Yay! New updat! Thank you to my amazing beta again :) Look out for a time jump ;)

Chapter 11

Klaus was staring outside the window in Hope's room – he had barely slept since Hayley was taken. He looked at the wall against his daughter's crib – each day was marked with a red crayon. One week and three days since his wife had been taken. Freya and Vincent tried their best to locate them but there was no luck. Lucien's resources could not find hide nor hair either. Hayley's location was cloaked against tracking spells, hidden from any means to find her. Kol was filled with anger and hate towards Davina's betrayal whereas Marcel and Josh were saddened and disappointed – one wanted her blood, the others wanted to forgive and forget. Katherine, Elijah, and Rebekah had been trying to hold the fort. Ansel and Cary busied themselves with the two wolf packs who have finally joined together in unity. Poor Stefan was caught in the middle of all this and while he was basically able to bow out if that was his choice, he chose to stay and help where he could, even if he was just a pillar of support.

Klaus looked down at his sleeping toddler and gently caressed the back of his finger against her soft cheek. "I will do everything in my power to make sure your mother returns to us."

"Nik…" Kol quietly shut the door behind him then walked over to Klaus, hovering behind his back. The two remained silent until the younger brother spoke again. "I'm sorry," Kol said quietly.

Klaus's finger froze against Hope's cheek. "What for Kol?" He turned around and looked at his sullen brother.

"For Davina. Everything that she has done was because I brought her into the family. You were right to not trust her."

"Kol, it is not your fault. Davina was and is responsible for her own actions – you did not do anything to cause Davina to turn against us."

"But – "

Klaus put his hand on Kol's shoulder and looked at him straight into his eyes. "If anyone is to blame it is me. Before you even met her I had already done enough for her to want revenge against me. For my part, I had tried to accept her, hoped that her love for you, Marcel, and even Hayley could be enough to quell her resentment, unfortunately, that was not the case. But enough of this. We should focus all our anger and frustration on finding Hayley and defeating the Strix and those blasted de Martels."

Kol nodded and hugged his brother. The two of them turned to Hope as she slowly started to wake from her nap. They could only brokenly stare at the child as she almost pleadingly asked for Mummy.

Pain. That was the only thing that she could initially register. She was weak, drained of both her energy and strength but she refused to open her eyes to try and regain consciousness simply to regain herself. Something, however, pricked at the edge of her mind, calling for her to awaken. Then, her eyes – seemingly of their own accord – opened. The hybrid looked at her surroundings, she was alone in some sort of a room, lit only by torchlight. It reminded her of the Garden where Marcel used to keep his prisoners except it didn't feel like she was in New Orleans anymore. The smell of the air was foreign, stuffy and dank. Her hands were held in chains attached to the ceiling. Hayley looked down and found that she was still wearing her wedding dress which was now in ruins. Her beautiful lace dress was in tatters and blood stains patched all over the front of her torso. She was powerless, desperate to see Hope and Klaus. Hayley smelled blood, mingled with the vervain and wolfsbane, oozing from her various wounds as she struggled against the manacles, but another scent caught her attention.

"Well… look who's awake. I'm sure Niklaus would love to see his darling new wife all chained up and helpless." Aurora walked in wearing a smug on her face. Hayley saw Cami and Davina following behind her.

"Let me go and you can see how helpless you actually are!" She growled.

"No, I don't think so dear Hybrid Queen." Aurora tutted.

Cami stood behind her with her arms crossed smirking at Hayley's weakened form whereas Davina just stood at the baby vampire's side with what appeared to be guilt in her doe eyes.

"What do you want from me?" Hayley spat.

Aurora tapped her finger on her chin pretending to think. " Well from you technically nothing. Now for you," she giggled childishly, "I would like for you to suffer. For Niklaus to suffer. For the Mikaelsons to suffer. My brother, Aya, and I – not to mention every other vampire in our ranks – are ready to be free of our sires forever. Once the Strix coven breaks the Originals' sireline, your precious Mikaelsons and their allies will be in for the war of their lives." Aurora cackled then nodded at Cami.

