"Did you know?" I asked as I paced around as usual

"Klaus I had no idea she was a werewolf. I had no idea there were any wolves in NYU, they aren't necessarily the college kind"

"It's an absolute coincidence then?"

She nodded

"What does it change anyway? She hasn't triggered the gene, I doubt that she even knows"

"Perhaps we should just let this new information go then?" Elijah suggested

"I agree Nik. It changes nothing" Rebekah joined Elijah

"Fine, we don't tell her anything. We just continue as we planned"

"You plan? What exactly did you plan involving Hayley?" Elijah questioned me

"None of your business brother. Its best if you stay out of anything involving Hayley"

"I have no intention of harming her"

"Is that why you lost control when you saw her bleed? Why you took some of her with you home and tasted it in solitude?"

"There's no talking to you. Leave my house and let me rest please"

"Come on Nik" Rebekah said and pulled me out

Hayley's POV – next morning

"I got you coffee" Klaus said I opened the front door for him. He was standing opposite me with a paper cup

"No thanks" I said as I folded my arms and leaned on the door frame

"I'm sorry about last night"

"To think you were telling me it's supposed to be a date" I added as I avoided looking into his eyes

"Hayley if it wasn't something important I wouldn't have left you"

"I'm uninterested in your reasons, you left me alone"

"I promise you it won't happen again"

My expression softened and I slowly turned my face towards him

"I'm kidding, I absolutely understand if something important came up. I hope you could solve any problems that occurred. Besides, we have no commitment, you owe me no explanation"

He took a step forward and placed a hand on my cheek with the new confidence he had gathered from our closeness last night

"I'd love to establish a commitment…"

"Hayley?" a female voice interrupted him

He pulled back and let me see the person calling my name.

"Mom? Dad?" I exclaimed as I gently pushed Klaus and his coffee aside to run to their arms

"Surprise dear!" my father added

"What are you guys doing at my sorority house?"

"You never come over home to see us so we decided to visit you for an hour and see how you're doing" my mom explained

"I wish you had called"

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise then" my father replied

That conversation was followed by an awkward pause as my parents started staring at Klaus, who was staring back analytically

"Umm, mom, dad, this is Klaus Mikaelson. He's also studying to be a Music Critic like me and he also happens to be my good friend"

"Ah, good friend, I see" my mother said as she took a step towards him and extended her hand "Nice to meet you, I am Maria Marshall"

"Klaus Mikaelson, nice to meet you" Klaus replied

My father also extended his hand "George Marshall"

"Nice to meet you sir"

The way Klaus was looking at me parents weirded me out

"Let's go inside shall we?" I suggested as I led them in, Klaus decided to join us

We spent the first half of the hour catching up with my parents. The second half was more Klaus centric.

"Where are you originally from?" Klaus asked my parents

"New York, born and raised" my dad said

"I was born in our Capital, in Washington DC"

"Interesting" Klaus said as he leaned in across the table "You're both Americans?"

"Yes, we are" she said

"Klaus if you finished interviewing my parents I'd like to take them out for lunch…privately…"

"Ah, of course. It was very nice to meet you" he said as he shook my father's hand and kissed my mother's

He turned to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, looking into my eyes piercingly

"I hope we can do something once you're free"

"We'll see" I replied and he placed a soft kiss on my cheek in return

Once he left I turned back to my parents who looked far too excited

"So…tell us about him!"

"Dad please tell your wife not to put unnecessary meaning into things"

"What your mother intended to tell you was that we're proud of you and how strong you had stood throughout all the terrible things life has thrown at you. We would be very happy to see you find light in life once again, but we're here for you if you choose to stay calm for the rest of your days. We love you sweetheart, you're the biggest gift we ever received"

I smiled and hugged them both at the same time.

"Come on, we never expected you to be willing to spend more than an hour with us. I need to call my assistant and cancel some meetings" my mother said

"Meetings? It's Saturday!"

