Maybe I got the wrong house. Oh, that would be just my luck." Backing up with Hope's hand clutched firmly in hers, Hayley began to walk away to look for the address again. It would have to be on the mail box. Then again, maybe he moved. Yeah, that would be just her luck. Picking up her daughter, she rested the child on her hip.

The man seemed to be following her as she stepped off the porch and Hayley felt her heart begin to pound again. "What if this guy is some kind of psycho?' she thought.

"Are you looking for someone specific, Ma'am?" the man called, Hayley glanced at him. He had his hand jammed in his right pocket and there was that teasing half-smile again.

"I doubt you've ever met him, his name's Klaus," Hayley told him quickly as she moved farther away from him. She wanted to place more distance between them. He was too close, invading her personal space as he came to stand beside her.

"Ah, and why are you looking for him?" the man inquired, his eyebrows rising.

Hayley's eyes widened. "You know him?"

"Yes, quite well. How do you know him?" the man asked Hayley.

Narrowing her eyes, Hayley stared at him. "I asked you first," she replied, hefting Hope on her hip.

"Who's Klaus, Mommy?" Hope asked, looking from Hayley to Elijah.

"Someone I met about three years ago, honey. Just once. At a college party and then I never saw him again. Very mutual with the parting but I thought I would look him up and see how he was doing. But obviously he's not here. So we'll be going," Hayley said firmly. She was about to walk away when the stranger placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Please, wait," the man said as Hayley turned around, frowning at his hand which he removed. "It's hot out here. May I ask you in for a drink to cool off with, perhaps something for your daughter?"

Hesitating, Hayley shifted from one foot to the other. It was far too hot out here but she was still not sure she wanted to be in the house with this man. After a moment she sighed, giving up. "Sure. Why not?"

Smiling, the man ushered her forward. When she refused to walk in front of him, he nodded with another one of those unnerving smiles. Entering into a dining room, he pulled out a chair for Hope. "Your seat, Madame," he said, bowing as Hope climbed onto the seat and shot her mother a wide grin.

"What do you say?" Hayley asked her daughter, who blinked and then smiled at the man.

"Thank you," the child said.

"You're quite welcome," the man said. "Now, what can I get you both?"

"Lemonade, thank you," Hayley told him. When he left, she began to look around the room thinking that maybe there would be some sign of whether or not Klaus lived here. Not that she knew a damned thing about him. When she didn't find anything, she sat down at the head of the table and pulled her hair up. It was full of sweat and she sighed. 'Of course I look like this and there is this nice-looking man who is being kind to me. Focus, Hayley. Not the time.' Seeing the man returning, she decided to catch him off guard as he placed a glass of lemonade in front of Hope. "How do you know Klaus?" she asked.

Setting Hayley's glass in front of her, the man smiled as he sat down across from Hope but was looking Hayley directly in the eye. "Because I am Elijah Mikaelson. Klaus' older brother."

"Oh," Hayley said, picking up her glass, she brought it to her mouth quickly. Now, that she had not been expecting.

Okay, so feel free to review, favorite, follow or continue reading the story. I try to answer all new reviews in the following chapter or through pm. If I am unable to answer a review at the end of the next then I will try to at the end of the following.

Peace,

Jessica