Walking The Walk

A/N: This is a very short little chapter I wrote after I received a couple of requests for a "walk of shame" fic for our lovely pair! Now. I couldn't really have them arriving back home to find Klaus pacing on the doorstep – I couldn't be that mean to Klaus, but I could see the humour value in trying to extricate them from their bayou…wardrobe malfunction, so here you go! Not M rated but put in this fic as it follows on directly from the last chapter. Enjoy!

Hayley turned to look anxiously at Elijah as the car pulled to a stop outside the compound. He switched off the engine and reached for her hand, squeezing reassuringly.

"What is troubling you?" he asked gently.

"Klaus is inside," Hayley replied. "Can't you hear him? How are we going to explain…this?"

She gestured to their clothes. Her: grubby jeans; Elijah's shirt swamping her torso and his tie keeping her decent, just, and him: suit trousers that looked rather the worse for wear and…not much else.

Elijah smirked. "Hmmm. Well. We will just have to be a little clever if we are to…protect your modesty. There is a fire escape that leads to the upper hall. I suggest we utilise that. Niklaus is deep in conversation with…." Here Elijah paused, listening carefully. "Marcellus and Davina it would seem. He will not remark our arrival." He exited the car, coming round to Hayley's side to open her door. Hand in hand they whooshed silently up the staircase.

Outside Hayley's room, they paused. "I shall have to have a shower and change," Hayley whispered. "I look a mess."

"I think you look lovely," Elijah whispered back, smiling. He cupped her face and bent to kiss her.

"What are you doing?" Hayley whispered furiously. "Klaus is just downstairs!"

"Yes," replied Elijah. "But I do not know when I will next get the chance to kiss you so I am merely making the most of the opportunity."

This time Hayley's lips met his as Elijah pressed her back against the door. His tongue swept into her mouth and Hayley suppressed a whimper. Her hands went to his head to hold him closer. Elijah's hands went to his tie at her waist and began to fumble with the knot. Dispensing with the tie, his hands found the door, thrusting it open so that they could stumble inside.

Elijah's hands swept the shirt from Hayley's body as he manoeuvred her towards the bed. Hayley's hands, not content to remain still ran down Elijah's bare back, cupping his buttocks as he laid her on the coverlet and moved over her. Hayley spread her legs apart allowing Elijah to settle between them.

Hayley was just struggling with the fastening of Elijah's trousers when she felt him slowly begin to withdraw from their kiss. She sighed.

"You have to go, right?" Hayley ran her hand down Elijah's cheek.

"I think it best. We have spoken about the difficulties attendant to…assignations here in the compound. I think we should avoid the inevitable confrontation with Niklaus right now. If we can. Take your shower and get ready at your leisure. I will await you downstairs and keep Niklaus occupied." And in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

Scant minutes later, Elijah wandered back down the corridor. Now properly attired in a fresh suit and tie, he fought the impulse to return to Hayley. Such was her claim on his thoughts that he was surprised to see his brother standing outside her door.

"Elijah. Welcome home, brother. I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in. I was busy trying to stop Marcel going off all half-cocked to attack a werewolf den. Fortunately between us Davina and I managed to calm him down. Did Hayley enjoy her jaunt in the bayou?"

Elijah tried hard to look his brother in the eye. "Yes. I believe she did. She certainly seems to have an affinity for…exercise in the outdoors."

"Ah," Klaus looked amused. "Led you a merry chase did she? Well. No doubt it did you good. Where is she?"

"Getting changed I believe," replied Elijah innocently. "Unfortunately, when one engages in…strenuous activity in the bayou it can have rather disastrous consequences to one's clothing…"

"Hmmm. That'll explain this then, won't it?" Klaus grinned as he held up Elijah's tie that had been lying sentry-like outside Hayley's bedroom door. "I must say it is looking rather grubby although what it is doing lying in the hallway I'm sure I can't say…"

Elijah tried not to blush as he took the tie from Klaus's outstretched fingers, rolled it up and put it carefully in his jacket pocket. "Thank you, Niklaus."