The young vampire marched to the hybrid with a number of emotions flashing across her features, first smugness and satisfaction and then vengeance and anger. The blonde channeled all her latter feelings into the abuse she wrought onto Hayley. Every scratch, slap, punch, and kick accompanied by haughty accusations of Klaus being stolen from her. The female hybrid made no comments or comebacks, barely making any noise besides grunts in response to the pain. In truth, if she was unchained and able to fight against Cami she would have laughed at the blonde's naivety. As much claim on Klaus that she had now, she knew also was aware of what she was to the father of her child prior to their marriage and their agreement for their union. Hayley came before every other woman in Klaus's life, even if back then it was seemingly just for Hope.

With her peripheral vision, the hybrid could see Aurora's eyes narrow slightly towards Cami. It dawned on Hayley that the petite red head may still carry a torch for the Original Hybrid. She filed that little nugget of thought away for later. Eventually, Aurora stopped Cami and broke Hayley's neck.

A couple hours later, Hayley awoke to see a blurry figure in front of her.

"I brought you a couple blood bags, I know it's not enough but it's the best that I could do."

"Fuck off Davina, I don't need you." Hayley snarled at the traitorous little witch.

Davina did not seem phased by the older woman's reaction. "Yes, you do. I'm sorry I had to betray you and Kol but I had to do it… I had no choice." Hayley scoffed but accepted the proffered blood.

"You're not sorry. If you were you never would have done this to us in the first place. All Klaus and I have ever wanted was family, now it is going to be ruined and you helped destroy it. Did you even think about Hope?! Hayley cried out. "She's just a child, a little girl who has so much in common with you – a witch with great power, her mother taken from her, her father's death plotted... would you really want to do to someone what happened to you?"

Davina clenched her jaw. "I'll come back next time to give you more blood." As she walked away Hayley, her voice hoarse and laced with exhaustion, gave her one last thing to think about.

"There is always a choice."

Time and time again, Hayley was tortured – blood drained by Tristan, dosed with vervain and wolfsbane by Aya, her body took numerous physical blows from Cami using her as a personal punching bag, and cuts and wounds from various weaponry courtesy of Aurora. Davina tried her best to secretly replenish her blood loss but never did she recover ever a fraction of her strength.

They wanted her, Klaus, and the Mikaelsons to suffer, but why not just kill her and present her corpse to Klaus in some gruesome fashion of their choice? Of course, torture was a fate worse than death, but why keep her alive? Hayley couldn't make sense of it, but she wasn't even in the right mind to try and figure it out. She was too tired to fight so what hope could she have to critically think and assess.

Hope was a special child – she had always known this, ever since she was five years old. At her present age of seven, she was a strong tribrid with her witch powers strengthening daily and the vampire in her heightening her senses, even the wolf in her contributed to this, despite her being currently inactive, making her unable to change.

Her family, especially her father, told stories and showed pictures of her mother. They had a large portrait from her parents' wedding of the both them with a toddler Hope between them hanging in her father's room. A smaller version on her nightstand, Hope would stare at it every night before falling into slumber to dream about seeing her mother one day. Hope wasn't so naïve at her age – she knew that her family was hiding something about her mother. Despite what her family told her, Hope just knew that Hayley Mikaelson was definitely not on an adventure by herself for an indefinite amount of time with no contact with the other Mikaelsons.

Hope's Uncle Stefan had returned to Mystic Falls, he reconciled with those he once called friends and family there and now he was engaged to Caroline Forbes. From time to time, he returned to New Orleans with the Mystic Falls group to aid in the search for the Hayley, but even with the power of some of the most powerful witches in the world, there was no luck.

Currently, the young tribrid was sitting at her table doing some reading for school – her dad thought that her mom wanted she to attend school with other children instead of being home-schooled. Aunt Freya and Uncle Kol were Hope's magical tutors while her brother Marcel taught her self-defense, Grandfather Ansel taught wolf history and lore, vampire history was covered by her dad and Uncle Elijah, and Aunt Bekah and Aunt Kat considered themselves Hope's personal fashion advisors. This was the life of Hope Mikaelson, surrounded by both normal and supernatural circumstances, numerous people, related to her through blood or association, who loved and protected her. She had everything, everything but her mother.

