Elijah laid his hand down on the table he stood next to in his study.

"What are you doing here Miss Forbes." He calmly asked, leveling his eyes towards the nervous blonde.

"Elena heard about Klaus's baby through his hybrids accidentally. She hated the idea of the baby getting hurt. Her humanity was off, and I was trying my hardest not to hurt her because she almost hurt my mom." Elijah tilted his head in slight interest at the news. "So I came here to protect the baby which turned into two," she added brightly before kicking herself "and to keep myself from Elena."

"And what will happen once Elena's turned her humanity back on. What if her Salvatore chaperones persuade her Hayley and Klaus's children should not live?" Elijah played with a pencil-shaped wooden stake he took from a small vase, running his fingers down the smooth wood then catching her eye. She cleared her throat.

"They don't get to decide that an infant or even a dozen of them, should be killed." Caroline replied decidedly. As if she would hear over the phone to Elena or Bonnie that Stefan and Damon had said exactly what Elijah had just said. Or that Bonnie would try to persuade her of the same. Definitely not now."

"Miss Forbes, I have little time currently to navigate the sea of my family's enemies. Suffice to say, if you begin to show any intentions of harm towards Hayley, my brothers, my sister, or the twins." He stepped away from the table and set the stake down. "You will not return to Mystic Falls alive."

Caroline nodded. Elijah smoothly walked from the room, moved a story down and yards away to the lounge. Classical music filled the room. Klaus was already sitting on the couch, staring at his big brother with a limp woman in his arms, blood running from his mouth and down her bare neck. Elijah simply ignored him and selected a book from the shelves lining the walls.

Elijah sat down and began to read. Klaus huffed in annoyance, took the woman in his arms and tossed her onto the table. The blood seeping from her neck began to run down her shoulder, pooling on the table. Elijah glanced at it and flicked another page. Klaus yanked himself to his feet and found a poetry book, then fell back into his spot and read.

Rebekah strode in, taking in the scene. Very peaceful in spite of the dead body in-between them.

"So this is what we do when Elijah's returned, vampire book club?"

"Reading edifies the mind, Rebekah." Klaus chided her. "Isn't that right, brother?"

"Yes that's quite right, Niklaus." Elijah replied.

"And what's this business?" Rebekah asked, gesturing to the dead woman.

"I simply brought in a meal for my big brother, believing that since he has been desiccating in a coffin, he might be a bit peckish."

"And I informed my brother that forgiveness won't be bought. I'd prefer a change in behavior that indicates contrition and personal growth," Rebekah snorted and Klaus rolled his eyes. "not this nonsense."

"Well, I couldn't let her go to waste, could I?" Klaus said with a smug smile. Elijah gave him a look from over his reading material.

"I suppose I have to fetch the rubbish bin, because the dead girl is staining a two-centuries old carpet." Rebekah snapped at them both. Elijah looked at the blood that flowed now from the spot on the table to the white and gold below.

"Indeed." Elijah replied. Klaus stared at him, hoping Elijah would give up his self-control right there and accidentally forgive him. He had other more important things to attend to. Marcel, for one. But now, Caroline was shrinking into herself and he both desperately wanted to know what happened, and didn't want to pry and drive her back to Mystic Falls.

He stood and left Rebekah to clean up his mess, wandering the manor so he could get closer to Caroline's room and hope she was talking to Elena about what was bothering her. Not hearing anything, he groaned internally and went back to the lounge, hoping Rebekah had already cleaned up the blood.

She hadn't.

Hayley stumbled into the room in a loose stiff nightgown that Caroline had bought her a week ago. But the top of it was more open, only covering her breasts. She seemed happy that Elijah was back, much to his dismay. And when he sat back down, pretending to go back to his book, he noticed Elijah smiling after the sleepy Hayley who only trudged into the kitchen without a word to anyone.

When Elijah stood up, put the book on his seat and followed Hayley, Klaus knew this wasn't just a passing fancy anymore. He couldn't let this continue. The last time Elijah had been so disorganized was...he couldn't remember when.

Elijah walked slowly to the kitchen, Hayley halfway visible from behind the fridge door, the door itself looking like all the doors in the house. That must've been confusing to Hayley when she was looking for it. Her hand traveled from shoulder level up to the top of the door, lifting her form.

He knit his fingers together and leaned against the kitchen door, smiling nervously.

"Good morning."

Hayley's hand went back to shoulder level and she looked behind the door, giving him a strikingly big smile. His heart fluttered.

"Hey." She greeted, looking him up and down. She didn't try to hide her reaction and he fought the urge to look into buying tighter suits.

He turned to the first cupboard against the wall to retrieve a bag of organic granola he's bought for Hayley yesterday. Everything he'd gotten while shopping was for her. And he got a weird look for a human man at the store when he checked out, buying prenatal vitamins and home tests to make sure the babies were still healthy in case they weren't able to go to another doctor. Luckily the man didn't overstep and ask about it.

The doors at the back of the kitchen opened and Rebekah nocked the doors to remain open.

"Listen," Hayley greeted Rebekah as she came in "I know I'm the only one in this house that needs to eat human food to live, but would it kill you guys to put milk on the grocery list?"

"Why didn't Caroline already get it?" Rebekah countered.

"She did, but it was a small thing of it and I've already gone through it all." Hayley said, pulling out a container of vanilla ice cream. The Original rolled her eyes at the action.

"Speaking of grocery lists, add bleach." Rebekah flourished a hand towel at Elijah as she passed him. He ignored her.

"You know, I do hope my siblings were hospitable during my absence."

"Caroline's been more 'hospitable' than your siblings." Hayley replied, putting her hands on her hips. The freezer still open, she took out a Sara lee cake as well and closed the door.

"I will try to rectify their mistakes." Elijah replied. Hayley's eyebrows arched in challenge.

"Your absence by the way, is a way-too-nice way of putting that your psycho brother stuck a dagger in you." Elijah smiled at her concern and put the granola on the counter. "I on the other hand have been attacked by French Quarter vampires," He took cake box from her hands and put it along with the ice cream back in the freezer. "and attacked by wolves," he pulled out a jug of orange juice and a bowl. "And crazy zealot witches are convince that these babies are going to end them all." Elijah absorbed her words with worry, pouring the granola into the bowl. She noticed what he was doing and saw he had pulled something else out.