It was evident that Elijah was not planning on elaborating on the tie, so Klaus merely quirked an eyebrow before continuing, "There have been one or two little developments during your absence. Perhaps we could have a chat about it now? I'm sure Hayley will join us once she's…. repaired the ravages of an afternoon spent in your company, brother." With a wink Klaus set off back down the hall.

Hayley closed her bedroom door quietly and walked carefully towards the stairs. So much for super speed hybrid healing! Although any minor scratches from branches and….bayou floor that she had sustained had completely healed, she still felt rather uncomfortable. She ached between her legs and the slightly bruised feeling pulled at her when she walked. Reaching the stairs she held firmly to the rail and eased her way downstairs at a slower than normal pace.

Both Klaus and Elijah were sat in the drawing room, a decanter of whisky between them. Elijah stood as she approached and Hayley smiled at him. Klaus was reading but looked quizzically at her as she walked to a vacant chair.

"Are you alright, love?" He queried. "You look like you're…limping. I know I told Elijah to take you to the bayou so that you would have space to roam but it appears that he really put you through it! Could you not keep up with the pace, love?"

Hayley bit her cheek to stop from laughing at Klaus's innocent statement. She could not prevent a swift look at Elijah who had buried his face in his whisky glass. She could see his smirk, however. She grasped the arms of the chair, sitting down gingerly, unable to suppress a small wince. Elijah's smile grew.

"Your brother certainly worked me hard," she said to Klaus, "but I think I rose to challenge pretty well. Don't you, Elijah?" she sent an arch look his way.

"I have seldom enjoyed a race to the finish more," Elijah replied innocently. The look he sent her way was anything but innocent however, and Hayley reached for the whisky decanter to distract herself.

Klaus fortunately didn't seem to pick up on the undertones as he changed the subject. "Well. While you were both frolicking in the countryside I was discussing tactics with Marcel and his teenaged witch. As I explained to you, brother, with Genevieve dead…..understandably of course," he added quickly with a look to Hayley, "we have no way of undoing the magic of the moonlight rings. Davina thinks that there may be a way round it if we can find one of her descendants. Genevieve had no children but she did have a sister so I've set them to researching that branch of family tree and I thought that maybe mother's spell book might throw some light on the matter."

Klaus got up and turned to the bookcase on the far wall, reaching for the grimoire and beginning to turn its pages. Elijah looked steadily at Hayley before silently setting down his glass and rising to his feet. He came to stand behind her chair and Hayley felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand on end. Two hands came over her shoulders and slid swiftly down inside the neck of her top, bushing at her breasts and pebbling her nipples. Hayley stifled a gasp, her gaze flying to meet Elijah's over her shoulder before turning to burn a hole in Klaus's back. If he should turn around…but before Hayley could make a sound, Elijah had seemingly disappeared, only to reappear a second later standing next to Klaus reading the grimoire over his shoulder.

Hayley couldn't take any more of this. She got to her feet, and turned to leave. "If you are both going to sit around all evening reading musty books, I'm off. There's a box set with my name on it upstairs. Goodnight." She left the room.

Klaus turned to Elijah. "She's stroppy when she's tired, isn't she?" he commented. "Do try not to…disturb her when you retire, brother. I'm sure she'll be in a much better mood for a good night's sleep." Klaus shut the spell book and strode towards the door. With a hand on the doorknob he turned.

"Oh and by the way. The next time you and Hayley go into the bayou do pack in advance. From your appearance on your return earlier you both appeared to have accidently mislaid much of your clothing during your time in the great outdoors. Don't for one minute think I don't know what goes on in my house, brother, or out of it for that matter," and with a wink he left, shutting the door carefully behind him and leaving Elijah alone in the room, a look of incredulity on his face.