A little while later she found herself in her car, well Mason's car with Kol, he had promised to take her to where he thought Klaus and Stefan were, it was back at their house, but he still hadn't told her why he was acting so weird about Klaus finding out he was with her, it was making her feel on edge, but it also making her fear that he had done something terrible and yet here she was sitting in a car with him.

But she had no other choice, she wasn't going to be able to find Stefan on her own.

"Do you remember that night?" Payton found herself saying to him after they had been in a tense silence for a good period of time, as she kept her gaze on the road.

She had to try something to get whatever it was out of him.

"I thought you didn't want to talk about it..." Kol reminded her of her words from earlier on, as he stared out of the window.

"But do you?" She asked him again.

"Of course." He slowly nodded before turning back to her.

"How we just..." Payton began to say in a soft tone, slowly glancing over at him briefly, she knew how to charm him, she had done it too many times, this time would be no different surely, "opened up to each other so easily and we told each other things, our insecurities, how we felt..."

"Yes what is your point?" Kol hissed back at her, clearly he wasn't in the mood for any more chat that day, but she wasn't going giving up.

"That you can trust me to tell me." She told him looking back on the road.

"Are you serious?" He scoffed, shaking his head with an amused look, "you helped kill me twice! I'm done with trusting you!"

"Then why are you here?" Payton wondered, thinking he had offered to help her so much that day, yet if he was done trusting her, was this some kind of set up, "why are you helping me?" when Kol failed to answer, she decided to dig in deeper, "because something inside of you must still remember that night and how it made you feel!"

"Well, do you remember that night and how it made you feel?" Kol then turned the question on to her.

Of course she did.

For a long time she struggled to stop thinking about how awful her time with Kol had been.

But then sometimes she was hit with massive guilt.

That they had shared a moment, that she was used, then she helped him get killed, it was a weird cycle of emotions she kept going through, when she realised he wasn't coming back after the other side, it got easier to deal with but now he was sat beside her, it was like replaying all the feelings all over again.

"I remember how much I wanted you by the end of it," She decided to keep herself on his good side, giving him what he wanted to hear and she wasn't lying, he had made her want him, she wished he didn't, but he had, "because I saw a side of you that showed humanity, that you were loveable and that you deserved a chance."

"And that is the same side I see in you and I want to help you," Kol finally told her, as they looked back at each other for a moment, "maybe to prove to you that I am not the same guy you remember."

And part of her wanted to believe him, but also part of her knew that she would always feel cautious around him, not knowing when he could flip again, she nearly thought she was going to see it earlier when Klaus had been on the call, but somehow he had managed to hold it together.

But something she would always be on edge about was for how long for?

How long would it last?

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Klaus had just managed to save Stefan after throwing him out of his bar moments before and the guy accidentally or purposely leaving his cell phone behind, after talking with Payton, Klaus knew he couldn't just leave the guy, clearly he had to try to help him, especially if his link linked him to his brother right now.

As they got back into Klaus' car, Klaus turned his head to Stefan and informed him, "You had a missed call from your fiancé. I spoke to her."

"You did?" Stefan looked back, slightly worried to hear this.

"Yes," Klaus nodded back, as he went on with a smirk, "she is just as stubborn and determined as I remember. Although part of me was confused when she told me that my brother is helping her track you down."

"Elijah?" Stefan presumed or he at least hoped.

"Who knows?" Klaus responded back with a shrug, before he added, "but I have this awful feeling that it's the one she had a connection with."

"I thought he was dead!" Stefan exclaimed, panic running through his veins now, he remembered what Kol did to her and the thought of him being around her again made him feel physically sick.

"Your guess is a good as mine."

"Why would Kol be helping her?!" Stefan questioned trying to hold it together but so many theories were running through his head, he just hoped she was safe and okay.

"That girl is not going to give up on you, you know that right?" Klaus pointed out to him, as Stefan looked down at his lap, the guilt hitting him to think she was here to try get him and was now stuck with Kol, this was his fault, "You know, you are the reason I saved her that time after I bit her," Stefan lifted his head back up with surprise, "she told me she had feelings for you."

"She did?" He was shocked to hear this, he had no idea Klaus knew, even before him.

