And… we're back! That reunion was so perfect I wanted to cry, but I still am deeply unsatisfied with how Elijah has never actually said, "I love you," to Hayley. So, here's my spin on their reunion!

Gather Up the Killers

As Hayley turned back into her human form, she looked at the destruction around her. Twelve bodies. She hadn't killed that many people in the past year alone. It didn't matter though. She would eradicate the Earth in order to ensure the survival of her family. She just hoped that the spell Freya had used worked.

She stood naked in the center of the room looking around for something to cover herself up with when she heard the sound of heavy breathing behind her. One of the men she had tossed into the side of the car was struggling to stand. Another sound made her whip her head around to find another one of the men limping in her direction. Hayley was exhausted from fighting, but they weren't a match for her. She could hear the wheezing sound coming from the man by the car and knew that he had probably punctured his lung. It would be an easy fight nonetheless.

"You want more? Come on!" Hayley yelled in either direction. Her current focus was on the man by the door, but the sound of a body collapsing made her turn. The man by the car was lying motionless on the ground. Less than a second later, she heard the other man collapse. Hayley whipped her head around and instantly felt her adrenaline kick back in. Whoever had killed them could be dangerous and she wasn't going to let her guard down. Her senses picked up someone behind her, and just as she was about to turn, she froze.

His scent is what struck her first. Hayley knew that alluring, woodsy scent from a mile away; she just hadn't had the pleasure of being around it for five years. The sound of slightly unsteady breathing and a rapid heartbeat only confirmed her initial thought. Letting out a small laugh, Hayley shut her eyes and let the weight of the world drop off of her shoulders.

When she felt the fabric of a jacket touch her shoulders, her breath hitched. It took her a moment to collect herself, but when she finally did turn around, every ounce of self-control she may have possessed was lost. Familiar, warm brown eyes captured her gaze immediately and she all but threw herself into Elijah's arms. Hayley pressed her mouth to his greedily not even caring if things would be the same between them. She just needed him. But his response was as eager as she had hoped. He kissed her back passionately and she relished the taste of him. Hayley had never felt so at home before in her entire life.

After a moment, Hayley broke away from his lips and buried her head in his neck finally allowing herself to give into her emotions. Silent tears rolled from her eyes immediately to his jacket as he combed a hand through her hair. He was murmuring something softly to her, but she couldn't hear him. Her mind was too busy comprehending that he was really here in her arms after all these years. Eventually, she looked at him again.

He looked just as she remembered him. Same slicked back hair, same stubble covering his jaw, same brown eyes that could melt her into a puddle. Hell, even after five years in a box his suit still didn't have a single wrinkle on it. She let out a small laugh at that as Elijah raised one of his hands to her face. He gently wiped her tears away before simply cupping her cheek and gently stroking her skin with his thumb.

"Hi," she whispered hoarsely. A grin slowly spread on his face and she couldn't help but mirror his expression. He pulled her to his lips again for a lingering kiss before releasing her. Elijah let his forehead press against hers and let out a shaky breath.

"Hi," he repeated. Their eyes found each other again and for a moment, there were no words. Neither could very well articulate what they were thinking or feeling at the moment, but their presence and physical contact between them was enough for now.

"We should find you something to wear," Elijah murmured after a while. The backs of his fingers softly gliding down her arm made Hayley shiver with delight and she couldn't help but think about how even after being asleep for five years, he was still being so noble and courteous with her.

"Why? Don't like what you see?" Hayley joked. His eyes twinkled at that and he slowly smiled. Hayley saw his eyes slowly take in every inch of her body and she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Trust me, that's not the case," Elijah almost growled. "However, I do not wish to allow my siblings, or anyone else for that matter, the luxury of the view I have at the moment. Come."

And just like that, Hayley Marshall had fallen in love with Elijah Mikaelson all over again.

Elijah was watching the burning bodies when Hayley finally exited the building. She had changed and cleaned herself off while he took care of the mess inside and out. Rebekah and Kol had said about ten words to her in thanks and greeting before they set off to feed. Elijah, being the gentleman that he was, decided to deal with the bodies.

"And they say romance is dead," he said as she approached.

"I'll take it," she replied. He smiled as he watched the fire burn and her eyes drifted over him. She found herself looking at the tear in his sleeve and grabbed his hand. She turned his wrist over to look at where Marcel's bite used to be only to find the skin smooth and unmarked. Sighing in relief, she looked up at him.

"Your infection is gone," she breathed. Elijah nodded and looked her intently.

"You saved us. All of us," he said, gratitude evident in his voice. Glancing back to the fire, he grimaced. "I guess Rebekah and Kol couldn't contain their hunger."

Hayley grinned. The sight of Elijah in real life was still baffling to her. It had been five years of torturous dreams and memories of him, and yet, here he was. She remembered the days where she had gone through every horrible thing she had ever said and done to him, thinking about the possibility of never seeing him again. There were days that she had lost hope and wanted to give up, but then there he was in the back of her head urging her to keep going.

And yet, she was scared. What was going to happen now? They had danced around each other for so long before finally giving into their feelings, and just when they did, she had lost him. She knew he cared for her, but had this changed things between them?

"Elijah after all this time, I…" Hayley began, but she couldn't finish that sentence. It was like the words got stuck in her throat. Everything that she wanted to say to him ran through her head like a jumbled mess that she couldn't decipher.

"I love you too," he said. The calmness and sureness of his voice put all of her insecurities at ease and she wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms again. But before she could, Elijah spoke.

"Now please tell me… how is my niece," he asked hesitantly. There was a definite fear in his voice that something had happened to her, but Hayley couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

"She's amazing. She's healthy, happy. She's the perfect little girl," Hayley gushed. His visible tension was vanquished as soon as Hayley spoke, which made her smile even more. "And she made me promise that one day she'd get her family back. All of them."

"Oh, a child after my own heart," he murmured. Hayley saw a flash of pain come across his eyes and she was sure he felt the same pang in her heart that she did. He was thinking about Klaus. Though Hayley was more than ecstatic to have the majority of the Mikaelson family back, there was still a Klaus-sized hole in her heart. She loved him as much as you could love a person like Klaus. He was the father of her child and despite his most sinister and diabolical acts, he was her friend too.

"Then there's just one person left," Hayley said. Elijah looked at her with determination evident in his eyes and nodded.

"Then let's go get him."