Hope suddenly felt the urge to go to the bayou – there was something there that was trying to pull her go and she always found that she should trust her senses. Hope closed her book and skipped downstairs where she found her Aunt Freya in the kitchen.

"Hello little one, would you like a sandwich?" Hope sat up on the bar stool and perched on the counter. She nodded as Freya plated a ham and cheese sandwich and put it in front of the child who ate it eagerly.

"My sandwich is nothing compared to what your mother can put together. She is a great cook. I remember her telling me that she wanted was to run her own restaurant or patisserie café when things are finally settled."

"What's a patisserie café?"

"It's where they serve cakes and desserts. You'd love it since it's basically a shop full of sweets."

Hope gave a single nod before presenting her request. "Aunt Freya, I want to go for a walk in the bayou."

"What for my dearest niece?"

"I need to go. There's something inside me that is pulling me there."

"Sure, let's all go," Kol told her as he and his younger sister strode into the room.

Hope smiled gleefully and run up to her room to change her shoes then met her uncle and aunts by the front door.

When they arrived at the bayou, Hope walked off in front of them dancing around, leaving her father's siblings to talk.

"Hayley would be so proud of her." Rebekah smiled fondly.

All the residents of the Compound were missing Hayley presence in their home – she had filled the house with so much joy and amazing food, but none missed her more than Klaus. His other half was gone and they had yet to celebrate and enjoy their married life. He would spend every night with Hope looking at photos and paintings of the female hybrid. The family documented every single moment of Hope's life for Hayley when the day of long-awaited return arrived.

"Nik hasn't been doing any better," Kol said grimly.

Rebekah snorted rather defeatedly. "Of course, he hasn't. Nothing and no one has been able to find Hayley and he's living on edge waiting for something disastrous to happen."

When every manner of locator spells couldn't track Hayley, it was suggested that perhaps she was not only cloaked, but perhaps not even on land given that spells don't work track into water. The Strix had apparently also left the city without a trace so the Mikaelsons then had to resort to scavenging the oceans on their own as they didn't want to attract any unwanted attention by compelling humans to have large scale search and rescue parties.

Ansel had been talking to him, but Klaus refused to acknowledge his father's words. He often found confided in his younger brother, both reflecting on their lives and experiences of betrayal. Klaus tried to hold it all together for Hope's sake but he was suffering emotionally and psychologically without his wife.

The siblings walked closer to Hope where she stood at the river's edge.

"What are you doing Hope?"

"There's something in the water."

Kol dubiously side-eyed his niece. "Darling, there's nothing there."

The young girl stubbornly sneered at her uncle's lack of faith in her senses. She started using her magic to make the water ebb and flow, Freya began helping her to appease the child. Their manipulations of the water gave way to a sort of trap door at the water's bottom.

"What is that?"

Freya could only shake her head at her younger sister's question. She stilled the water in place and cautiously approached the door. Finding a spell, she broke it with a bit of effort (especially since she still had the water pushed away from it) and opened the trap door.

It was decided that Rebekah and Kol would explore what was down there while Freya secured its access and watched over Hope. They walked down the stairs and found themselves in a tunnel, not even an hour later they discovered that it was more than one tunnel or rather an intricate maze that apparently was also enchanted. When they tried to circle back the former path had changed.

"Wonderful," drawled Rebekah sarcastically, "We're lost."

"No, you're not."

The siblings whirled around and found their niece behind them. Before they could question her presence, the little girl ran into one of the tunnels, her aunt and uncle could do nothing but vamp speed after her. What the youngest Mikaelsons found completely unnerved and astonished them. In the room that Hope had stopped in was Hayley. Rebekah tried to shield the youngest Mikaelson from the traumatizing sight while Kol broke Hayley's shackles, bit his wrist, and fed the hybrid his blood.

"It's not enough. We need to take her back to the house now." Rebekah ordered.

"Well, how do you suggest we get out of this bloody place?"