"Well, when you have a love like that I guess she isn't ready to walk away." Klaus gave him a knowing look.

"She shouldn't be here though trying to find me!" Stefan said back thinking she needed to be safe and not getting caught up in his mess.

"I don't think you really have a choice, mate. And you and I both know that when she knows what she wants, she won't stop until she gets it."

After hearing Klaus inform him of Payton's where about's and the fact she could potentially be with Kol, Stefan knew he had to call her and get her to walk away before she got caught in his mess, "Payton, where are you?" He questioned as soon as she answered.

"Where are you?" She shot back thinking he would try to talk her out of this and she wasn't having it.

"Please we don't have time for these games." Stefan said back.

"Then tell me where you are?" Payton pressed not giving up.

"Why are you with Kol?" Stefan was avoiding questions just like she was, but she knew they could be back and fourth all night, so decided to give him one.

"He's helping me track you," She answered honestly, before asking, "so where are you?"

"Coming with me is going to put you at risk!" Stefan pointed out to her, before he let out a large exhale, "you should be in the hospital resting."

"I would but..."

"What?" He couldn't understand why she had come all this way.

"When you proposed to me, Stefan, it was because we were forever. It meant forever. I wasn't going to lose you again and that means not letting you out of my sight. You're not going through this alone!" She tried to explain to him.

Stefan let out another sigh, thinking no matter what he did or said, he knew he couldn't unconvinced her, because Klaus had been right, she knew what she wanted and wouldn't stop until she got it, it was Payton, "There's no way I am going to change your mind, am I?"

"Nope. Because I love you and I hope you'll understand." Payton responded back.

The line went quiet for a moment, before she heard some muffling, then the sound of a familiar voice pipe up again, "I'll text you the address," Klaus said to her, before he added, "also tell my brother I'm ready to see him."

Payton narrowed her eyes over to where Kol was sitting beside her in the car, he looked uneasy hearing his brother address him like this, but he also knew he couldn't keep hiding out like this, it was time to face the music.

Later on they pulled up outside a grand house and all Payton could presume was this was where the Mikealson's had been living during their time in New Orleans, she anxiously turned her head to look at Kol as she stopped the car, he turned back to look at her, look tense and on edge.

Coming into the home, Payton headed on inside with Kol by her side, now she was inside her nervousness was melting away and instead she felt excited to see Stefan again. She hadn't seen him since the morning before her c-section in the hospital. It felt like so much had happened since then and she just wanted to hold him.

As they rounded a corner, Payton felt her stomach stop when she saw Stefan stood there with Klaus, she immediately began to quicken her pace and jogged over to him, Stefan quickly picked her up in his arms when she reached him and held onto her, her feet coming off the ground and hanging below, as she wrapped her arms around him, breathing him in and enjoying the comforting feeling of him holding her.

Suddenly he began to wince, causing her to swiftly get off him, her hands now coming down from his shoulders as her feet hit the floor below, her eyes immediately went to the wound on his chest, the cross that was sticking out of the top of his shirt, she could see it looked bloody and sore, she was quickly brought back down to reality her sweet reunion with him over just like that.

"Stefan." She breathed upon seeing it, laying her hands on the joining of his shirt, as she gazed up at him, Stefan sadly looked back at her, as much a she was happy to have her here, he couldn't help but feel like she should be far away from this, but even just having her by his side again, felt so good.

"Why don't you two go talk in private? My brother and I have some catching up to do." Klaus suggested to the two of them, as Payton turned back round to look at Kol.

Kol and Klaus hadn't even said a word to one another since they had walked into the home, there was now a thick tension in the air or maybe it had always been there, but because she had been so wrapped up in Stefan, she hadn't noticed and had almost forgot that the two brothers needed a reunion of their own.

"Aren't you going to thank me?" Kol remarked as Stefan went to take Payton's hand in her own and go to walk away.

"For what?" Stefan frowned back, suddenly getting very defensive, he had been going out of his mind with worry about her being with Kol.

"Taking care of her and bringing her here for you." He answered back.

"No," Stefan shook his head, as he went on, "but you should be glad I didn't kill you myself after you hurt her..."