"Oh." She replied meekly. "Milk."

Elijah pulled open the seal cap and poured the milk into the bowl, handing her a spoon. She stared back at him in annoyance.

"Better for the babies, miss Marshall."

"I think it's not too informal to start calling me Hayley, Elijah." She replied with a smile. "They've kept me alive this long. Them and Caroline, I mean. She'd weirdly protective. And Rebekah doesn't want to get blamed in case something happens to Caroline. Klaus and her are helping protect me for Caroline."

Elijah stared at her in surprise. "I suppose I'm just happy to see you in one piece, then." He said. Hayley smiled at him again. "Back to the murderous witches," Hayley pulled on the strap of her nightgown nervously, partially covering her birthmark. "I have some concerns." He leaned against the counter.

"They're evil, plain and simple. And my life is still magically linked to Sophie which I know can't be a good thing."

"Yes, I think it's time we solved that little problem." He replied. The way he said it made her so sure he would do it. But she'd believed him before when he promised to protect her, and then all the supernatural forces New Orleans had to offer were thrown at her. He had to put his actions behind his words.

"I'm all for it." Rebekah chimed in, dragging the dead girl by the arm. Hayley took her glass of orange juice in one hand, preparing to drink it only for Elijah's sake, and assumed the Original was strong enough to carry the girl, but didn't want to for some reason. "As soon as she's unlinked, the sooner we can leave this crap town." Hayley would've been offended by the comment if she didn't want out of town as badly as Rebekah did. The blonde had dragged the girl halfway through the kitchen when she smiled. "Who do we have to kill?"

"Probably no one." Elijah replied nonchalantly. Hayley stared back at him dubiously, glancing at the dead woman. He caught her look. "Okay, potentially everyone." he winked at her and began putting all the groceries he'd taken out back in.

Hayley turned with a grin and walked out.

"Either way, Elijah." She called over her shoulder "When the babies aren't dependent on me to survive anymore, I'm out of here."

His heart skipped a painful beat and he gulped.

Did she really mean that?

Rebekah kept scrubbing at the blood spot on the carpet with elbow-length rubber gloves and a large bucket while Klaus read on the couch. She noticed the book he pretended to look at the words.

"A poetry book about poisoned apples from dead trees. Is someone worried about Caroline?"

"I would discuss the matter with you, but you almost certainly won't help." He sighed and turned the page. "Besides, Elijah's back. In his presence, all problems turn to pixie dust and float away." He added dreamily. Rebekah gave him a measured look and he smiled back at her.

"Strange, I don't recall any pixie dust from the darkness of the coffin I was forced to endure." Elijah replied, rolling out a length of cloth and opening their mother's grimoire.

"What are you doing with mother's spell book?" Rebekah asked curiously.

"In exchange for my freedom, I promised the young witch Davina a few spells from Esther's grimoire. To help her learn to control her magic. I thought we'd start with a linking spell."

"The noble intimidating Elijah having to make deals with a child in order to be free. Good thing no one else knows about that." Klaus taunted him with a smug grin. Elijah shot him a glare. "Besides, Marcel informed me yesterday that Davina has been moved. How will you find her in order to bring her the pages?"

"For a man about to become a father, I assumed you'd be all too willing to lend a hand to your brother who is trying to save the woman bearing your child." Elijah snapped. Klaus's smile faded. Elijah put the linking spell in the cloth and tucked it into his jacket pocket.

"We do a location spell on Davina." Klaus offered.

"Will Sophie be alright with sacrificing another of her witch friends?" Rebekah asked rhetorically.

"We ask Sabine." Elijah decided. "And distract Marcel's men for long enough that they have no way of tracking her down."

Rebekah and Klaus smiled and she got haphazardly to her feet.

"You have Sabine do the location spell." Elijah pointed to her.

"Kill any vampire who gets too close." Rebekah added.

"After the spell is done, I need five minutes alone with Davina. Niklaus, I need you to make sure we are not interrupted."

"What about Hayley?" Klaus taunted.

"I assume Caroline can attend to that?" Elijah asked in response. Of course, as soon as this little mission was over, he would be the sole caretaker of Hayley's well-being. Even if Caroline seemed intimidated by him, he'd learned the individuals in Mystic Falls were much too loyal to each other to help any outsiders for long.

Klaus dropped by Caroline's room to fill her in on the day's upcoming events and heard soft sobbing. He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Caroline croaked. Klaus lightly pushed on the door, and it opened a few inches. He could see Caroline sitting on the edge of the bed, shaking and pressing her hands against her face. He pushed the door open and closed, then cautiously went to sit beside her.

"What's happened love?" Klaus asked gently. He felt like he pushed his boundaries by putting a hand on hers as she dropped it into her lap, but she didn't pull away.

"It's Bonnie." She sobbed. She shook her head and lifted her eyes to his scared face. "She died. She's dead."

Klaus looked away for a moment to consider the ramifications. Then he turned back to her and took her hand in both of his.

"I am so, very sorry for your loss, Caroline." Klaus said. The look in his eyes made her believe it. She sniffed and managed a small smile, before pulling her hand from his and covering her face again. He watched her and shifted back slightly.

"What will you be doing?" He asked.

"The funeral's gonna be a couple days from now." Caroline told him. "So that I can make it there."

Klaus nodded. "I suppose you'll need to go back earlier than that to prepare."

Caroline choked on another sob and coughed. "It won't be too hard to leave now. Elijah doesn't want me here, he can protect Hayley until the babies are here."

Klaus gulped. "If that's what you want, love." He looked away. For the first time in a while, he wished whoever had taken the Bennett witches' life a slow and painful one. "Once we've settled things with Sophie Deveraux and Hayley, I shall take you back to Mystic Falls myself."

Caroline sniffed and gave him a bigger smile in reply. "Thank you."

Klaus nodded.

"I would stay here, but I'm needed elsewhere." He added.

"Yeah, of course. Of course." Caroline replied, wiping her eyes. "I'll watch Hayley and keep her safe while you guys are gone."

