Realisation

"Hayley?" Elijah spoke concerned as he watched her blinking and adjusting to the brightness of the numerous strongly burning candles flames which swayed around them.

"The curse must be fading." He breathed slowly watching her carefully. She always managed to capture his entire focus. There was always an awe about her, Elijah began to muse but bowed his head in an effort to prevent himself into drifting deeper into such thoughts.

Hayley murmured softly due to the light flooding into her view and then whined with annoyance of its intensity and after that Elijah knew she was fine. That was her signature grumble. His chest sighed with relief as she rubbed her eyes lightly.

The sharpness of colour was dulling beneath her eyelids and the hue of yellow softened so that it no longer pained her.

After pausing for a few seconds for good measure Hayley then finally opened her eyes, her lashes fluttering faintly.

Her eyes grew in size when she saw him directly before her as he always had been.

They rapidly raked over him, every cut, bruise, the shackles smothered with blood. It was worse than what she had imagined.

Her heart felt a vicious stab and she gulped feeling emotions within her lunge forth from wherever they had been hiding.

In that second Hayley lost the self control she'd been desperately latching onto around him. Her body moved forwards without her mind telling to and her hand reached out to his face before she could stop it. She placed her hand at the side of his jaw causing him to look up at her with a piercing but gentle gaze. She didn't look away and inside Elijah wondered, why not?

His heart thudded steadily but with an increased force as he registered her treasured touch, they could both hear it and he saw her eyes spark as she noticed the change herself. Hayley traced his jaw line and then placed her palm at the side of his face. He involuntarily sighed closing his eyes and found himself leaning against her hand. He discovered exactly how much he'd missed her contact.

"I need to get you out of here." Hayley then breathed her expression sombre her voice hiding hints of desperation. She snatched her hand back returning it to her side as she quickly backed away turning around to conceal the feelings she for a second had let seep through.

"Hayley." Elijah spoke, he knew it wasn't possible for him to escape, he'd tried several times already and every attempt had been met with failure.

"Elijah I got you into this mess." Hayley snapped angrily still faced away from him and then she spun around, the defensive side of her was back, she had managed to repress that side of herself which had made a glimpse of an appearance.

"And I'm going to get you out." She spoke determined finishing her sentence.

Elijah looked at her firmly, angrily even. Is that what this was? Suddenly things began to make some sense.

"So that's why she came." Elijah swallowed trying to not let it bother him.

She's blaming herself for the capture and so felt obligated to be the one to save me. His calculating mind concluded.

"My mother would have got her way regardless of the scenario." Elijah replied disappointed that she should feel this way but Hayley wasn't listening, she searched about the vault strategically trying to come up with a plan.

Elijah watched her knowing it was no use but not speaking a word because he knew she wasn't the sort to take no for an answer. He then found his head beginning to feel heavy once again and it throbbed rather powerfully causing him to huff. The spell Esther had put on him was still continuing it's work.

Hayley looked up from where she was crouched.

"Elijah?" she called to him worriedly.

"I'm fine." He groaned lightly but then sharply with agony his teeth clenching tight and the muscles of his bare torso tensing rigid. Witch markings flashed in front of his view and he cried out in anguish.

Hayley was at his side in a second and placed both her hands on either side of his face and holding him up.

"Elijah." She called to him shaking him slightly, her eyes washing over his with a fear so great. Hayley realised just how much his safety meant to her, she'd never felt it this badly before. She'd never really thought about losing him before. He'd always taken care of himself.

I was wrong. She thought thinking of what she had told Gia. She'd just wanted to believe that.

"Elijah." Hayley called again firmly now but he would not reply, his head hung slumped against his shoulder leaving Hayley to panic.