Previously in "I'll Still Be Here", Meredith and Meghan talk telling Tyler about T.J., Caroline breaks up with Tyler, Damon and Elena talk about moving to Italy, and April tells Matt she's pregnant.

Chapter Two

Caroline stepped out of the restroom she had stopped at along the way to New Orleans, licking her lips after feeding on a woman she had compelled to cooperate. She then checked her phone and saw that she had a message. She listened to it and when she heard Elena's voice, she immediately called her back. After several rings, the brunette vampire picked up. "Hello?"

"Elena, it's Caroline. I got your message. What's up?"

"Damon was telling me that you were moving to New Orleans? When did you make that decision?" Elena asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. Figures Damon would tell her. "I made the decision after the memorial. Tyler and I were on the outs anyway, so I broke up with him and decided to go to New Orleans, where I could be with someone who wants to be with me."

"And Tyler agreed to this?"

"He did," Caroline said. "He gave me his blessing, saying that he could never compete with Klaus for my affections."

"Wow. I mean, I never would've guessed that Tyler would let you go that easily," Elena said.

"Well, he did, Elena. And I'm not going to play second-string anymore. I'm going to come first, especially to someone who actually thinks I'm perfect the way I am," Caroline said. "I'll call you tomorrow, Elena. Have a lovely evening."

With that, she hung up, which made Elena growl in frustration, especially at Caroline's words. Damon heard her growl and looked at her. "What happened?"

"Caroline had the gall to hang up on me after telling me that 'she wasn't going to play second-string anymore, and that she was going to come first, especially to someone who actually thinks she's perfect the way she is'," Elena replied.

"Apparently, Blondie really does want to be with Klaus," Damon said. "It's obvious that we can't change her mind once she's made up her mind."

"I know, but she's been my best friend for longer than I've known you and Stefan," Elena replied softly.

Damon nodded and hugged her to him, kissing her softly. "I know. But, it'll get better in time. You'll see."

"I hope you're right, Damon. I sincerely hope you're right," Elena said, returning his kiss then resting her head against his chest.

As he held her close to him, Damon hoped he was right too. Even though he usually was about certain things, he hoped he was right about this. True, he and Caroline weren't on the best of terms given what happened between them when she was human, but he didn't want to see her and Elena lose their friendship.

In New Orleans…

Klaus glared at his sister when she finally returned alone a little bit later after his and Elijah's conversation. "Where is the little wolf?" he demanded in a low tone.

Rebekah raised an eyebrow at him. "How should I know? Maybe she fancied a swim in the pool? It does get rather stifling in here at times."

"Rebekah, please do go find out where she is. I want her here when I greet Caroline, okay?" Klaus said.

"I am not your slave, Nik. You cannot treat me as such!" Rebekah hissed.

"Rebekah, don't be difficult," Klaus said. "Just do what I ask. Find out where Hayley is."

Rebekah snarled at him. "Why do you even want her here when Caroline gets here? You heard Elijah. How do you intend to tell her about the baby? Caroline isn't stupid, you know!"

"And neither am I, Rebekah! But, that doesn't mean that I'm not going to not tell her. She'll know before she gets here. In fact, I'll go call her right now and tell her. Then, you'll see if she'd have changed her mind, turned tail and ran back to Mystic Falls, or if she does have that backbone I know she has and stuck around to put up with little wolf," Klaus said.

Rebekah crossed her arms. "Fine, call her and tell her. Let's see how she reacts to it."

Klaus did just that, listening to the younger blonde vampire's phone ring once, twice and then a third time before he heard her chipper voice come on the line. "This is Caroline!"

Klaus smiled when he heard her voice. "Caroline, love, you have no idea how much I appreciated your text message and I look forward to seeing you."

"The feeling is mutual, believe me," she replied. "I'm just so sick of being second string. I want to be first to someone. Since you're the one who saw me for the lady I am, I decided to take you up on your offer to come to New Orleans. You were right, the small town life isn't enough for me and I need more than that."

"Caroline…before you settle in to life in the Quarter, there is something that you must know. I am about to be a father. And you're not going to like it when I tell you who the mother of my unborn child is," Klaus said slowly.

There was a silence until Caroline said, "Who is it, Klaus? Who's the hussy you got pregnant? Tell me so that I know who to be angry at!"

"It's…Hayley Marshall," Klaus finally replied after another lull of silence.

Caroline growled, "Hayley? That little bitch snapped my neck at the Yule Ball! Why, Klaus? I just got saying that I was sick of playing second string and now, I find out that I am about to do the same thing again?"

"That's not going to happen, Caroline."

"And why is that?"

"I don't love her," Klaus said. "We were drunk the night I slept with her. She means nothing to me. The whole damn night meant nothing to me. It still doesn't. I love you and you alone, Caroline. Hayley is a means to an end, and nothing more."

"Well, if you're sure that she is nothing to you…" Caroline said with hesitation.

"Trust me when I say this, Caroline, I don't mean anything I don't say, especially about regrettable one-night stands," Klaus told her.

