AN: I hope you guys liked the first chapter. I'm super inspired for this story, so I'm going to try and get these chapters out as quickly as possible. It's just a slow build up to the main story, but I hope you guys will stick with me through it. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chapter 1: Hope

Hayley had driven all throughout the night with Elijah nodding away in the passenger's seat while muttering unintelligible murmurings. When the black Mercedes pulled up in front of the Salvatore's boarding house, Hayley pulled the keys from the ignition with a sigh of relief. She was completely and utterly exhausted.

All too aware that none of the Mystic Falls locals would be very keen on helping her, Hayley's sheer desperation became all the more apparent. Leaving Elijah to stir in the passenger's seat a moment longer, she inhaled a long, deep breath before making her way to the front door. The bell chimed throughout the Salvatore residence and it only took a brief moment before the door swung open to reveal a tall, slender brunette standing in the doorway: Elena Gilbert, Hayley guessed.

"Hi." Were the only words Hayley managed to muster, feeling naked as she stood there, about to beg for this girl's assistance. Hayley had wronged Elena's friends: Tyler Lockwood in particular. She had no reason to do anything for her. But perhaps they would make an exception this one time, considering the fact that the matter concerned Elijah

"What are you doing here?" The brunette asked bluntly.

From the tone in her voice, Hayley registered within a heartbeat that she was indeed, definitely unwelcome here. "I need help." Hayley pleaded, raising her arms as if surrendering herself to the young vampire. "Elijah – Elijah needs your help."

Elena's features seemed to soften slightly at the mention of Elijah's name. Her curiosity was piqued. "Elijah? What's wrong? Why does Elijah need my help?"

"He's hurt. Klaus – he and Klaus had a falling out and Klaus he," Hayley stumbled over her own words, "Klaus bit him."

Elena stared at Hayley with a vacant expression. "An original can't be killed. Not by a hybrid's bite at least."

Hayley nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah – but apparently the bite isn't free of some pretty nasty side effects …" She chewed down on her bottom lip.

"What kind of 'side effects' are we talking about?" Elena inquired, tilting her head to the side.

"Come see for yourself." Hayley offered. She waited a beat before turning on her heel to make a beeline for the car. Elena followed without question. When they reached the van, Hayley opened up the passenger's seat, revealing Elijah in his perilous state.

Narrowing her eyes, Elena's eyebrows knit together in a frown. Elijah was asleep, terrorized by nightmares. He was shaking lightly, stray mutterings slipping from his lips every now and then.

"What's happening to him?"

"He's started hallucinating." Hayley answered, pressing her lips together tightly as she watched Elijah suffer. "The other day he tried to strangle me … thinking I was somebody else. I'm afraid of what will happen if this goes on any longer. He has no idea how long the bite will last and who knows – before it wears off, some people might get seriously hurt," Hayley directed her gaze back towards Elena, "or worse – killed."

Digesting all this new information, Elena nodded her head slowly. After Hayley had betrayed Tyler by playing an integral part in the massacre of all the hybrids Tyler was trying to save, she knew better than to trust this lone werewolf. But this was Elijah. While Elijah had used her in the past, never once had he actually betrayed her. Well – once. But not without considerable remorse. Elijah didn't deserve this, that much was clear. And the people that could possibly fall victim to him, also did not.

"Help me carry him in, we'll figure something out." Elena instructed, already reaching for Elijah's shoulders. Hayley wrapped her arms around his ankles and so they carried the oldest original vampire into the Salvatore residence.

They laid Elijah to rest in the cellar. It wasn't the most warm and welcoming place within the boarding house, but at the very least it would keep Elijah contained. He wouldn't be a danger to others and hopefully also not to himself.

"So … what do we do now?" Hayley questioned, peering through the iron bars at Elijah's writing body as he lay on the ground.

"I have to tell the others about this." The brunette vampire groaned quietly as she ran two hands through her locks. "Lord knows they're gonna hate me for getting involved." She muttered below her breath, joining Hayley's side to look at Elijah. "But … it's the right thing to do."

In silence, Hayley nodded. Seeing Elijah still continue to suffer didn't make it any easier. But the fact that there was a chance something could be done – that gave her hope. And a little hope was all she needed right now.