Hope spoke up saying she could lead them. Eventually, they reunited with Freya who took care of the evidence of them finding Hayley. Rebekah immediately vamp sped home with her niece in her arms. Kol carefully put Hayley in the backseat of his car and he, along with Freya, rushed home after their sister.

"Aunt Bekah, was that Mommy?" Hope asked rather meekly as her aunt deposited her in her bedroom.

"Yes dear, that was your mother, but-"

"What's going on?" Katherine suspiciously looked at the pair as she purposely marched in to learn what they were talking about.

After convincing Hope to continue her school studies for the time being, Rebekah was able to fill Katherine in on what happened and who they found in the bayou. The two women then gathered what they would need for Hayley's arrival.

Within a matter of minutes, Freya and Kol strode in the Compound, the latter with a battered and unconscious hybrid in his arms. Katherine and Rebekah followed them to Klaus's room with towels, clean water, and blood bags. Freya called for Hope and then two witches went about magically healing Hayley. They were only able to cure her of her surface wounds, any internal damage would have to be handled by Hayley's own hybrid healing. Kol was sent with Hope out of the room, as the women took to cleaning Hayley.

"Will mommy be alright?" Hope asked with her trembling lips.

Kol kissed her cheek. "Your mother will be fine. She just needs lots of rest and love, young don't we go practice your violin? It will help keep your mind off worrying about her."

"But Mommy needs me."

"Yes, she does, but for now she has your aunts to help her. When your mother wakes up you can show her how good you are at the violin, your magic, and everything else you can do. She'll be so impressed and proud of you."

As well-intentioned as her uncle was, Hope found that her thoughts could only stay on her mother.

The Mikaelson women finished bathing and dressing their sister and laid her under the covers on her husband's bed to rest and recuperate. Freya then called Klaus and Elijah to inform them of the retrieval of Hayley while Kat and Bekah sat with the hybrid.

"She was so happy on her wedding day. Our family had found peace and happiness on that one day." Katherine said sadly.

"Yes, we did." Rebekah softly stroke Hayley's hair and sighed. "She's going to be so upset for missing out on even more of Hope's life."

"They're going to pay. All of them." Katherine spat out menacingly.

"I'm sure Nik can handle that on his own." The blonde then smirked darkly. "But hopefully he'll give us all a chance to give them hell too."

Klaus and Elijah arrived back at the Compound during the evening and immediately Klaus raced up to his bedroom.

Elijah kissed Katherine and held her close. "Where's Hope?"

"She finished dinner then after a story from Kol she fell asleep, albeit reluctantly."

"And Hayley?"

"From what we can tell, she went through may forms of consistent and possibly constant torture. We had to put blood directly into her veins instead of feeding it to her."

"Has she woken since her retrieval?"

At this moment, all the Mikaelsons joined Katherine and Elijah in the foyer.

Freya shook her head, "No, she's regained consciousness a couple times but always slipped back into sleep again moments later."

Rebekah inquired, "How was Nik on the flight home?"

"He was seemingly calm but internally anxious. Thankfully he didn't lash out at anyone, I suppose he was too numb with the knowledge of Hayley being found."

The family then opted to retire to their own rooms, leaving Klaus to privately reunite with Hayley.

Klaus opened the door and walked past his art room, around the corner and froze at the sight in front of him. Five years away from his wife, five years of not seeing or hearing from her, and five years being tortured. He walked over to her side of the bed and kneeled beside her. His eyes and fingers roamed all over her body; feeling every inch of her skin that he has missed the feel of her soft velvet skin, taking in the sight of her bruised and damaged form.

"Little Wolf…" He whispered.

Suddenly he saw Hayley's eyes flew wide open and a scream tore through her throat.

Klaus sat on the bed and gathered her into his arms, rocking her back and forth. He whispered sweet yet soothing words to calm her down but she kept thrashing.

Hayley's mind was starting to regain sanity, registering the familiar voice whispering in her ears. "Klaus?"

"It's me, Little Wolf, you're home now." He said into her hair. She took hold of his arm that was wrapped around the front of her chest and for the first time in five years, she openly and uncontrollably sobbed – out of relief, out of pain and out of sadness.