"Thank you, love." He replied. He stood up and slowly walked away. His eyes became wide. When was the next time he would be able to be as close to her as he was now. He turned around and before she could react, he cupped her shoulder and softly pecked her forehead.

"I'm truly sorry, Caroline." He emphasized. Caroline smiled with her eyes closed, and didn't reply as he left the room.

Sophie chopped some parsley to prepare for the next round of customers while Sabine sat on table behind her, swinging her legs.

Sabine knew what was going to happen. She would feign ignorance if Duong confronted her, but otherwise this needed to be done.

She just had to keep Sophie here for long enough. They would find another way to take Marcel down.

Sophie gathered the resulting fistful of chopped parsley and whipped around to add it to her other chopped food. She looked at Sabine and gave her a disgusted look.

"I cook on that, you know." Sophie quipped, then put the parsley on the far end of Sabine.

"Don't get cranky with me." Sabine rebuked her with a mom looks that descended into a bitchy smile. Sophie thought back to her own mother who didn't force her to work on her magic like she did with Jane-Anne. She had wondered for months now if that was the right thing to do. Maybe if she had magic she would be more useful that a glorified middleman between the most ancient vampires in supernatural history and her sister's coven filled with zealot witches. It felt like only a matter of time before they turned against her in favor of a 'better' plan.

And Jane-Anne. Rebekah had told her Marcel was willing to allow the witches to resurrect her. She had to learn if that was true, and definitely wanted to know if it was so he could be with her officially or not. She absently gathered all the ingredients on the table up to begin another stew.

"I'm the only witch that still likes you." Sabine added. Sophie scoffed and took her food to the big gumbo pot.

"It's not like I'm trying to save the witch heritage or anything." Sophie muttered to herself, stirring a stagnant boiling stew. She turned around to see Sabine giving her a sympathetic look.

"They'll come around." Sabine lied. If there was one thing the witches did better than magic, it was hold a grudge, and they both knew it. "They're just old-school and scared."

"Scared of what, your vague prophecy about the hybrid baby?" Sophie taunted. Sabine glared at her. "Agnes and her freak show minions had a real field day with that one." She spat.

"I can't help what I see, So-" Sabine replied, parroting what Duong had told her when she confessed about the vision.

"Well if you're psychic, I'm Martha Stewart." Sophie interrupted. "Scooch." She shooed as she went for the rest of the ingredients. Sabine smiled and it took her a minute to jump down from the table, her curly hair flying in her face. As she wandered over to offer help, suddenly the witches were there, all of their faces covered with full-face hoods. She plastered on a confused and terrified face, hoping Duong wasn't among them silently waiting for the chance to punish her for misusing her trust.

"What the-"

One witch grabbed her shoulder from behind, spun her around and hit her hard enough across the face to send her flying. She flung herself against the corner of the table, and fell unconscious and bleeding on the floor. Sophie threw a fistful of grain in one witches' face as a knee-jerk reaction and hit another attacking witch with a fist throw over her shoulder. Before taking another down, they gripping her hand and blew magic dust into her face. She nearly crumpled to the ground immediately but was swept into a stronger witches' arms.

"Let me go!" Sophie demands fell on deaf ears as they forced her into the same corner Hayley had cowered when they had presented her to Klaus and Elijah.

She tried to pull free but the hands holding her were too strong. She glanced off to the side where there was movement, and noticed.

Agnes.

The elderly African american woman stared at her with solemnity, before turning to put her bag on the table beside her.

"Don't be so rough." Agnes suggested to her captives.

"Killing me to get to Klaus and his baby is not the answer, Agnes." Sophie tried to reason with her heart rate running sixty miles a minute. She wasn't afraid of death, far from it. Then, she'd see her niece, and her sister, and her parents and all her witch friends who had died. But dying right now would be horrible timing.

"I'm not gonna kill you, Sophie." Agnes chided her with her back facing the girl. She pulled items from her bag, laying them out carefully. "It would hurt me just as much as it would hurt you. Besides, I was there on the day you were born."

The witches finished chaining Sophie to the corner of the room and walked away. Sophie tried to jerk free but they were seal tight.

"But I am an elder. The last living elder of Jane-Anne's coven. And being so, it's my duty to protect our power. Our power means nothing if that baby grows another day."

"You're willing to kill a defenseless innocent baby because of some stupid vision?!" Sophie demanded as Agnes neared her. Agnes showed her what she'd held in her hands. A giant hypodermic needle. Sophie knew exactly what it was.

"No. No, Agnes no no!" Sophie struggled harder on her chains, beginning to be scared. If this worked...it would be even harder to fulfill her promise to Jane-Anne.

Agnes gently but firmly pushed Sophie's head to the side and sunk the giant needle into her neck right to the hilt.

"Ow!" Hayley gasped, feeling her skin on her neck. A big spot of blood came back, and she inspected it further. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought.

"What, what happened?!" Caroline asked in panic, running in the room. Hayley showed her the blood and went back to her neck. The spot was stinging and burning, but not bleeding anymore.

"The connection with Sophie?" Hayley suggested, looking at her. "It felt like I was being stabbed." Caroline shared Hayley's concerned look.

"This can't be good." Caroline replied, immediately pulling out her phone to call Klaus.

Sabine woke groggily, rubbing at her head. She shouldn't have bashed her head so hard on the table, it's possible that some of the kidnappers were paying attention and noticed how dramatic that was. She'd need to keep her eye out for a little while until this baby business was over.

Then an face popped up over her. She fought the urge to gasp. Elijah.

"What happened." He asked coldly, offering her an obligatory hand. She reached up in reply and he gripped her elbow as she steadied herself on her feet.

"It was Agnes." Sabine replied. She saw Klaus waiting at the threshold of the room. Good, stay there. She thought bitterly. "Her men took Sophie." She said grimly.

"One day with you in charge brother, and already the witch link to Hayley is abducted by zealots." Klaus said, Elijah sighing in annoyance.

"Where is she?" Elijah asked.

"Agnes isn't going to kill Sophie, she's too attached to her. Loves her like family." Sabine assured them. Elijah glanced at Klaus and they relented.