"Stefan," Payton warned, not wanting to do this, because if she was honest, she had moved on and didn't want to bring it back up, plus she kind of wanted to keep on Kol's good side, so he wouldn't try anything again, "let's go."

She managed to tug Stefan away without him causing anymore reaction out of Kol. He wasn't worth it.

Stefan lead her through into a back room, closing the door and then turning to her with a sad look, "You shouldn't be here." He told her.

"I should." She corrected him sternly.

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me." He warned her shamefully.

"Like I care right now!" Payton exclaimed, before going over to him by the door and wrapping her arms around his neck, "when you asked me to marry you," she glanced towards the ring on her finger, "it meant that we would be together forever, right? Not just for when you're safe again," Stefan lowered his head, appreciating her loyalty to him, but he couldn't shake the guilt, "I am going to be here for you. I'm not going anywhere."

Stefan reached forward and laid his hands on her waist, "Payton, you just had surgery."

"I know," She smiled slightly, thinking it was ridiculous how everyone kept reminding her, "but I'm also a vampire which means I can safely come with you."

"Whatever I say is never going to change your mind, is it?" Stefan looked back at her with a small smile.

"Nope." Payton rubbed her lips together smugly.

"Well then I'm glad to see you okay and back to normal." He told her pulling her closer to him.

"What you mean bump-less?" She chuckled lightly nodding down to the lack of bump on her stomach.

Thanks to her vampire healing abilities her body had returned back to normal and she felt like one of the lucky ones to have her postpartum body back.

"Yeah," Stefan rubbed his thumbs against her hips, before asking, "how are the babies?"

"Yeah they're perfect. Their names are Josie and Lizzie," Payton explained to him, as Stefan smiled at the tribute, "after Jo and Liz Forbes."

"That's nice," He nodded back, before he frowned in realisation, "how the hell did you convince your Dad to let you go?"

"He told me was leaving that day and I told him so was I." She informed him with a shrug.

"And he just let you go?"

"He didn't really have a choice," Payton said to him, running her fingers up to the back of his head where his hair sat, "I was going whether he liked it or not," Stefan always found her determination attractive, but not when it came to putting her life at risk for his sake, but he guess he had to accept it for now, "I meant what I said," She went on again after seeing the doubt in his eyes, "I'm here for the long haul no matter what."

"I guess I'll have to accept that." He replied back.

"We'll get through it," Payton said leaning forward and resting her head on the other side of his chest away from his scar, "we always do."

He rested his head on top of her own, breathing her in, Stefan wanted to believe her, but he wasn't sure how they would get through it, "Hmm."

"I love you." She assured him.

"I love you." Stefan said looking down at her causing her to lift her head up and to share a long kiss with him, the first time in days and god, did it feel good for the two of them.

Shortly after their alone time, Klaus had summoned them to come join them seeing as he wanted to help Stefan with his little scar situation, as they came on through into the large open room, Payton and Stefan came face to face with a face from the past and one they did not recognise.

"Freya," Klaus announced to the blonde short haired woman who was stood with Elijah, "this is Stefan Salvatore and his fiance Payton Saltzman, old friends."

"Well I wouldn't go that far..." Payton mumbled under her breathe unhelpfully as Stefan went to hold her hand assuringly.

This Freya turned her head in confusion back at Klaus, as he went on, "both of them are one of my sirelings. Long story. Stefan and Payton, this is Freya, my brand-new older sister," Payton frowned in confusion, thinking they only had one older sister, "also a long story. Stefan needs a favour." Klaus added.

"You're old friends, are you?" Freya said interestedly.

"Well, that kind of depends on your definition." Stefan answered back, sharing the same thoughts as Payton had moments before.

"I see you no longer have Elena by your side." Elijah remarked referring to the fact that Stefan was engaged to another woman.

"Time moved on." Payton found herself saying, thinking they really did not have to go into this and the fact Elena was lying in a coffin.

"I see." Elijah smirked back.

Moments later, they found themselves in yet another room of this grand house, Payton was sat on a chair on the other side of the room, whilst Freya sat down in front of a kneeling Stefan.

Payton had to bite her lip as she watched Freya unbutton his shirt, she wanted her hands on him, it had been so damn long since she had and yet here they were stuck in this situation, she hoped they could get this over with because seeing another woman touch your man was a hard watch even if it was innocent.