"Shhh… it's alright."

Hayley eventually cried herself back to sleep. The husband and wife remained in the position – the house was silent as everyone had turned in for the evening.

"Daddy," Klaus turned his head and look at his daughter standing in his doorway, her eyes filled with sadness, curiosity, and innocence. "Is Mommy okay?"

He gestured for her to enter the room. "She will be. She's home with us now… where she belongs." He whispered. He watched as Hope slipped under the duvet cover and snuggled into her mother's side.

Hayley was sitting on beautiful green grass looking out at her surroundings. 'Where am I?' Suddenly the greenery changed and all there was was darkness. Three figures approached her with deadly expressions and looking blood deprived.

"No one is coming to save you." One voice breathed close to her face. She was restrained in chains, encircled by the haunting figures. Her vision was blurred, but she could discern their movements.

"Your Hybrid King won't ever find you." The other figure cackled.

"This is your new home now. Welcome to hell, Hayley." The third figure grinned evilly and raised a wooden stake above her.

"KLAUS!" Hayley screamed, bracing herself to be staked in the heart.

Klaus startled awake when he heard her cry out and felt her sit upright. Klaus quickly pulled her into his arms and caressed her hair as she sobbed into his chest.

"It's alright, my love. You're home now." He whispered. Hope also awoke to her mother's screams and immediately went to hug her mother's side. Hayley looked completely startled by the sight of the little girl clinging to her.

Klaus looked at Hope. "Love, can you please go get ready for school? You can see your mother later."

"Okay, Daddy." Hope bounced off the bed and did as her father asked.

Hayley stared after the child as she left the room. "How-how long has it been?"

Klaus swallowed thickly answered his wife. "Five years."

"F-f-five years Klaus." Hayley hiccupped in between her sobs.

"I am so sorry Hayley. I promised to protect you but I couldn't even find you."

Hayley was slowly subsiding her cries and fisted his shirt. "Nooo…." She moaned, "Not your fault." She repeated over and over again.

Klaus held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "Hope has missed you, we all have." He whispered.

Hayley froze and looked up at her sullen looking husband. "Is she okay? Is she safe?"

"She's fine, Love. You going to be so proud of her once you've learned all that she's accomplished."

"I missed out on her growing up Klaus! I can never get that back. I've missed out on everything!" Hayley cried out. She shot out of bed and walked over to the large window and looked out at the New Orleans dawn sky with her arms wrapped around herself. She heard some rustlings and turned around to see Klaus holding a large box.

"What's that?" Hayley asked.

"Everything you missed being away from Hope – photo albums, videos of major milestones. When you sit down at look through the box, you won't have missed anything." Klaus gave her a soft smile then put the box on the table. His wife walked toward him, a hand covering her mouth. "Hayley, you have no idea how much we've missed you. We searched everywhere for you, but when we finally thought we found a lead… it disappeared. Our daughter reminds me that every day, she loses time without having her mother in her life, that's what kept me going. When Freya called telling me that our daughter found you," Hayley watched Klaus's face riddled with emotions and his eyes swimming with unshed tears, "I felt like my life was whole again."

Hayley wiped away her tears and walked into Klaus's embrace, holding onto him like it was the last time she would see him again; that she would wake up and she was back in her hell hole. "Promise to never let me go again?" She looked up at him with red, puffy eyes.

"I promise, only if you let us help you get things back to normal." Hayley reached up and kissed her husband soundly – five years without his touch, without his caresses, and without his kisses felt like forever.

New Orleans had their Queen back, but there was still a war to be fought, and the Queen needed to rediscover herself and be rid of her trauma before she would co-lead the army. Only time would tell when the storm would arrive.

Wow! What's happening with Hayley!? Poor girl :( She just had the worst five years of her life and is extremely vulnerable and broken. Over the next few chapters, we'll see glimpses of her trauma and recovery, and what happens to the Strix and the de Martels siblings. WHO KNEW CAMI COULD BE SO EVIL!

Thanks for all the reviews and love. If I don't reply, don't be disheartened because I do read it and LOVE you for it :)

xoxo Caz