AN: I do not own anything.

I've got another story in the works on the eventual to write list. It's a KOLENA AU where Elena was human at the same time as the Originals.

Klena01 - it's not Klaus and Elena, but they've got a moment in this chapter.

Guest20 - I loved your pun.

Thank you to everyone for your reviews.

She worried her bottom lip and leaned over far enough so she could look out the window. Everybody always said to never look down, so naturally it was the first thing she did; the ground seemed to pulse with energy, beckoning her fall.

"I don't think I can do this," she cradled her stomach. "I've recently discovered a fear of heights."

"Elena," he raised his voice to be heard over the rushing wind, "Elena," he repeated.

She gripped the window sill and forced herself to turn her head to the left. Miles stretched between her window and the fire escape.

"I c… I can't," her fingers slipped on the window sill.

"You can do this," he reached for her. "Take my hand and climb out." He could hear her heart racing, ready to explode.

"I'll fall," she clung to the window. "Caroline never put me on top of the pyramid because my balance is terrible." Her eyes dropped, dragging a whimper from her throat. "I can't do it."

"You can't stay," he leaned over, managing to brush her fingers with his hand. "That vampire will kill you."

He could see she was ready to back into the apartment and maybe find something made of wood to take her chances with the centuries old vampire. He couldn't let her do that. She had asked him to help her, to save her and her baby, and he would be damned if he didn't do it.

"Elena, look at me," he growled. His tone caught her off guard and she jumped. "Don't look at the ground. Look at me."

Her eyes snapped towards him.

"Good," he exhaled, licking his lips, "keep looking at me, and do everything I say, alright?"

She managed a jerking nod.

"Swing your legs out the window."

Elena adjusted her body on the kitchen counter, wiggling her hips until she slipper her legs out. Her feet dangled over open air and her stomach muscles tightened until she felt certain she had swallowed a rock – a very heavy rock that was only going to make her fall that much faster.

"Keep going," he urged. "Hold onto the window and scoot carefully to the left."

She couldn't see him anymore, and in the absence of his eyes she saw herself plummeting to her sudden death. Alastair wouldn't have to kill her because she would have done it herself.

"I can't see you."

The ledge dug into the back of her thighs.

"Who designs a fire escape this far from a point of access?" She muttered.

"Pretty sure this buildings been renovated," his hand squeezed her knee, "now come on, scoot."

She took a gasping breath, closed her eyes and did as she was told. Her behind inched to the left. Millimetre by millimetre she made her way until she was practically laying on her side.

"Bring your head out now," he gripped her knee. He figured he was leaving small bruises on her leg but he held tight, scared if he let go she would lose whatever nerve she had found and wind up rolling sideways over the edge.

She tucked her chin to her chest and opened her eyes, carefully maneuvering out until only the tips of her fingers were inside.

"Give me your left hand, and straighten up." He gripped her slick palm. "Don't look down," he snapped when he saw her head start to tilt.

"You're very bossy," she swallowed. Her head turned to face him.

"Alpha's are used to getting their way," he smirked, squeezing her hand, "now come on."

Her fingers left the safety of the window and curled around the ledge. The miles of space had retreated now that she was holding his hand. She moved slowly, inching her way until the metal rail pressed against her thigh.

"I'm gonna let go of your hand now," he shifted.

A strong arm curled under her knees, a second slipped behind her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed her eyes shut. For a moment she hung, suspended in the air, but then cold grating hit her feet. Her toes curled against the sensation.

"I made it?" She cracked one eye open.

"You made it," he held her hips until she regained her balance. "We're not done yet."

Elena looked down at her bare feet and the six stories of fire escape between her and potential safety.

"I think I can handle a rickety set of stairs."

"Do you want me to go first, or would you rather have me behind you?" He glanced at the window.

She followed his gaze and shuddered.

"Behind, please," she gripped the metal railing.

"You got it," he nodded.

She took a deep breath and started down the steep steps, careful not to lean too one side or the other.

"Jackson?" She murmured after making the mistake of looking over the edge.

"Yeah?"

"Can you distract me, please? Talk to me."

He caught a glimpse of her ashen face.

"What would you like to talk about?" He watched her careful steps.

