Hello, my lovely readers. First, please check out "Christmas in miniature." It's a bit of a crack fic but it's fun crack. I know that it's been awhile and that this chapter is being posted on an unusual day but I plan to have another, very Christmasy chapter posted this coming Tuesday. On with the show…

Chapter 12: Prepping for Christmas

The life of a doctor was not always one of beauty and triumph. Sometimes the patients didn't make it. Other times they survived their surgeries to move on to bright and shiny, new lives. Those in the second category were the reason that Hayley Marshall would drag herself out of bed, staggering into the bathroom most mornings. Rebekah would be sitting on the floor of the bathroom with a cup of coffee. Josh would be shaving. Tyler would be leaning against a wall, trying to fall back asleep. And Caroline would be singing in the shower. Yes, the roommates had arrived. WHY?

This morning Hayley got up to head to the bathroom to find it completely empty. Where was everyone? Had she slept through the apocalypse and she was the only person left on earth? "Hello?" Hayley called, taking a tentative step out of the bathroom when Rebekah appeared with a steaming cup in hand.

"Good morning, love. Take this. Caroline made it," Rebekah informed Hayley, who took a tentative sip. You could be sure of one thing. If Caroline or Tyler offered you a drink, it probably contained heavy amounts of alcohol.

Tasting the drink, Hayley was shocked to find that there was nothing alcoholic whatsoever. "That is good," Hayley told Rebekah who was nodding with a genuine smile.

"Yes, it is. It's about the nicest part of Caroline's little traditions. Once you get downstairs you might find yourself wishing that that was spiked after all," Rebekah called over her shoulder as she hurried toward the stairs. "Might want to get a move on it before or you'll end up being late. Father disapproves of tardiness."

"Your dad's back?" Hayley retorted as she followed Rebekah toward the stairs. She could hear "Frosty the Snowman" blaring through her speaker system. Looking at the banister, she noticed that it was covered in a long stream of cheery dancing Santas.

"Yes. And he hates Christmas. You've been warned." The warning was all but drowned out by the sound of Klaus yelling over the music.

"Can I have the bloody syrup?" Klaus bellowed at Caroline who was dancing around the kitchen as if he wasn't talking to her. "Caroline?"

"What is going on down here?" Hayley shouted above the music to Josh who was shoveling the last of a waffle into his mouth. Shrugging, he placed his plate and fork in the sink.

"Got to go. See you later, Hales," Josh muttered close to Hayley's ear before he smiled cheerily. Looks like someone was happy since they met Aiden, the male nurse who worked the night shift.

Hayley groaned. At least one of them was getting laid. Since all of her roommates had moved in she hadn't really had a moment to herself to do much of anything. There was always someone wandering the halls. That meant that she and Elijah had to roam the halls of the hospital, trying to find two minutes together. Of course, it did not help when Bonnie would appear from nowhere, along with one of Elijah's siblings, his sister-in-law and now his father who she knew nothing about.

Moving swiftly across the room, Hayley turned the stereo down. Caroline whirled around on her heel with a spatula in one hand and her other hand, which was waving beside it, in mid-dance. "I'm sorry, Hayley. I should have asked first," Caroline said with a smile that meant she was not sorry.

Dear god. Hayley really had been around these people too much. She was beginning to be able to notice the little details of their behavior. 'No, this is bad. I don't want to connect this much. Get waffle and get out,' Hayley ordered herself when Klaus had to get in the way to pin Caroline to the counter because she was between the stack of plates and blocking the syrup.

"Klaus, what are you doing here?" Hayley snapped at Klaus as she shoved him out of the way to grab a plate. He collided with Caroline who blew out a long breath.

"Nice save, Care," Tyler hooted from the table. "If only you were so good at catching blood bags then you wouldn't have looked like Carrie last week when Dupree tossed you that one bag. It splattered all over her and the walls," he told the group while Caroline sneered.

"You're an ass, Tyler," Caroline yelled.

"You wish I was your ass, baby," Tyler replied as he got up to toss his dishes into the sink.

"Fry in hell, Evil Spawn," Rebekah shouted with a happy wave at Tyler who held up his middle finger.

"Get bent, Mikaelson," Tyler snapped.