"We need your assistance with another matter anyhow." Elijah replied. Sabine gave him a questioning look. "Please locate Davina Claire for us again." He said.

"What? Unless you have some way to keep Marcel's men away from me, there's no way." She protested.

"How about an ancient vampire bodyguard?" Rebekah asked as she turned the corner and came into Sabine's view.

The witch held Rebekah's gaze for a moment, turned to Elijah and nodded.

Elijah walked casually to the entrance of the loft Davina now stayed in. The vampire who had been guarding her, a nightwalker, was knocked out. This wouldn't take long any way.

Davina didn't notice him. She was feverishly running dark streaks of charcoal down her big white sheets of paper.

She didn't know the big picture she was drawing. But she knew whatever she was drawing, it was bad. So she had to keep going so that when she finished, she'd be able to tell Marcel.

A knocking soft on the doorway tore her attention.

Elijah.

Davina crossed her arms. Then Elijah pulled a parcel from his jacket. She smiled in spite of herself.

"I thought you wouldn't be able to find me again." Davina challenged him as he neared her.

"I had my ways, Davina." He replied with a smile of his own. The location spell was very easily handled, and Rebekah only had to kill two or three men.

"I did make a promise to help you, after all."

The spell was laid out on a table, and Elijah brought a thick ball of rope out as well, thick cables of it made it so big it needed to be held in two hands. The two ends of the ball came out a foot each way. Davina looked at him.

"This is a sanguinem knot. It's used by witches, as representational magic. Once, when I was still human, I was a witch as well." He turned to the surprised teenager. "My mother taught me how to complete this spell as one of my first lessons."

"If you can unknot the rope using that spell, you have taken an important step towards controlling your power."

Davina gave him a hesitant look.

"This requires more power than you realize. Now, if you can perform this, I shall return with another page." Elijah said. Her hesitant look became fearful. "A spell of your own choosing next time. I believe you can do this."

He walked out and the vampire was awake. He gripped the vampire's shoulder.

"Tell me, are you on vervain?" He asked.

"What's that?" The woman asked. Elijah just nodded and took the other shoulder as well.

"I was never here." He said. The woman repeated it to him and he turned and walked out. When she heard Elijah was gone, she went to the doorway and looked at Davina.

"You know I'm gonna have to tell Marcel." She said. Davina looked at her with caution.

"Please don't. I'll make you a daylight ring if you don't tell." Davina promised. The woman heard the magic words. She flashed a smile and turned back to her post.

Marcel stared at his shot he'd ordered an hour ago, tuning out the feeding from other vampires near him. Josh passed him, and glanced down at him.

"Hey, everything okay?" Josh asked.

"The kid I turned a few weeks ago, right?" Marcel replied. Josh nodded. "Look, I know you want a daylight ring. But truth be told, I got guys eighty years ahead of you."

Josh's heart dropped, and he nodded. "Noted. Sorry." He turned and began to walk away.

"Wait." Marcel called to him. Josh turned back.

"You know Klaus Mikaelson, right?" Marcel asked. Josh froze. He forgot, could Marcel compel him too? "I had you give him a lift a few times. To the Palace Royale, right?"

"Uh, uh yeah. P-Palace Royale." Josh replied.

"You see, I went there after our last argument to apologize. Turns out he lied about living there. Lied."

"When I dropped him off, it was at the Palace Royale. Maybe he'd moved since then?" Josh asked hopefully. Marcel's eyebrow rose in derision.

"Have you heard the phrase, 'uneasy is the head that wears the crown'?"

"Lord of the Rings?"

"Shakespeare. When I was a kid, Klaus taught me to read by those stories. Always about some king who gained the world by lost their soul." Marcel stared at the ground, deep in thought again. He turned away from Josh, thanking him offhand.

He understood those stories now. When it's all said and done in those stories, and you look at what you've built, it comes down to who you can trust. Who he could trust.

He downed the shot, and rifled through his guys. None of the day or nightwalkers he had around him he trusted implicitly. Diego was close, but too riled up to give him advice when he needed it.

There was someone he trusted. But who he had thought betrayed him. Marcel leapt to his feet and ran out of the bar.

When he got to the garden, he zeroed in on the last person he put there.

Thierry Vanture.

"Marcel." Thierry croaked. "Punishing me again?"

"I have a bit of a problem, and I was trying to think of someone I trust. Then I came to someone in my mind. You." Marcel put the lantern down and picked up a pick ax.

"You and I are going to have a chat about Klaus Mikaelson." Marcel said, then swung and knocked a few bricks off of Thierry's desiccating body.

"Time for the twins to have a snack." Caroline called, bringing in a bucket of apples. She took measure of Hayley. "Have you thought of any names yet?"

"No." Hayley replied, looking at the food before her. Caroline shrugged.

"Take one. Rebekah said the place is 'lousy' with them."

"Isn't this a plantation?" Hayley said, taking two apples. One for each baby, Caroline would say.

"I asked that before. Apparently after Klaus was able to come back here, he had the place leveled and desecrated the graves of the owners before. You know, because they were slave owners." Hayley nodded. "Then he built the place back up because it's a good spot to 'hide from the family's enemies'."

Hayley chuckled and took a bite.

"How's your neck?" Caroline asked.

"I feel fine. Which is weird. Wouldn't I be in unspeakable pain after being stabbed?"

"And after whatever happened to Sophie happened." Caroline agreed, setting the bowl down. "Do me a favor and don't end up dying from this, yeah?"

"You know, when I met you I thought you were just an insecure little girl."

Caroline steeled herself. "What made you think otherwise?"

"Well, taking care of me, for one. And being here, around Klaus? I figured you and Tyler were solid. If you don't care what he thinks and he's still your boyfriend-"

"He's not." Caroline interrupted. "He's a jerk, and let's leave it at that."

"Okay." Hayley replied uncertainly, giving her a measured look. She went to take a bite of the apple, and felt a surge of heat in her stomach, and it went to her head.

"Oh." Hayley said out loud, blinking heavily and leaving the apples on the table, forgotten.

"What is it?" Caroline said.

"I don't know." The wolf replied. She shook her head. "Probably morning sickness."