Caroline sighed. "All right, I trust you. And I will try to tolerate Hayley, even though I still haven't forgotten what she did to me. Since she's a means to an end, as you just said, then I'll take you at your word."

"Thank you, Caroline. This means a lot."

"I should hang up now, Klaus, before I cause an accident," Caroline said.

"Of course, love, I'll see you soon," Klaus replied before they both hung up.

Rebekah looked at him after the call ended. "Well? Did you get the reaction you were hoping for?"

"She yelled at me, yes, but then…she was okay with it. And it was because I had told her that Hayley was only here as the mother of our child," Klaus replied.

Rebekah nodded. "At least you got a positive out of a negative."

"I did, didn't I? That's always wonderful to get," Klaus said with a wolfish grin.

Rebekah nodded. "I suppose I should go see about Hayley then, since you want her here."

Then, before Klaus could answer her, the blonde Original had left the room. Once she was gone, Klaus was just reaching for his sketchbook when he heard a knock at the door. Curiosity got the better of him about whom it could be, so Klaus put his sketch book back where it was and went toward the door. Could this be Caroline already? Since he had no idea where she was when he called her, it was hard to tell. Still, he couldn't let the knock go unanswered, especially if this was indeed her.

The knocking got louder as he approached the door and it sure sounded impatient. "All right, all right, I'm coming."

When he finally opened the door, he gasped in surprise upon who was on the other side. "Well, Niklaus, it would seem that you're surprised to see your own brother, and I'm going to assume that's a good thing," Finn said with a knowing smirk.

Klaus stumbled back in fright. "But…but, how…how are you here?"

Finn nodded. "I know, I know, it's hard to believe that I'm alive, but I guess you could say that I was brought back by magic. Though, for the life of me, I can't remember who brought me back."

Suddenly, before Klaus could reply, a familiar redhead appeared next to Finn and Klaus stumbled back even further away from the doorway. "I think I can answer that, darling. If my memory serves me correctly, I was friends with a witch back in our days as humans, and oh yes? What else am I forgetting? When she died, she had a daughter. That daughter would eventually continue the line, leading to a wiccan descendant that I came into contact with during my time in Ireland before I came here, to the US, to Mystic Falls," Sage said.

Klaus shook his head. "This can't be possible. You're both dead! Finn was stabbed after we broke the link Mother had on us!" He glared at Sage. "Then, because you were turned by him, you died shortly after he did!"

Snarling, Sage reached out and grabbed him by the neck. "For 900+ years, I was forced to live on my own because you shoved a dagger in your own BROTHER'S heart! Well, during that time, I was able to hold onto a grimoire that Kathleen, my friend, gave to me before her death. I tracked down the descendant and gave it to her for safekeeping. When I came to Mystic Falls, I called her and told her my plan. She actually agreed to go along with it, stating that if it wasn't for hearing of the love story that Finn and I went through, she wouldn't have done it."

Klaus snarled and pushed her off. "What descendant? What are you talking about?"

"It's not Bonnie Bennett, if that's what you're wondering. She did mention that her friend's name was Kathleen. Well, the descendant's name is Bridget and she's a pretty powerful witch, Niklaus. She reversed time, for goodness' sakes!" Finn growled.

Klaus felt like his head was spinning. "In any case, brother, your timing is not exactly perfect. I…I am expecting someone."

"Would that someone be Caroline Forbes, that little blonde vampire from Mystic Falls?"

"Yes, actually, it would," another voice said from behind Klaus. He turned to find his sister, who had found Hayley, standing in a pair of sweats and an over-sized hooded sweatshirt that didn't exactly hide her small baby bump.

Sage raised a curious eyebrow at Hayley and then looked at Klaus. "Who's the girl with Rebekah, Niklaus?"

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Hayley Marshall," Klaus said as he went over to stand behind her. "Hayley is a werewolf that's originally from New Orleans, who just happens to be with child, a daughter."

Finn nodded. "Let me guess, it's yours?"

"It is," Klaus said. "But, do not misunderstand me, brother; Hayley and I are not involved with each other. I have no intention of pursuing a relationship with her. The only one I want is Caroline."

"You have told Caroline about the baby, correct?" Sage asked.

"Yes, indeed I have," Klaus replied.

"She yelled at him when she first found out, but she accepts it," Rebekah said. "She knows that Hayley is only here because of the child, nothing else."

Both Finn and Sage nodded before Finn asked, "Would either of you be kind to let us inside?"

"Please, come in, brother," Rebekah said. Finn and Sage both nodded again then stepped over the threshold easily.

Once inside, Finn looked around at the interior. "This is a rather impressive place you have here, Niklaus."

Klaus was about to answer when Elijah appeared, having heard voices coming from the foyer. When he saw Finn, he dropped the tea cup in his hand, which shattered on the floor. "Finnegan…You're alive?"

Hayley looks between them, a confused look on her face. "Wait…why does Elijah call him that instead of Finn?"