Rebekah smirked. "You hear how he talks to you, brother?" she inquired with a cup of coffee held just below her lips as she blew on the top of the steaming liquid.

Ignoring his sister momentarily, Klaus grinned at Hayley in a manner that made her gulp because it meant he was about to deliver a stinging reply. "I'm here because I am trying to avoid the hospital while my father is working his shift, and I had yet to eat."

"And you thought this was free food bank or something? Want to eat here, then donate to the fund," Hayley held up a half empty coffee can. The other half of the can was filled with ones, fives and tens. All of the money went to the week's supply of groceries for all five interns as well as take-out food and luxury items, like Kotex, which the guys complained bitterly about contributing to. The ladies of the house decided to compromise and add condoms to the grocery list which shut the men up.

Looking at the can, Klaus scoffed until Caroline reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. Pulling out a fifty, she stuffed it into the bottom of the can, smiling at Klaus afterward. Picking up the syrup bottle, she shoved it into his chest before walking over to the table to sit down. Klaus glowered but Hayley could tell that he was happy because he didn't threaten Caroline with SCUT duty for the day. Smirking at his sister, Klaus announced, "Bekah, I will have Bennett place Lockwood on SCUT the minute I go to work."

"Fine," Rebekah replied, downing her coffee, she kissed Klaus on the cheek and then grabbed Hayley by the arm, who had only been able to swallow a fourth of her waffle. "We're off. You two don't do anything that will get Nik fired."

"You're not coming to work today?" Hayley questioned Caroline who coughed loudly.

"I've got a terrible cold," Caroline replied with a sniffle. "It could spread all over the hospital and contaminate people. Germs. Horrible."

Shaking her head, Hayley caught Caroline plopping down in Klaus' lap and letting him feed her waffle. Damn them. She and Elijah should be having waffles with a side of sex on the kitchen table. Hayley allowed Rebekah to half drag her out the front door and out to her car. There was no way that Hayley would ever get on Bekah's bike. No way in hell.

"Do you believe Caroline's story that she's sick?" Rebekah inquired as she pulled her seat belt on while Hayley drove down the road with her mind full of sex with Elijah.

"Huh?" Hayley felt puzzled. She knew that Rebekah had said something, but what it was exactly she wasn't certain about.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Are you fantasizing about Dupree, again?" For more than two months Hayley had been telling Rebekah that she had a huge crush on Jackson but that she just couldn't talk to him about it. Rebekah thought that meant that she should work as some kind of scary female Cupid who would find a way to force the two together during lunches, visits to the bar, parties, and worst all of in the locker room. Hayley did not want to be left alone with Jack in the locker room. She definitely did not want to be there when she and Elijah were having problems.

Once upon a time Hayley was the type of woman who did not really do commitment and would have sabotaged what she had with Elijah in favor of jumping Jack. However, Jack was Hayley's friend and she was happy with Elijah. Maybe she should lock Rebekah and Jack in a room during Caroline's next party. Then Rebekah might have a reason to leave her alone about her sex life. The other up side would be that Rebekah would stop feeling jealous of Marcel and that bartender, Cami. Personally, Hayley felt a friend vibe coming from the two but Rebekah was determined that she was right. Once Rebekah had an idea firmly in her mind it took a great amount of effort to dislodge the thought.

"Hayley, are you even listening to me?" Rebekah snapped, tossing a long blonde curl over her shoulder as she glowered at Hayley who forced a smile.

"I'm just thinking about whose shift we're going to be stuck on today," Hayley replied overly cheerful.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Yes, I'm sure. And I'm Kate Middleton," she muttered as Hayley pulled into a parking spot. They got out and walked quietly up to the front doors. Inside the hospital was quieter than usual. Hayley knew that this meant nothing because there could be a bus crash or a gas explosion in the Quarter that would send hundreds in.

An older man of about forty-fifty years of age came walking across the lobby as they entered with his eyes on Rebekah. "Bekah," he greeted her with a warm smile and twinkling eyes. "There you are. Elijah told me that you would be arriving soon."

"Father," Rebekah replied with a wide smile. The two embraced for a moment before standing, examining each other as if they were two opponents about to do battle. "How has your first day back been?"