"Are you the girl that slept with Kol?" Freya found herself asking out loud as she began to prepare something for Stefan's mark.

"What?" She frowned back at this question, thinking why was she asking such a thing, had they all been talking about her during their reunion with Kol?

"How do you know about that?" Stefan asked defensively also not wanting to go into it.

"Sorry, it's just, um," Freya went on to say, "Klaus was just questioning him about bringing some girl he had once used and abused to lure him back to us."

"Right." Payton drew in a shaky breathe, thinking it hadn't been like that, but maybe now thinking about it, was she his ticket back into their lives?

"I dated your sister once." Stefan said wanting to take the attention of Payton and the past.

"Oh, well that seems like a great story," Freya said back dryly, clearly she wasn't in the mood to talk about anything that wasn't on her terms, "let's get back to your wound."

"Agreed." Payton breathed.

"A mystical vampire huntress," Freya was now on her feet sorting out something at her desk, it looked like a whole load of herbs and witchy things Payton didn't have a clue, "stabbed you with her magic sword, Klaus killed her but surprise surprise..."

"She regenerates." Stefan finished, as Payton felt a knot form in her stomach at this news, she had no idea, she barely knew anything, but she didn't care as long as she was with him.

"And won't rest until your dead." Freya added this time coming back over to him.

"So no matter how far I run, this wound acts as a beacon," Stefan explained further, as Freya laid her witch craft down on the ground, "drawing her to me. So I guess you could say it's been a rough week. "

Freya smirked as she leant forward and began to rub something on his chest, almost like a paste, "Well I can't cure the wound but this paste will mask it's signal."

"So she won't be able to find him?" Payton asked with hope for the first time since being told Stefan had been marked.

"Nope she won't know how to find him," Freya confirmed, as she finished rubbing it on, "just let that dry and you'll both be on your merry way."

"You know, not that I was expecting, a, uh parade or anything but why is everyone so eager for us to go?" Stefan questioned curiously about their arrival there.

"What's troubling the Mikealson's?" Freya grumbled back, as she went on, "oh let's see, well there's Elijah's super secret society of ancient vampires, one of their more zealous members, an old flame of Elijah's, is trying to undo my mother's most powerful spell."

"Sound's like you have some family issues." Payton remarked not surprised they still had shit going on after all this time.

But this was the Mikealson's of course.

A few hours had passed since Freya had put the paste on Stefan, they had been relaxing in the room that Klaus had given them for the night so that they could put together a plan for their next move, Valerie was making the drive over there she could help them with her witchy powers, so wouldn't get there till tomorrow.

"Doesn't this house kind of creep you out?" Payton said as she laid on the bed staring up at the ceiling.

"In what way?" Stefan asked laying beside her and turning her head to look at her.

"Just the fact it's so grand and a little eery." She answered looking back at him now.

"I guess so," He agreed with her, before leaning across and taking her hand in his own, "how did you even run into Kol earlier?"

"I was just walking the streets trying to find you and wait for Valerie to get back to me then he just appeared." Payton explained.

"It just sound's weird, how did he know where to find you?" Stefan pressed her.

"I don't know," She shrugged, she hadn't really thought too much of it or maybe part of her didn't want to know, "he helped me so I'm not going to think about it too deeply."

"I just don't like the idea of worming his way back into your head." He sighed.

"He hasn't!" Payton assured him, snuggling closer to him and pecking his cheek, "I've dealt with him since what happened and I've always stuck up for myself!"

"But he could have compelled you to do something!" Stefan pointed out his concern.

"But he didn't! Plus I don't even think he wanted to. I think he was just looking for a way to prove to me and himself that he could be the good guy." She shrugged.

"You really believe that?" He looked back at her in confusion.

"I have to otherwise I think about everything that happened and I don't want to have to keep reliving it!" Payton explained to him.

"Yeah I know I'm sorry." Stefan apologised.

"Don't," She shook her head, running her hand up to his cheek and rubbing her thumb against it, "it's ok. You're just worried."

"I just wish our first proper day back together after you having the babies didn't have to be under these circumstances." He said to her.