Caroline felt her head. "You're running a high fever. This isn't morning sickness. Back to bed, come on."

Sophie looked at the two men who stood guard on her, making sure she didn't escape before Hayley's baby died. Monsters.

Though, she knew she couldn't throw stones. She did lure Hayley's protectors here and threaten to kill Hayley if they didn't help her.

"Hey." She called to the one on her right. The man didn't move. "My wrist is getting sore, man. Are you sure you put these on the right way?"

"What's going on." The other man replied dryly.

"The cuff on this is too tight. I thought Agnes told you guys not to be rough with me." Sophie said. The man to her left scoffed and went to check her cuff.

Quickly, she headbutted him, which sent pain through her as well as him as he fell to his knees. She took the opportunity and kneed him in the nose, then kicked the man to her right square in the solar plexus. She yanked hard enough that the chain on her left broke loose, though now her wrist was raw and she would catch hell from Caroline for that. With one hand free, she opened the other cuff. For good measure she punched the remaining guard out, then ran from the crypt.

The Mikaelsons were already at the manor, gathered around Hayley in worry.

"Agnes stuck me with a needle." She greeted them.

"Agnes, again?" Hayley replied, rolling on the bed and groaning.

"Did she chain you to the frickin' wall or something, is that her wrists are so sore?" Caroline demanded.

"How is this needle you were stabbed with making Hayley get feverish so fast?" Rebekah asked.

"Cursed objects were created a long time ago. We use them so we don't get busted for using magic." Sophie explained. "The one she used is the Needle of Sorrows. It was cursed in 1680-"

Klaus rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Jump ahead a few decades and tell us what it does."

"It has just one purpose. To kill a child in utero by raising the it's blood temperature." Sophie said. Caroline wet another hand towel and soaked cool water into Hayley's forehead, stray water droplets running into the woman's hair and down her neck. She shivered at the feeling but the heat stayed the same.

"So how long do we have to fix this?" Elijah asked.

"It'll do it by tonight's high tide. Believe me," Sophie looked at Hayley. "It will work."

"Precisely why we need to unlink you from Hayley. Less danger towards her and her child." Elijah said, leveling his eyes at Sophie.

"No, what?!" Sophie demanded, stomping towards him. "We had a deal!"

"We are not on the same side, Sophie Deveraux." He replied at a growl. Sophie gulped. "Our deal is null and void."

Sophie stared back, not believing her ears and a little scared of what Elijah would do to her if she was there any longer than she needed to be.

Klaus stared at Caroline in a panic. What would happen if he lost the one thing that could keep her here? He pursed his lips and took Sophie's arm.

"You're going to help us tend to Hayley, until the link is broken. No harm will come to you." He promised. Sophie nodded and went to Hayley's side.

Marcel handed Thierry a flask of blood, which the vampire slowly took from and sipped. This was the first time his man had desiccated, and unfortunately, they both knew that he would go right back to it after he helped root out the plot Marcel suspected.

"I warned you about Klaus." Thierry groaned, blood staining his pale lips.

"Yeah, I should've listened. This guy's been in my town for months. But hiding where he and his family sleeps. What else is he hiding, is what I want to know. I'm listening now."

"If I tell you, would you let me off for good behavior here in a decade or two?" Thierry asked.

"Klaus Mikaelson got you in here. Soon as he's gone, I'll let you back out."

Thierry sighed. "The night of the masquerade party, you sent us to roust the witches?" Marcel looked away, knowing it was Klaus that put the idea in his head to begin with. He was good, or Marcel was a little rusty. "Max went straight for Katie's throat." Thierry ground out. "Now you said to roust." He pointed the flask at him in emphasis. "You didn't say to kill."

Marcel looked away, considering. Max was someone he turned, sure. But compulsion does insane things to the humans and vampires.

"The daylight ring spell." Marcel prompted.

"It was too easy to be found. In that shop, you need someone to help you find something or else you'd never do it." Thierry protested. Marcel scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration. Klaus played him like a fiddle.

"Which means not just Max was compelled." Marcel added, nodding.

"Watch your back." Thierry noted, drinking another slug of blood. Marcel stood up.

"I could let you have a little free time outside for a while, until I get back. Long as you stay out of sight." Marcel offered. Thierry shook his head.

"Better to just get back into the pain before I get too used to the freedom, Marcel. Less for you to do, also." Thierry replied, standing with him.

Davina's hands hovered two feet over the knot. The page propped up beside it. She closed her eyes and drew a shaky breath.

"Phesmatos, omnio ligor...coldate sangorium." She knew she mispronounced one or two of those words. That didn't help. She tried again, sounding out the syllables.

The knot merely stared back at her as if laughing at her incompetence.

You have the power of all your Harvest girl friends, and yet you can't make me one length of rope.

The voice sounded like Klaus's. She shook her head and tried one more time.

Nothing.

She pursed her lips, holding her hand in one hand and the other on her hip in frustration. She'd made the daylight ring for her guard, that one was easy. Marcel taught her how. And she couldn't unknot this stupid thing.

She resisted the urge to throw it across the room.

Sophie mopped the sweat from Hayley's collarbones, tying her hair back and laying a cold washcloth on her forehead.

Caroline came into the room.

"How're you feeling?"

"Like I've been microwaved." Hayley moaned. "Where's Elijah?"

Sophie looked at Caroline and Rebekah and Elijah breezed into the room.

"I may know a way to slow the fever down." Sophie said. Caroline glared at her.

"Why didn't you bring this up when you got here?!" The younger vampire demanded. Sophie put up her hands.

"I only just thought of it, I've been trying to wrack my brain for solutions since they stuck me with the damn needle."

"Alright, what are the herbs?" Rebekah asked.

"Here," Sophie said, getting up and finding paper and pencil.

"There's no time for that, just text it to me." Caroline replied, beginning for the door.

"Do you even know where to look for herbs, Caroline?" Rebekah demanded. Caroline looked from Sophie to her.

"I genuinely thought you were following me already." Caroline replied in sarcasm. Rebekah rolled her eyes and breathed through her nose.

Rebekah checked a small shelf on a wall while Caroline went to the table.