"Finn has done fairly well in my absence. However, there has been quite the mess to clean up with various legal problems where Niklaus apparently has performed surgery that was not approved by the parents of his patient. Kol is being sued for sexual harassment. Nothing new on that front. There is a rumor that Elijah has taken a lover among the interns. Sage is trying her utmost to give birth to the next generation while resetting someone's bloody leg. And you, my dear, seem to be the only one of my children that I do not have to worry about," Mikael informed his daughter who smiled proudly. "Although I'm somewhat worried about your progress. There is a rumor that you have yet to enter the O. R. Is this true?"

"I was simply waiting for a surgery worthy of my skills," Rebekah replied with a forced smile.

"Well then…" Mikael Mikaelson's attention moved from Rebekah to Hayley. "And you are?"

"I'm Dr. Hayley Marshall," Hayley replied with a smile. This was the Chief. Not the sub, but the real deal. She wanted to make a good impression.

However, fate was not looking down kindly on Hayley that day. "Marshall, come," Kol Mikaelson shouted as he came jogging down the stairs in a Santa Claus outfit.

"Kol? What are you wearing?" Mikael demanded staring at his son through narrowed eyes.

Kol smiled brightly. "I'm working with Nik to give tiny tots back some missing bits. A nose here, an eye there, and in one special case, one less tail." Beaming, Kol took Hayley by the hand, "Come, darling, we shall have so much fun together." Twirling the intern, Kol dipped her and grinned while waggling his eyebrows.

"Kol, sexual harassment," Mikael snarled which caused Kol to drop Hayley on the floor.

"Grand job, brother," Rebekah hissed as she pulled Hayley to her feet.

Mikael forced a smile for passing guests of the hospital who were being led on a tour by a disgruntled looking Sage. "Rebekah, doesn't helping Kol with his child who is having a tail removed sound like an excellent first operation to scrub in on?"

"No," Rebekah said flatly with a frown. "Father, you know that I prefer hearts!"

"We don't always get what we want, sister," Kol taunted. Rebekah balled her fist while Mikael looked for the group that Sage had been leading around. Sage was now sitting down in a chair, holding her stomach, breathing heavily.

"Do the bloody surgery! I must check on Finn's wife. You all do know that I am trying to run a damned hospital, yes? And where in the hell is Niklaus? I swear I will sack him if he does not report to duty in the next hour," Mikael growled before striding toward Sage.

"Should we check on her?" Hayley asked the siblings who were headed toward the stairs.

Rebekah looked at Sage and shrugged. "If there's actually something wrong then a nurse will page us. Speaking of which…" Pulling her cell out of her jeans pocket, Rebekah sent a page out. "Just relayed the message to Finn that he should get his arse over to O. B land to see if the little missus in popping out our little babe."

"Ours, sister?" Kol teased. "Didn't know that you had anything to do with it? But if you say so."

"Bugger yourself, Kol," Rebekah snapped, shoving his Santa belly, causing it to spin around to his back.

Kol glowered at his sister as he took the time to readjust his belly. "Someone isn't feeling particularly jolly this year. Afraid that Santa will be putting coal in your stocking?"

"I have Kol in my life all year 'round. Thank you," Rebekah replied. "Perhaps I should fill your stocking with reports of the atrocious manner in which you treat the women in this place?"

"Me? You have me mistaken for someone else. I love women and they love me," Kol replied with a wide smile.

Laughing, Rebekah only quieted when she saw Marcel headed down the opposite side of the hall with Elijah. Hayley's heartbeat increased as Elijah grew closer. The smile that formed on his face when he caught sight of her made her want to jump into his arms. "Kol, what are you wearing, man?" Marcel asked, examining Kol with his hands on his hips.

"An outfit that you could never pull off," Kol told him, hoisting his belly with his hands. Turning to his brother, Kol's eyes glowed. "Father says that you're shagging one of these," he inclined his head toward Rebekah and Hayley. Feeling herself cringe, Hayley stopped herself from defending Elijah.

Elijah placed his hand over his tie and smoothed it carefully before replying. "Kol, your time might be better served minding your own PR scandal rather than jumping at absurd scandals that are simply rumors made up by people who are very bored."