"We have a fundraising gala auction for the charity soon, we need to organise"

"When is it?" I asked her. My mom's foundation actually helped the street animals in need not only across the USA but also in those countries where they were mistreated. I had made sure the money got where it was intended to. So I found the events interesting enough to attend when I can. The thing was, I hadn't attended any big scale event since you know what happened.

"Next Monday. Why don't you come? And bring along your gorgeous new British friend"

"We'll see about that, but I'll probably come" I replied and led them out the door

Klaus' POV

"Absolutely ordinary people" I snapped to Rebekah through the phone "Given Elijah's mental condition as of late, I'd like to suggest that we rethink to what extent we can trust his judgement"

"I agree, I don't think he's well. The way he talks, the way he looks at her. To be honest it creeps me out. Sometimes I feel like he's gonna lose his shit and attack me or something"

"He would never harm you Rebekah, nor would I ever let him"

"I don't need your protection, but thank you Nik"

I nodded even though she couldn't see me, feeling uncomfortable by all the love being thrown around. I began going through the drawers in the fraternity house living room, which had now been filled up by the boys. A photo in a frame caught my eye and I pulled it out to see. It was a group photo of all of them, and I decided to look for the infamous Alexander among them.

All the boys in the photo were here with me, except one. He was in the centre. He was tall and handsome, but those weren't the things that made me gasp. What made me gasp was that the man in the photo was very familiar

"Marcel…" I whispered, forgetting Rebekah was on the phone

"What did you say?" Rebekah questioned momentarily

"This Alexander guy everyone is talking about, the one I apparently replaced…it's Marcel I think"

I heard her breathing intensify before she shakenly asked me

"He died. Years ago. He died years ago Klaus this isn't funny"

"Do you think I don't know that? I know that. But he's in the goddamn photo Rebekah!"

"Klaus are you sure? Ask some of your boys if they know any Marcel Gerard. This isn't funny!"

I could hear the panic in her voice

"Stay calm. It may just be a lookalike. I may be mistaken. Just stay put, I'll talk to you later"

I grabbed the photo and headed upstairs, to question some of my college-mates.

Hayley's POV – Monday

"Klaus where have you been all weekend?" I asked as he sat down next to me

"Please be silent, this is an exam" the professor warned

"I'll explain later" he replied and sat behind me

"You don't look alright" I said as someone passed me an exam paper

"I'm fine, but I need to talk to you" he replied

We finished the exam almost identically. He finished first, followed by me moments later. I followed him out the hall to the corridor. He seemed distracted.

"Is it the exam? It shouldn't have been hard…"

"It wasn't the exam" he said as he hardly looked up at me "You said you knew this Alexander guy, right?"

"I still do. He's out of town"

He took a deep breath and nodded, revealing a photo from his bag

"Can you show me him in this photo?"

I took it from him and showed him Alex, standing in the centre with a grin on his face

"What's happening?"

"I know your friend. I know Alexander from a long time ago"

"You do? He didn't tell me that…"

"I need to find him. Where is he?"

"He's…wait what's happening? He told me he needs to leave town to be safe. Are you the reason why he's feeling unsafe?"

"Wait…he said that? Why would he say that…?" Klaus seemed to drift off

"Klaus if there is something going on you need to tell me!"

"There is nothing…" he snapped too loudly, which he realised mid-sentence and calmed himself down "…there is nothing going on love. He's an old buddy I couldn't reach out to for a while and I got worried when you said he left because he feels unsafe, that is all"

"I don't know if I should believe you…" I whispered

"I know you should" he replied and came closer "I'm sorry, I know you called a few times over the weekend, I was just preoccupied with family affairs. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah everything is, I just wanted to invite you somewhere, but I'm not sure if you can anymore because it's pretty late to invite by now"

"What? Why? Where were you going to invite me to?"