"I know but we kind of got our wish of being away from everything and being together on a little get away." Payton tried to look on the bright side, she had to.

"Would you really call this a get away?" He smirked back.

"Not on so many levels but it's just us." Payton smiled.

"And a house full of vampires, witches and god know's who else!" Stefan pointed out amusingly.

"And them," She laughed, before going to say, "do you think they have a bottle or bourban or wine lying around the place? I could do with my first proper drink with my fiancé, although I do have to admit Kol was the first person I drunk with unfortunately."

"Well I'm going to definitely need a drink after hearing that." He exclaimed, before getting up off the bed and pulling her with him.

Payton laughed lightly as she got onto her feet and kissed him, before following him out of the room hand in hand, they headed down the hall, for the first time since arriving here, she felt calm and happy to be back by his side, Stefan felt the same, a moment of calmness and contentment to have her back by his side, even if it wasn't how they wanted to or if it was short lived.

At least they could try be happy in the moment.

Just as they rounded a corner, Stefan frowned when he heard raised voices down the hall, causing him to pull Payton back with him and as she went to ask him what was wrong, he laid his finger over her lips to silence her, she frowned back at him in confusion, using her vampire hearing to listen in to whatever he had picked up on.

"...his prophecy witch said she saw Klaus die and his entire sire line burn," A familiar voice said, but Payton couldn't put her finger on whom it was, she wondered how many more people she would run into in this house, but then she suddenly realised what the person was saying, she was apart of Klaus' sire line, so was Stefan, so was Damon, so was Caroline and Mason...

"...She watched us fall," A male voice then spoke up, as Payton anxiously waited on with Stefan, who looked just as uneasy as she did, "she watched us burn, every soul Klaus has ever turned. When Aya tests this spell, Klaus will fall either way. And if Davina fails, as she likely will, the two of us will die as well."

Stefan then found himself pulling himself and Payton out from the shadows, thinking there was no way in hell they could stand here and not do anything, this had everything to do with them, they were about of Klaus' sire line, because they were both turned by Katherine, who was turned by Klaus, if he went down, so did they and Stefan wasn't going to allow himself not to be involved if it meant saving not just his life, but everyone he ever cared about too.

"Actually..." Stefan came over to them, his hand still tight with Payton's, as she anxiously looked back at them, her stomach dropping when she realised who one of the people were, "make that four of us."

Hayley looked back at Stefan and Payton in shock, instantly recognising them from her time in Mystic Falls, but why the hell where they here?

"Oh great..." Payton found herself mumbling, she knew she really shouldn't make her thoughts so well known whilst they were here, but seeing Hayley again was another blast from the past of someone she really never wanted to see again.

"Your Tyler's Uncle's girlfriend." Hayley remarked back at the sight of Payton and also recognising Stefan.

"Ex girlfriend." Stefan clarified, squeezing her hand back with a small smile back at Hayley, also remembering her from her time in Mystic Falls and he also remembered it not going well just like Payton did.

"Right, of course." Hayley drew in an awkward breathe.

"How do you know each other?" One of the guy's who was with Hayley asked in confusion.

"We go back from my time in Mystic Falls. This is Payton," Hayley introduced her to the two men she was with, before her eyes moved to Stefan, "and this is Stefan."

"What are you doing here?" Another one of the guy's asked, although he had a distinct British accent and said it was more accusingly than the first guy.

"Klaus was helping us. But now our interest has turned." Payton answered with raised eyebrows, wondering what was going on and what it meant for all of them.

"We can help." Stefan offered thinking if it had something to do with their sideline, he had to offer his assistance, because there was no way they were going through this again, they had already done it once and Stefan would try to solve it again.

Reluctantly, the two guys who they learned were Marcel and Lucien, agreed to let them help them, seeing as it also concerned them but they needed all the help they could get, in true Stefan style he decided to make a suggestion of heading to a particular location as a lure by going through tunnels, it was true Stefan style to find a secret way in with the use of a map.

Normally everyone would agree, but it seemed their new foe's seemed harder to convince.

"Could use one of these access tunnels to slip into a back room." He made the suggestion to them as he bent down on the floor and pointed at the map.