"I don't know," she swallowed. Her heart thundered in her ears. "Anything, really… tell me about the city."

A short laugh burst from his throat. "That's a pretty tall order, darlin'."

She glanced over her shoulder. A tiny furrow appeared between her eyebrows. There was something in his eyes that tugged at her.

"The werewolves were driven out of this town decades ago," he explained.

"So," she frowned, "where do you live?"

"In the bayou with my pack," he waved around her body. "Watch your step."

"I didn't realize a lot people lived out there," she turned her attention back to the stairs.

"They do," he chuckled, "but we're not exactly people – at least not often. The wolves were expelled from the city and cursed so most of the time we live as wolves." He turned his head up for a moment, basking in the final moments of day. "This is the first time I've felt the sun on my skin in years."

Elena came to a stop on the last landing and stared at the ladder. She pushed, trying to lower it to the ground.

"I can get it," he motioned her aside.

She moved to give him room, and would have laughed when he dislodged the ladder in one push that caused the metal to clang against the pavement if it hadn't left a twelve foot drop between her and the ground.

"Did I mention you'd be stronger than before?" She bit her bottom lip.

"Forgot that," he rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't suppose you're open to a free fall?"

He chuckled when she shook her head and glanced at the edge of the fire escape before kicking the safety rail.

She cringed at the second clatter and squealed when he picked her up again.

"You might want to close your eyes."

"Your pacing is not helping me concentrate," Bonnie gritted her teeth. She could feel every heavy step he took around the kitchen table.

"Perhaps you lack the proper power to perform a locator spell," he snapped.

"You wanna do the magic instead," she clenched her fists. A powerful urge swept over her commanding her to give the hybrid a killer aneurysm; it would have had the added benefit of shutting him up for a short time. "I don't see any other witches lining up to help you."

She's her friend, his jaw ticked, she's her friend. He repeated the mantra until the desire to maim receded. He stepped back from the table and crossed his arms, leaning against the kitchen island, but the tension still rolled off of him.

Bonnie's shoulders stiffened.

"Perhaps you should step out of the room," Elijah lifted his eyes from the map.

"I've stepped back," Klaus growled, "don't push it."

Bonnie closed her eyes and concentrated, murmuring the spell under her breath until an ache started in her head.

"Nothing," she wanted to tear out her hair when she looked at the spell.

"Perhaps something a little stronger, darling," Kol suggested. He grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and a knife, holding it out to Klaus.

"You've got something in mind?"

"You put enough power behind this and you should be able to break through any cloaking spells." His hand flew across a blank sheet of paper as the bowl slowly filled with blood.

"How do you know all this?" Bonnie relit the candles, positioning the bowl of blood at the top of the map.

"He was a witch," Rebekah leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. "That's good for us right now."

Bonnie studied the words for a moment before saying them aloud. Kol made a few corrections to her pronunciation and then Bonnie held out her hands.

"Cerco il se ra ci," she repeated the words again and again. A trickle of blood dripped from her nose, but she didn't stop because the spell has started to work. A long line of red was crossing the country.

It was still inching it's way when her concentration was broken by a ringing phone.

Jeremy scrambled for it when he felt Bonnie's glare. He fumbled with the buttons until he managed to press the green button.

"Hello?" He rolled his eyes when everyone shifted to glare at him and gave them a look that they all read clear as day. What was he supposed to do: let the ringing continue until Bonnie couldn't concentrate at all?

"Jer?"

"Elena?" He nearly dropped the phone. "Where the hell are you?"

The phone was ripped from his hand before he could get the full question out.

"Are you alright?" Klaus held his breath, not quite ready to feel relief. Relief could wait until she was back in his arms, cringing at his very presence, because then he would know she was safe and unharmed.

"I think so."

"Has he hurt you?"

"I feel okay, but…"

"But?" He heard her shift around as if looking over her shoulder. His heart raced, ready to burst from his chest.

"But… let's just say if I doubted you before I definitely believe you now."

"We should move on, darlin'," a second voice came through the receiver, muffled. "You need to get somewhere safe."

"Elena, love," he forced his voice to remain calm, "where are you?"