"My mom's fundraiser auction thingy. I thought we could go together, but it's tonight…"

"I don't have any more classes, I can be ready on time"

"It's a formal event, you'll need a tux and everything"

"What makes you think I don't own a tux?" he asked as he took a step closer and cupped my cheeks "I'd also love to participate in the auction and do some good"

"Really? Isn't that something our parents usually do?" I asked as I smiled, filling in his hands with my cheeks

"Not necessarily. My parents passed away when I was much younger so I was left to fill the void and do all the participation back in New Orleans"

"Your parents died? I'm sorry I had no idea…"

"It's not a big deal, I just don't talk about it"

"I also didn't know you're from New Orleans…"

"I'm not originally from there but we moved years ago. It's my home now, it used to be at least"

"Did something happen there?"

"That's a tale for another day my dear" he replied as he pulled back his hands "What time should I pick you up?"

"No need. I'll meet you there. I'll be meeting my parents at their place beforehand to surprise them. I texted my mom and told her I can't make it"

"How adorable. I'll see you there then. Text me the details, will you?"

"I will do" I replied

"Great, I can't wait"

I nodded and he turned around to leave

"Klaus" I called out and he turned back around

I don't know what exactly gave me the bravery to do so, but I leaned in and left a peck on his cheek, to his astonishment.

"I'll see you tonight"

"I will definitely be looking forward to it now" he said as he smiled from ear to ear. I let him watch me leave, acting confident while my heart beat a million times per second against my chest

Klaus' POV

There was a weird sensation, a fluttering of wings, an unsteady heartbeat, a heat on my cheeks followed by her little innocent kiss. To the normal Klaus this would have meant nothing. To the Klaus who had throws hundreds and thousands to his bed this should have meant nothing, but it still meant something. It meant a lot. Soon enough I found myself tracing where she kissed me with my fingertips, a smile taking over my cheek muscles. Gleefully I turned around to head back home, but was startled by the tall figure standing before me.

"Sweet holy god of the horizons" I spat out randomly, all my cheer disappearing "You frightened me Elijah"

"If you were dumbed down enough to lose control of your senses and not feel my presence that wasn't my fault" he snapped angrily "What are you doing with her? This isn't you. You don't pawn after girls"

I rolled my eyes

"Why don't you be a good parent and ask me how my exam was?"

"Answer the question. What is your intentions with the girl? Why are you treating her so nicely? That is not the real you. You are not a charming youngster, you are a heartless, cold, merciless man with thousand years of hatred on his shoulders"

"You're the one who said I need a redemption. You're the one who argued that I should get a fresh start"

"I didn't say get it with her!" he roared, making everyone around us look

"Elijah calm down…"

"Once your façade is down she will see your true colours. She will realise you are not who she thought you were and she will pull away from you"

"And who is it that she wants? Is it you? Are you the one who deserves her?" I questioned him, now angry myself. He didn't reply. "Well I've got news for you Elijah, I have no intention of showing her the darker Klaus Mikaelson. I will forever be the man she wants if I need to be. She is and will remain mine. You're too late"

With that said, I turned my back to him and left, careless of how he felt. I had warned him, I had told him to keep away. The rest wasn't my problem.

Monday night- outside the party

It was already twenty minutes past the time she asked me to meet her, and I was still outside expecting her arrival. I was starting to think she's was going to ditch me.

"Who are you waiting for, may I ask sir?" the party organiser asked

"I was waiting for the Marshall family. Their daughter, Hayley Marshall, is my date" saying it made me feel weirdly funny

"Ah yes, you must be Mr. Mikaelson"

"Yes, Klaus Mikaelson"

"The Marshalls arrived earlier sir, they went in the backdoor"

"Hayley told me to wait here" I reminded myself

"The young Ms. Marshall isn't with them sir. As far as I know Ms. Maria told me she's not attending this evening"

"They're not together?" I tried to confirm

"No sir"

"Okay, thank you…" I said as I grabbed my phone and tried calling her again.

Nothing. This was hopeless. I asked the valet for my car and drove straight back to the sorority house to understand what was going on.

Lisa opened the door and beamed at me

"Hey Klaus, you look fancy"

"Thanks. Is Hayley here? I can't reach her, we were supposed to attend her parent's party tonight"

"Ah yes, the auction thingy, mom and dad are also going" she stated unnecessarily "Well no, Hayley isn't here"

"Do you know where she is?"