Payton stood above him with crossed arms, tensely watching on, knowing she was never good at the plan side of things and would rather leave it up for her fiancé to make a plan.

"Hmm." Lucien mumbled back at his idea.

"What?" Stefan raised his head up to look at him.

"What's wrong with that?" Payton asked a little defensively, she couldn't help it, she had been tense ever since Kol earlier on and now she was stood here with her life on the line with total strangers and Hayley of all people.

"Actually, I'll be doing most of the heavy lifting since most of the vampires we're facing are what, seven times your age?" The guy shot back dryly as Stefan lowered his head and Payton rolled her eyes dramatically, "is this really the best help we can get?"

Marcel stood up from his spot on the stairs, coming closer to them as he did, "It doesn't matter. We're not getting their bodies back. Strix from all over the world are flying in to make sure this spell goes off. They're guarding every entrance and exit."

"Well, you're their leader. Call a meeting, schedule a retreat," Lucian fired back at Marcel, Payton already couldn't stand the guy, he was getting on her nerves every second he opened his mouth, "order them to stop!"

"Nah, nah, nah," Marcel interjected in disagreement, as he went on to explain, "I do that, Aya has no problem staging a coup."

"Marvellous," Lucien grumbled back sarcastically, before he added, "I guess it's on me to come up with our grand plan, then."

"No, need, Lucien," Hayley who had left the room before, was now strolling back in casually, Freya was behind her, "Freya figured out a way to get the boys out of the chambre."

"How?" Payton was quick to ask thinking they always needed a witch to help them.

"She just needs a strong enough power source." Hayley added looking back at Freya.

"I'd channel Finn but he's all for letting our brothers perish," Freya said before moving her gaze onto Lucien, "so I'll channel Lucien. The older the vampire the better the battery.""

Payton couldn't help but smirk at this, as Stefan got onto his feet and went to stand beside her now, "We're gonna buy her some time, keep the Strix occupied." Hayley continued on.

"Wait," Lucien interjected before anymore could be said, clearly he was pissed at this plan, "so you want me here holding hands with leftover sister while you take the three toddlers and tackle the Strix?" They all remained quiet as they looked back at him, causing him to exclaim, "You must be joking..."

Suddenly Freya lifted her hand up and knocked him square out with the use of her magic powers, causing him to crash down onto the couch behind him, Payton and Stefan looked between each other, impressed with how easy that was to get the guy to shut up.

"That was impressive." Stefan told Freya.

"Well, I work better with quiet." Freya answered back with a shrug.

"Wait, so the plan is that the four of us are gonna keep 100 of the worlds most accident vampires occupied?" Marcel was interrupting now not sounding so convinced either.

Hayley gave him a look, but Stefan was speaking up this time, deep in though as he said, "Well there could be another way."

"What?" Payton looked back at her boyfriend hopeful.

"All you have to do is get us to the front door." Stefan answered back looking around at them.

With the help of Stefan's idea, they decided to put together a plan in how to get themselves through the front door without being seen and it wasn't until they quickly went to get themselves ready separately and then meet out front in half an hour, was Stefan making his views about her involvement very clear to her.

"I don't think you should come." Stefan said to her as they sat in their bedroom after consuming a blood bag a while later.

"Don't start!" She grumbled back looking at him in annoyance.

"Payton, I'm serious..."

"No, ok? We're doing this together! Please!" Payton looked back at him sadly.

"I just don't want you to get hurt!" He exclaimed his worries to her.

"Me get hurt? You're the one who is going to open up your scar and lure Rayna Cruiz back to you! I'm not going to leave you to go do that by yourself! I'm going to be there with you to protect you!" She explained to him.

"If something happens to you..."

Payton quickly came over to him, standing in between his legs and cupping his face in her hands, "Nothing will happen, alright? I promise."

Stefan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him, "I can't lose you."

"You won't," She assured him, going to take a seat on his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck, "which is exactly why I am not staying behind and allowing myself to lose you either."

Moments later, Payton found herself laying in the trunk of a car with Hayley and Stefan in the pitch black on the way to carry out the plan to save Klaus and Elijah, it was weird to say the least to be lying there with your fiancé and the girl you never saw eye to eye with years ago but here they were and if she had learn anything over the years was that people you thought you were done with somehow end up coming back into your world in the weirdest ways.