Marcel hooted before letting out a booming laugh that had several nurses and fellow doctors turned to stare. "Oh, just find something else to gawk at," Rebekah shooed them away with a frown. "These people…"

"Ah, Bekah," Marcel began when Rebekah stared at him with an icy glare.

"Shoo," Rebekah growled, waving Marcel off too. "Go do something important with hearts. I have to help remove a tail."

Marcel's eyebrows moved upward. "You know, Bekah, the only heart I'm interested in is yours."

Letting out a loud hiss, Rebekah began to stride away. "Kol. Hayley, Come. Let's get this disaster over with before I stab the heart guy with a scalpel."

After many hours of exciting work that she didn't mind but would rather be looking at brains, Hayley yawned. Walking into the stairwell, rotating her shoulders. She hoped she didn't run into Kol or Klaus. The older of the two Mikaelsons who was in a horrible mood when he arrived which did not improve after his father found him to yell at him for trying to blow off work. Dr. Bennett was also not happy because she was running around taking note of everything that the interns were doing wrong because Mikael had chewed her out, too. Then there were her fellow interns. Rebekah was angry at Marcel. Josh was struggling under Klaus' wrath. Tyler was covered in something that smelled like puke. Caroline was miserable because she had run into Mikael with a cup of coffee and then he caught her kissing Klaus. Needless to say that Caroline was in big trouble or at least she thought she was.

Hayley closed her eyes while rubbing her shoulders, trying to get the kinks out. Feeling a pair of hands come down on her shoulders, she felt startled. Looking up, Hayley found Elijah staring at her with a smile. "Want to go up on the roof and have dinner with me?"

Feeling like a puddle of mush, Hayley grinned happily. Taking Elijah's hand, Hayley let him lead her up to the rooftop. Opening a door, he waited for her to go ahead of him. Staring around, Haley's jaw dropped. "How did you do this?" Turning around, Hayley looked at Elijah with wide eyes. She knew he was amazing but this was seriously the most amazing thing.

"I hope that you like white wine," Elijah murmured in her ear as they walked across the rooftop to a small table for two. There was a small tent-like structure that was made of gauzy, see through material which protected the food but still allowed them to enjoy the view of a light snow shower, Hayley grinned widely.

"This is so beautiful," Hayley exclaimed as she looked at the view from inside the tent.

"You are beautiful. This," Elijah looked around himself, "is good timing."

"I don't care what it is. I want to stay this way. Forever," Hayley told him seriously as she looked at the food. It was true Southern cooking. She would have imagined that he would have served oysters but this was amazing and she loved that he knew that she craved seafood without it becoming some cliché. And lobster. She would marry this man if only he would make sure that she could eat lobster this good every week. Picking up her glass of wine, she clinked her glass with his. "To a hundred more lobsters dinners with the most amazing man that I know who can wear a bib and make it look like a tux."

Elijah replied. "To the woman who has made me want to live my life again. I thought that I could never love, nor trust, nor lay myself bare to another. Thank you, Hayley. Thank you for being that person."

Finishing her dinner, Hayley's eyes widened when Elijah pulled out an iPod and began to play "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." Taking his extended hand, she got to her feet and exited the tent. Walking out into the light snow shower, Hayley watched the snow fall with a laugh when Elijah pressed his lips to hers. She could not believe that she had gotten this lucky. Never in her life had Hayley thought of herself as a lucky girl, but Elijah Mikaelson made her feel like she could reach up and touch the stars. If she were honest with herself she would admit that every day she fell a little bit more in love with him. And that scared the hell out of her at the same time that it delighted her to her very core.

Thank you for faving, following, reading and/or reviewing.

Answers to reviews:

Katherine Sparrow: Thank you.

Guest: I will definitely work Davina into the story at some point and since I've become a Kolvina shipper we'll probably see them together. As for killing them off… I suck at killing characters off and I think that a big part of the fanbase for this story would probably freak out. Not that I always do what the fans want… *Eye roll associated with The Mystic Falls Dare Club ups and downs.*

Bbybear: Thank you for the very sweet compliment.

Guest: I did. Finally. I'm such a slacker.

Guest: Thank you for the overall compliment.

Guest: I'm a snail, crawling, so slowly… Ugh. Ha. Got there.

Guest: Thank you. Finally got it down.

Peace,

Jessica