"Frankly, no. Mr. Cooper came over and asked her to come out to talk a couple hours ago then she never came back. I figured they left somewhere together"

"Mr. Cooper as in Elijah Cooper?"

"Yeah the hot history professor"

I felt my heart sink. I don't know what it was, but something about them being together after the conversation I had with Elijah earlier today made me uneasy.

Hayley's POV

I opened my eyes, trying to remember when and how I had fallen asleep. I rubbed my eyes and let them open. I felt uncomfortable. As my sight cleared up I started realizing I was lying on a stone cold floor, in an empty room.

Then the memories started flooding.

"Elijah are you alright?"

"Are you in love with him?" he asked me with anger in his eyes

I didn't say I felt frightened often, but now was a moment to say it. His eyes had clear rage inside them

"What are you talking about?"

He grabbed me from my arms and shook my violently

"You're in love with Klaus, aren't you? AREN'T YOU?"

"LET ME GO!" I yelled but he had an inhumane amount of strength

"Shut up Tatia, I am not going to do that. She will talk to me willingly" he said as he looked to the side, where no one stood

"Elijah you're frightening me"

"Tell me if you love him"

"I don't love him! I mean, it's complicated…why does this have any relevance to you?!"

"Tatia I don't want to hurt her, there has to be another way"

"Mr. Cooper" I decided to get more serious "Who is Tatia? What are you doing?"

"I don't want to hurt her, I am sorry for killing you but she doesn't have to have the same fate"

Oh my god. He was talking about killing me. This was it. It was the end. I was going to join Billy.

I felt his grip on one arm weaken so I fought it out of him and grabbed a small flowerpot from the windowsill. I thought I could use it for defense.

I hit him with it but the effect was nonexistent.

"You little bitch" he snapped "I just wanted you to love me. I wanted to be chosen, I wanted to put myself first"

"Elijah please" I began whimpering

"No…no…it's too late to beg"

I opened my mouth to cry for help but he covered it and pulled me to his chest, holding my head at a weird angle that made me suffocate. The loss of breath and panic made me lose consciousness and collapse to his arms.

"ELIJAH!" I screamed as I stood up and ran for the door "HELP ME ANYONE"

To my surprise the door was open. I pulled it open with excitement and ran out.

I was in an empty house. I ran for the front door but it was locked. Shit. I looked around and saw another door near the fireplace. Hoping I'd find a way out I lunged for it and entered without hesitation.

My eyes didn't fixate on the details upon entrance. I just knew I was surrounded by paintings, many of them. After realizing there was no way out here either I started paying closer attention to the works.

It was me. Dozens of me from different angles. Laughing, crying, dancing, sitting, studying, singing…they were all me. I began panicking and hyperventilating. What kind of a sicko was he? My tears were uncontrollable. They kept flowing as I wept in fear.

Then there it was, once covered in a cloth of some kind. With shaky hands I slowly pulled it off to see what the ultimate project was.

There I was, leaning against a red door in a long white dress, covered in blood. I was clearly begging for survival, just like I was now. I gasped as I remembered the conversation from Friday.

"I am sorry, I thought he was bothering you. I can go and explain…"

'No, not at all. I owe him no explanation. So, you didn't tell me you're an artist!"

"Not that talented, but I am an amateur one yes"

"What were you painting? With the red paint I mean"

"A red door"

"A red door?"

"A red door and a girl in white, trying to open it"

"Does it mean anything?"

He shrugged

"Nothing of importance"

I nodded, trying to act interested when in truth I just wanted to go and talk to Klaus, end the tension for good.

"Well, I'll see you around then, I have to take care of some things"

"Of course" Elijah replied

"The red paint….the red door" I whispered to myself as I felt the eureka moment creeping on me

I was properly crying now, wailing in panic. I had to leave, had to get out before he showed up.

I was too late.

"Look who finally woke up" he announced from behind me as I knew my end had come

Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review please!