"New Orleans…" Metal clanged in the background along with several voices. He thought he heard the word mutt being bandied about but he couldn't be sure.

"I gotta go."

The call disconnected.

"The plane will be ready to go in an hour," Elijah tucked his cell phone into his pocket. "Miss Bennett, would you be kind enough to unlink my siblings and I? We shall have a much better chance of rescuing Elena without it in place."

Elena slammed the phone in the receiver and stepped out of the booth. Jackson moved to block her from view, but not before a couple of the vampires spotted her baby bump.

"Wolves in the Quarter," a tall man with curly brown hair sneered. "Don't you know to stick to your own kind? No wolves in the city."

"Didn't get the message," Elena pushed her hair behind her ear. A layer of grease had settled making her cringe.

"She's not a werewolf," Jackson's eyes narrowed.

"Just traveling with one," another vampire sneered. "You two made a mistake coming here. Marcel's gonna want your heads."

Her blood boiled.

"Do you think I made the choice?" Elena snapped. She shoved around Jackson and stormed towards the vampire, ignoring the prick of stone underfoot. "I can't remember the last time I made a choice. I didn't choose to come here," she spat the words. There was a swooping sensation in her abdomen and the vampires took an involuntary step back; she saw sweat bead on their brows.

"In the last twenty-four hours I've been compelled and kidnapped. I've been tied up and left alone with a body that may or may not have woken back up. I've had to climb out a window, scoot over a narrow ledge and make my way down a rickety fire escape, all because a deranged vampire wants to use me to avenge a centuries' old crime."

Her voice had steadily risen until the final words were shrieked between wild hand gestures. The final syllable was screamed, drawing the eyes of several passersby as the three vampires flew through the air.

She stared at their crumpled bodies with her mouth hanging open before spinning around, searching the crowd for the witch that had clearly come to her aid.

"Who did that?" She whispered to Jackson.

"You did," he frowned, taking a cautious step towards her.

"I… I'm not a witch," she whispered.

"Is the baby?"

Before she could answer a young man rushed out of the crowd and took Elena's arm. His blue eyes flickered to the incapacitated vampires before settling on Elena and Jackson.

"That was foolish," he began pushing Elena down the street. His eyes fell to the brunette's feet. "Where are your shoes?"

"Didn't you hear her screaming?" Jackson hurried after them. "She was kidnapped."

"My shoes are in my house in Virginia," Elena pulled her arm free when they were halfway down a narrow alley. "Who the hell are you?"

"Kaleb; I'm the witch getting you two far away from vampires," he crossed his arms. "It's only a matter of time before more come for you. You just painted a target on your back. Witches can't practice magic in the Quarter."

"I'm not a witch," Elena dug her heels in and refused to move another step.

"Then who used magic to help you?" Kaleb scoffed. "Everyone saw you do it, so even if Marcel didn't have a way to know who the person was practicing magic there are nearly a hundred witnesses to point their fingers at you. And you," his eyes flickered to Jackson, "you should know better than to set foot in the city."

"I'm in the same boat as her," he held out his hands. "And I promised to get her to safety."

"The only safe place for her now is the cemetery," Kaleb gritted his teeth. He could almost feel the vampires approaching. He glanced at Jackson again. "Vampires need an invitation to get in."

"It's not the only safe place," he looked over his shoulder. "You're suggesting a place they can't go, but I know one they won't."

Elena's head turned from one to the other as they had a silent conversation. Kaleb finally broke the silence when a group of teenagers laughed on the street.

"You can't be serious?" He shook her head. "You wanna take a pregnant woman out there?"

"She'll be safe," he lifted his chin. "I can keep her hidden until her friends get here."

"Would it be possible to see a doctor first?" She pressed her hand to her stomach. "The vampire that kidnapped me stuck a very big needle in me."

Kaleb fished a set of keys from his pocket and motioned them to the end of the alley.

Elena could see a car parked just out of reach.

"Come on," he walked backwards, "there's a doctor out there."

I originally had Kaleb's part given to Sophie, but then I changed my mind.

What did everyone think of this chapter?

I made my own palms sweat writing that first bit with Elena trying to get out of the apartment via the window because she couldn't exit through the door.