Finn turned and looked at the werewolf. "Actually, my full name is Finnegan Cooper Mikaelson, but I only get called that by the lovely redhead here," he said, gesturing to Sage then continued, "And, of course, by my siblings."

Hayley nodded. "Oh, okay. I guess I still have a lot to learn about this family."

"It took me a long time to learn too, Hayley. Don't worry," Sage said with a smile and then squealed in laughter when Finn twirled her in a circle then reeled her back into him. Hayley smiled as she saw how happy Finn and Sage were together. However, said smile faded, mostly because she wished she had someone who loved her that way. She had been alone since her transition and she hated it. She glanced over at Elijah, her baby's uncle and she let out a soft sigh of longing. After doing so, Hayley disappeared in the other direction. Sage noticed this and went after the brunette werewolf. When she caught up to her, she said, "Hayley, are you all right?"

"No, I'm not," she replied. "Everyone else has someone and I'm all alone. First, I got abandoned by my birth parents and then, my adoptive parents kicked me out after I transitioned. I just…want someone to love me the way Finn loves you and the way Klaus loves Caroline."

"You'll find someone. I don't know about you, Hayley, but all those centuries ago…I never thought Finn would even look my way. It took my breath away the moment our eyes met," Sage said.

"He certainly sounds like a great guy," Hayley said. "And I hope you're right."

"I know I'm right," Sage said with a confident smile. She stepped closer to Hayley and gently embraced her, which took Hayley off guard, but she returned the hug quickly. Sage then stepped back. "Whatever you need, Hayley, just ask and I will be sure to get it for you."

"Thank you, Sage." The redhead smiled warmly then left Hayley alone with her thoughts. The expecting werewolf was just opening the door that led out to the patio when a set of masculine hands stopped her. "What? I'm not going to run away." She looked over at Elijah. "Oh, Elijah, it's you. Is…there anything you need from me?"

"This," was all he said before he gently pressed her against the door before lowering his head and capturing her lips with his.

Hayley moaned as she returned his kiss, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. She pulled away after a few minutes, looking into his eyes. "Elijah, we shouldn't be doing this."

"Why ever not, Hayley?" he asked. "I'm attracted to you, and deep down, I know you feel the same."

"I do, don't get me wrong," Hayley said. "I just…I don't want to get hurt, that's all."

"You think it's because I still harbor feelings for Katerina Petrova, don't you?" he asked. He stepped away from her and began to pace the tiled floor, his shoes noisily moving with him with each back-and-forth stride.

"The thought did cross my mind, Elijah. I know that you two have known each other half a millennia and that getting over someone that easily with someone like me isn't easy," Hayley told him.

Elijah nodded. "Yes. Despite the fact that she lies and manipulates, Katerina was actually a good person at one time." He stopped pacing and turned to her. "But, know this, Hayley; I will never, ever hurt you, emotionally or otherwise. I know that with your history, you have a hard time trusting others. I promise you, you have nothing to fear from me."

"I wish you the best of luck, Elijah, whatever you decide," Hayley told him.

"I don't have to decide, Hayley, because I already know who I want."

"Really?" she replied. "And who might that be?"

"You," Elijah said. "Katerina was in the past, and I realize that I can't stay there, especially not when there's a good thing standing right in front of me. And I promise you that I will help you find your family."

Hayley's cheeks turned a bright tomato red, but she still smiled up at Elijah. "Thank you, Elijah," she said softly.

"You are very welcome, Hayley," he replied. "I'll do just about anything for you, within reason, of course."

Hayley laughed. "Oh, of course it'll be within reason." She got a bit closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. "But, for now, I just want this." She then captured his lips with hers in a soft yet passionate kiss.

Elijah returned her kiss, his arms settling low at her waist and then drifting around to rest on her backside, deepening the kiss even further. His tongue alternated between dueling with hers and then dominating the kiss. Hayley smiled against his lips as he dominated the kiss, bringing her hands up to run her fingers through his hair, just like before. He was definitely a great kisser. Of course, considering the fact that he had been around for centuries, he had definitely had experience, which made her seem like a novice next to him.

Eventually, though, Elijah stepped back. "I don't want to scar my siblings…so, for now, we will put this on pause. I will come to you later," he said in a soft murmur. Brushing his lips over hers once, he then stepped back once again then turned and walked out of the kitchen.

Hayley smiled as she watched him go and, with a soft sigh, she opened the door and headed outside, like she planned to before Elijah stopped her. Once there, she placed a hand on her belly and looked up at the sky, as though thanking the heavens that she was finally going to know true happiness after all this time.

Author's Note: Okay, so I'm one of those few that is on the wire when it comes to the pairings Elijah has been in. Elijah & Elena is fine, sure, I'll read them from time to time. Katherine & Elijah are my MAIN pairing, and Phoebe (Hayley) and Daniel (Elijah) have chemistry, so for this fan fiction, we'll be pairing up "Haylijah", even though I'll always be a Kalijah shipper at heart!