"Are we close?" Stefan asked when he saw Hayley go onto the map app on her cell phone.

"A few more minutes." Hayley answered him before exiting the map and her screensaver coming into view.

Payton's curiosity got the better of her when she saw a small child on the screen, Stefan's interest was also piqued at the sight, "That's a cute kid."

"Yeah. She is." Hayley said in a knowing tone.

Was this her child?

"She the reason you're here?" Stefan gathered after putting the pieces together and after what he had spoken about to Klaus the past few days.

"In a trunk with two strangers going into a fight we might not win," Hayley responded back, as she put her cell phone away, "she's not the only reason but yeah."

"She's Klaus'?" Payton caught on as she looked between the two of them.

Hayley reluctantly nodded back at her, before explaining, "Maybe I just don't want to her to grow up without a father."

"Hmm," Stefan agreed back with her, as his eyes flickered to Payton, who thought back to her own Dad, the years she had missed him because of her Mom's choice to keep him away and now she could understand why Alaric wanted the girls to be so close and safe, because he never got that with her,

"Guess that depends on the father," Stefan then continued on, as Payton listened to him intently, "I could have done without mine. If it weren't for my brother, I wouldn't have survived the guy."

Payton reached across and took Stefan's hand in her own, squeezing it comfortingly after hearing him talk so openly about his family, "So he stood up for you," Hayley replied back to him, as Payton turned back to look at her, "and now you're risking your life for him."

"Yeah something like that." Stefan answered back.

"You're still just as devoted as ever." Hayley remarked referring back to Payton being here.

"Likewise." Payton added, knowing that Hayley had shown her determination just as much as Payton had in the past and very much still now.

"I was shocked though I will admit when I saw the two of you together. I thought it was Tyler's Uncle who had your heart." Hayley went on.

"Life has crazy ways of bringing people together." Stefan said back shining a smile back at Payton.

Payton shone a smile back at him, "You definitely can't help who you fall in love with."

"How is Caroline these days?" Hayley then questioned, as she added, "Klaus had a thing for her."

"We know!" Payton remarked remembering the day Katherine who had been posing as Elena had basically told Tyler that Caroline had slept with Klaus.

It was a disaster.

"Sorry for snapping your neck all those years ago." Hayley apologised for the first time ever to Payton.

"Well, technically it was Adrian, but it will do." She shrugged back at the girl, thinking she could put the grudge behind her.

Before anymore could be said, they pulled up outside the house, they had to remain super still and quiet, before the car began to move again and they were thankfully let through the gate without being seen.

They lay in the trunk in complete silence for the next few minutes or so waiting for the alert to let them know they had to get outside, Payton nervously eyed her fiancé who turned his head to look at her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it comfortingly, knowing tonight was a huge massive risk and even if he hated the idea of her putting herself at risk, he was glad she was by his side, because he did need her, he needed her so much.

When Hayley got the message to let them know they were ready, she announced it to them in a hushed tone, "It's time."

"Hey, listen, I know you two haven't always seen eye to eye and you and we don't really know each other," Stefan began to say to the two of them, as the two girls watched on, "but our lives are in each other's hands and I would love to be able to walk this one down the aisle one day," he said in a quiet tone, as Payton nervously smiled back at him, "so let's make this count."

Hayley turned her head away from them, as Stefan went to roll down his sweater and begin to rub off the paste Freya had put over his mark from the hunters sword earlier that day, Payton felt her stomach clench at the sight of him removing it, knowing now he had the huntress would be onto them, moving faster and faster until she tracked him down, she really hoped this would work out the right way.

Author note: Hey hey! You guys are just the best. Thank you soo much for taking the time to read this brand new part. I really hope you loved it!

Special thanks to team steroline mom, LMarie99, everylittleflowers and Adela for reviewing the last part. You guys are honestly the best. Your reviews make my day!

I'd love to know what you thought about this one.

Should Stefan just ease off a little and let Payton protect him the same way he always protects her?

How was the Kol reunion? I kind of wish I made Stefan punch the guy haha!

Thanks so much.

Best wishes always,

guiltypleasurexo