"We just need the last item now, found the sorrel." Caroline called.

"What's the last on the list again?" Rebekah asked. "And what are your intentions with my brother?"

Caroline nearly dropped the small glass bottle. "What?"

"I said," Rebekah stood. "What. Are. Your intentions. With my brother."

"I don't know what you mean." Caroline said, turning back to the main table.

"Are you going to keep leading him on, make him think he's going to have some sort of relationship with you outside of you being a glorified midwife? Or are you going to be here even if he doesn't keep the babies?"

Caroline was saved from the question with the bell ringing on the door, and a vampire looking at them both.

"Who's your friend?" The woman asked. Rebekah maintained eye contact with her and Caroline went to a different shelf farther into the store.

"Isn't this Katie's shop?" She asked. She nodded to Caroline. "Is she the new owner?"

"She's a vampire, and has a name. And she's also busy, like your Original friend." Caroline called.

"She leave you the keys in her will, or do you Originals like to leave a running credit?" The woman asked with a grin at her own joke.

"You know, I read that if you mix mugwort with sage, you've got quite the vampire repellent." She turned to a basket hanging in the air, looking through the bottles. "Wards off even the most resilient pest. Why are you here?" Rebekah asked.

"Just keeping my city safe from thieves and vandals." The vampire replied. "Which leads me to you two."

"If you want to keep your head attached to your body, you'll keep what you saw tonight to yourself." Rebekah replied, looking at Caroline. The younger vampire lifted a bottle of camphor with a nod then started to leave.

"What, you're not going to try to compel me?" The woman asked.

"I know you and your brood are taking vervain, don't insult my intelligence." Rebekah snapped. As Caroline breezed by, the woman vampire tried to take her arm. Caroline grabbed her and threw her to the ground.

"Careful with the herbs!" Rebekah scolded.

"Do you want her to follow us?" Caroline demanded back. Rebekah shook her head bitterly. She quickly broke the woman's neck with a strong step on her head, and they left.

"She's burning up, we need to do this now." Caroline spoke urgently, wiping what little water she had left onto Hayley's forehead. The wolf audibly moaned now with a blanket wrapped around her and sitting at the edge of the pool outside. Caroline rushed the washcloth to Klaus.

"Get her some more water." She ordered. Klaus moved without a word, and Rebekah watched him in wonder.

Elijah had carried Hayley out of the house, whispering things to her Caroline felt the need to tune out. She hoped Klaus wasn't paying attention to them...but knew that he was.

Rebekah stood by Sophie, watching the woman grind the herbs into powder, one ingredient at a time. Once upon a time, she had been learning about magic, and not as a vampire. Kol was the only one of the family that missed those days, though.

Elijah stripped his jacket off and glanced at Hayley. He trotted up to her as Caroline joined Rebekah and Sophie, bending down to sit by her and glancing back to see if Klaus had returned from getting water yet.

"Get her in the pool." Sophie called to Elijah. Instead of sitting all the way, he flung his arm out and jumped in. Caroline wondered if Hayley wasn't too fever-addled to notice he was trying to impress her. She gasped loudly and slowly reached for Elijah's shoulder as he took hold of her waist, her blanket falling off.

"How's a midnight swim going to help?" Rebekah asked.

"Her temperature is sky-high." Sophie replied, beginning to pour a liquid into the herbs and mixing it hurriedly. "The water, with the help of the herbs, should cool us down."

Rebekah had forgotten that Sophie was suffering through this fever as well, but with beads of sweat running down her forehead, she still wiped it away to help the girl. The woman truly was a ride-or-die ally. Though it could be that pregnant and pregnant with twins, makes this curse ten times worse.

Sophie hurried to the edge of the pool, not caring about soaking her shoes and clothes as she stomped down the steps to where Elijah and Hayley now stood waist-deep in the water. She handed a small cup to the wolf.

"Drink this." Hayley took the cup with a damp hand, some chlorine getting in as she tried to down it. Elijah gently pressed his fingers to the bottom of the cup to keep her taking it every last drop of the substance even as she gagged. "You're gonna have to get her heart rate down." Sophie added desperately.

"How do you suggest I do that?" Elijah asked in a panic. Klaus brought a bowl of water from the house, about to hand it to Caroline.

"Hold her. It's a natural human remedy to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure." Sophie instructed. Klaus stepped to get into the pool, but Caroline stopped him. He looked at her in surprise, but she ignored him, keeping her hold on his sleeve.

"This is never gonna work." Rebekah said. Caroline stood up the edge of the pool, switching her stance nervously with her arms crossed.

"Have a little faith." Caroline scolded. Rebekah glared at her.

"Davina will break that link!" Elijah called back, sounding sure enough that all who heard believed him. Klaus pursed his lips. "We just need time."

"They'll be fine." Caroline murmured to him. Klaus looked at her again, and as she looked on...he believed her.

Hayley huffed loudly, obviously in pain now. Elijah took her legs up in one arm and her other arm slung over his shoulders.

She had been trying this for hours. Doing this for hours. Repeating the same damn phrase, over and over and over. It. Wasn't. Working.

Davina took up the paper and looked it over again.

Maybe the drawings weren't just for show. Maybe...maybe it wasn't just something that you clicked your fingers and suddenly it does what you want.

You needed to feel it.

Davina had decided an hour ago that she'd try again tomorrow, but a little niggling in her mind told her to try just one more time before she went to sleep. She slid off her bed, walked up the knot and picked it up in both hands, fashioning her fingers in the shape of a clam shell. The clam shell she'd heard, didn't let go of its pearl easily. Her fingers dug into the rough material.

She closed her eyes.

"Phesmatos omnio ligor coldate sangorium." She whispered, then began to chant it in her mind. She knew she was pronouncing the words correctly now, somehow.

Hayley gasped loudly, clutching at her chest. "I can't breathe." She told Elijah, tears forming in her eyes. Her womb-stomach, wherever it was, felt like someone was slowly shoving a red hot poker into every available inch of her skin. Her back was sore, her hair sweaty down to the tips. She was going to die for these stupid babies.

"Okay." Elijah replied, beginning to raise his voice higher than her panicking breaths. "Take long deep breaths. Hayley, look at me." She turned her eyes to him and felt like he was looking directly at her soul. "Long deep breaths." He repeated. "Just focus on the sound of my voice." She clutched her free arm against herself, her hold on his shoulder tightening. She closed her eyes, beginning to claw her way to a long, deep breath. It was easier said than done.

Hayley tipped her head back, suddenly wishing she was submerged in the water. It was as if Elijah read her thoughts, as his voice dropped with whispered 'You'll be okay's' and he bent down, dipping her to her scalp into the pool as she slowly arched her back to embrace the cold.

Davina had been chanting the phrase in her head for a few minutes. Inside she felt something...click. The next step on the page said to take the knot by the ends, and drags her hands out as if to pull the knot free loosely.

"Vingulia...cordit."

Midnight chimed. Hayley screamed. A piercing, pain-filled screech that rattled Elijah. Caroline took a step to the pool but Klaus stopped her. She glanced at him in incredulity.

"You won't be able to help now, love." Klaus muttered, staring back at her in sympathy. Caroline looked back at Hayley, biting her lip and stomping her foot in her vexation.

Elijah clutched her closer, hoping that if he just kept his eyes on her, she would be fine. Come on, Davina. He thought.

Davina looked at the knot, and knew the final step was to let go of it. If it just fell to the table, she's just try again tomorrow. But as her hands moved away, the ends began to disappear in the knot, floating in midair, and the main ball of rope itself kneading and swirling.

Un. Knotting.

She grinned in pride as it slowly became just a length of rope.

Take that, Klaus!

Sophie took a deep breath in surprise. Hayley continued to breathe hard, but her panicked breaths became deeper, her hold on Elijah loosening minutely. He tried to shush her to calm her.

"I just felt it lift." Sophie said.

Caroline sighed in relief. That meant the babies would be okay. She fought the urge to throw her arms around Klaus's neck. She instead turned to Rebekah, who let out a small happy giggle and threw her arms around her, not even caring if the stunned vampire would in turn snap her neck. The babies were okay. They were okay, and Hayley was alive.

Rebekah put her hands on Caroline's back and smiled, then glanced at Klaus, who stared back at her in jealousy.

Hayley looked at Elijah, who'd gazed at Sophie in surprise. She pulled her legs from Elijah's grasp, standing but still bending at her waist. Her stomach was still tender.

Sophie took her earring out and pricked her palm, uncaring of the sting of chlorine now hitting her blood.

Elijah watched, then took Hayley's hand in his fingers and looked at her palm.

No little speck of blood. They were unlinked.

Hayley was okay. There was a brief moment there, during Hayley's screams, that he thought he'd failed. And he wouldn't have even cared if Klaus mocked him for the rest of his days for letting the children die, this beautiful fascinating woman being ripped from him without him even knowing her that well would've been punishment enough.

He looked at her, and their eyes locked. Klaus's jaw ground, but he ran into the house. Elijah noticed, and broke eye contact with Hayley as she glanced at his mouth. He turned her around and she groaned in pain again.

"Come on, let's go." He coaxed. She sunk deep into the water until only her head poked out as she walked ahead of him.

"I gotta stay in here for a little longer." Hayley muttered, making her way to the wall of the pool and laying against it, staring at the moving water. He noticed that when he broke their moment it hurt her. He had to find a way to fix that.

"Elijah." Sophie called to him. "I know you don't owe me anything. But please, don't let your brother kill Agnes." Elijah stared at her.

"We don't know where she is anyway, right?" Caroline asked. Sophie shook her head.

"There's a thousand places for her to hole up in until this blows over."

"Miss Deveraux, this will not simply blow over. Your elder tried to kill the babies, inside this girl's womb. There is nothing that will stop my family from killing her if we even get a whiff, of where she truly is."

Sophie stared at him in shock.

"What." Elijah snapped.

"Elijah." Rebekah said, staring at him as well. As was Caroline. And Hayley.

"D-did you say...babies?"

Rebekah walked into the house, and found where Elijah had finished changing into dry clothes. He was just putting on his jacket, staring hard at the wall. Deep in thought.

"The unlinking worked." She greeted with a desperate smile. She was scared what she was about to ask, he wouldn't agree to. "Maybe now we can make plans-"

"Not now, Rebekah." He interrupted, almost cutting her shoulder as he went by. "Can we discuss this when I return?"

"I won't be here when you return." She cut back, facing him. He looked at her from the door frame, surprised and trying to school it.

"That sounds like a goodbye." He replied.

"I guess it is." Rebekah stared back with tears in her eyes. She didn't want to leave by herself, again. But she had told Hayley and Caroline she wouldn't stay, she knew Klaus already would know it. She had figured Klaus would keep Hayley and the twins safe by himself while she and Elijah took the world by storm. Or at least she'd hoped so. It had been a while since she spent time with her favorite big brother.

"I only came to New Orleans to make sure you were safe. You are." Elijah stared at her incredulously. "I thought that I might be able to convince you to come with me, but here you are, off on your next hero quest. And I finally get it. You'll never leave Klaus." A tear fell from her eye, but her voice didn't break.

"Then you should stay." Elijah replied, coming back to her.

"This thing that you, Klaus and Marcel have going on, I want no part of it. I just want to be free." Then, her voice broke. She well and truly was planning on going out that door, and maybe in a decade she'd meet the twins Hayley gave birth to.

"Well then, go." Elijah said, pecking her cheek as a goodbye. Rebekah looked away. "You are free." He turned and left the room swiftly, as Rebekah pulled herself together.

Maybe there was someone else she could persuade to join her.

Echoing footsteps down the entryway to Marcel's compound caught his attention as he sipped whiskey.

"Rebekah." He greeted. "Twice in one night. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He looked at her uncaring figure as she looked down on him.

"Call me old-fashioned, but I believe farewells are best in-person." She replied, walking to him.

"Got Elijah back, now you're both gonna tuck tail and run. Smart girl." He taunted. She looked back at him, and he thought he detected hurt in her eyes. Not because of him, though. "Have a nice life." He added, finishing his drink.

"No one's running. And Elijah's staying here. I'm merely disembarking a sinking ship."

"People have been saying this city's sinking since I was a boy." Marcel said, narrowing his eyes. "It ain't going anywhere." Rebekah shook her head at his faith in this place.

"But hey, if you're going, that's one less Original I gotta worry about." He picked up the whiskey bottle and gestured to her. "How bout for the road?" He poured without a reply.

"Why, so you can liquor me up and convince me to stay?" She teased. He looked back at her slyly. Then stood and brought the two glasses to her.

"Why else did you come here?" He asked in response. She breathed heavily, itching to crash her mouth to his like she'd done a million times.

"I came to say goodbye." Rebekah affirmed. Marcel stared back at her, seeing right through her. He slowly took a few more steps in, softly leaving her glass by the table she'd stood next to.

"Then say it." He whispered in her hair. He pulled back, and his eyes became all-black with desire. She couldn't help staring at his lips. His gaze flickered to her mouth as well.

"Good riddance." She breathed, turning from him. He caught her arm as she spun and pulled her back, catching her surprised look before cupping her face and kissing her as he'd wanted to for days.

She pushed away from him in shock, but as his look turned from desire to anger, she lunged for him, taking the breath from his lungs. He walked them backwards to the table, pulling her onto his lap. She yanked his shirt off with another kiss, and pulled back. Marcel bowed his head to her chest, pulling her shirt open and kissing her breast, working his way up to her neck as she panted.

Somehow, amid reminiscing how much she missed this, they ended up in her old bedroom. And she remembered just how sweetly he made love to her.

Rebekah leaned over the railing of the balcony, only in his shirt and her underwear, listening to the jazz outside. She heard Marcel's bare feet shuffling to her, and his bare torso and arms pressed up around her body. She hummed.

"I've been away for almost a hundred years, and you haven't changed a thing in my bedroom." Rebekah noted happily. Marcel smiled into her hair.

"I guess I was holding out hope you'd come back to it." He replied. She looked down. This didn't mean she and Marcel were back together. It couldn't. She couldn't stay.

"Although I imagine it's not quite as comfortable as those beds at the Palace Royale." Marcel said, pulling her from her thoughts. He was fishing for information. Rather spectacularly as well. She knew it. This wasn't them rekindling their relationship. He was using her.

"Oh it's plenty comfortable. Nothing like a home you'd remembered and lost suddenly back in your life." Rebekah replied. "I'm famished." She went to her bag and pulled out a red apple.

"Nah, apples aren't my thing."

"They were your favorite once." Rebekah reminisced, smiling.

"Yeah they were. I'd get my ass beat if I ever ate them on that plantation. Even the spoiled ones." Marcel protested. She looked away, ashamed of her previous relationship with his half brother. And not liking that they lived where he was a slave. "Now they just remind me of a time when I couldn't have things." He finished.

She took him in her arms, still holding the apple, and he held her back. "Well now you can have whatever you want." She trailed a finger down his bare chest.

"Come with me." She asked. Marcel's furrowed his brow.

"And go where, Rebekah?"

"Wherever we want to! The world is ours to behold. And I want to share the sights I've seen with you. We can build a home together. We can leave behind Klaus, and this city, and those Orphan Annie vampires." She chuckled.

"Whoa, those Orphan Annie vampires are my family and this city is my home." Marcel chided her.

"It was my home too once!" She protested. "I left."

"You ran." He corrected. "I stayed."

Rebekah blinked away tears, backing away.

"This empire, it thrives because of me." Marcel boasted "And you want me to run? A man does not run from his home!"

"No. I just wanted you by my side. I have lived a lot longer than you Marcellus. I have seen kings rise and fall! And I've learned that a no matter how big an empire becomes it is nothing without someone to share it."

Marcel looked away. He knew she was right, and he'd just yelled his queen into rejecting the gift of staying with him. She wasn't one for ruling, anyway."

"You want New Orleans, have it." Rebekah commanded, shoving the apple into his hand. "I won't be here to stop you."

She took her bag and stormed away, her bare feet slapping the concrete and the open shirt billowing with the breeze.

She'd be gone in minutes. Less if she was more motivated. All he had to do was apologize, and offer her a place by his side instead. He looked at the apple in his hand, and brought it to his nose. There would be time to make it up to her. His kingdom was his priority right now.

"Where is he? I've been trying to call him all day." Josh said. Hayley stood with her hands on the door and door frame.

"I'm not his damn keeper."

"Fine. Just tell him to call me." Josh replied. She shook her head and he walked away. She knew without even telling Klaus that the hybrid would not take orders, let alone from his own compelled lackey. She closed the door and took two steps away before the knocking began again.

"Josh, I swear to God Klaus hasn't magically appeared since you-" She had the door open to the one man she hadn't met but had grown to fear.

Marcellus Gerard.

"Hi there. I'm Marcel." He smiled. "I don't think we've met."

Elijah walked into Hayley's room, hoping that she would want to talk and was fully recovered. But the room was empty.

He thought hard. Rebekah had driven off, perhaps she was with her. But then, Caroline and Klaus were now on their way to a funeral in Mystic Falls.

He got on the phone to the first person who picked up. Wind drowned out most of the surrounding sounds so Rebekah was driving east.

"Goodbye means good-bye, Elijah." She greeted in annoyance.

"Is she with you?" He asked calmly, trying to fight the rising anger and hurt that was beginning to fill him.

"What?" Rebekah sounded confused.

"Hayley is gone." He ground out slowly. "Where is she?"

"She wouldn't be with me, Elijah. Have you forgotten she's magically incapable of leaving town lines while those babes are cooking in her tum?"

"Perhaps she's with Niklaus and Miss Forbes, then."

"Hang on, I'll call."

Elijah hung up and began to pace. Maybe Hayley just needed to clear her head. She did nearly lose her life merely hours ago. Perhaps she was just taking a walk around the grounds. He headed outside to the backyard, then made a round around the mansion. Rebekah called again.

"I made sure. Hayley didn't go with them either." She said.

"Where the hell on earth is she?!" Elijah demanded.

"Calm down, brother. I'm on my way back." Rebekah replied.