Hazeline opened her eyes and looked around. First thing she noticed was that she was in her dark blue painted bedroom. Second thing she noticed, she couldn't hear her mother's heartbeat. Last thing she noticed, the clock said 11:42 A.M.

Hazeline groaned and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and flung her legs over the edge of the bed. All she could remember from last night was ignoring her mother's, "I love you, Hazeline." I am a terrible daughter.

She stumbled as she stood and made her way downstairs. Her neck popped easily when she rolled it. On the counter, there was a note.

Hazel,

I had work and didn't want to wake you. You looked more peaceful than you have in a while. I left some Advil on the bar in case you needed it.

Love,

Mom

PS. I realize we're not the best of friends right now. But I still love you.

Hazeline took a deep breath and set the note down. That's when she realized Morgan was right. She felt peaceful. She felt relaxed, calm, upbeat... strong.

She brushed it off and made some eggs. When she sat down on the couch, a plate of eggs in hand, there was randomly a suited figure in front of her.

"Holy..." She immediately recognized the warm smile and gentle brown eyes.

"Though my name does mean Yahweh is God, I don't believe I am a man of God." She let a smile show at all the sarcasm in that statement.

"I don't believe that is what I meant, Elijah." Elijah smiled wider.

~HIS MATE~

"So how have you been?" Elijah asked as Hazeline set her plate in the sink.

"Not as... loving... as I would hope to be. But I'm getting there." Elijah frowned.

"What do you mean?" Hazeline grinned emotionlessly.

"I apparently cannot say I love my mother. To her face." Elijah's eyebrows rose.

"Why not?" She sat beside him.

"I... I have no idea. I just can't say it. It feels like if I do say it, I won't mean it. And I probably won't. She did send me away for nine years."

Elijah replied, "Will you allow me to give my input?" Hazeline nodded. He continued, "I believe you think she abandoned you. So you're avoiding saying I love you as a way of revenge. You once told me that your father abused you, beat you to a bloody pulp. She did it so you would be safe."

Elijah waited as she mulled that over. "I suppose so. But she divorced my stepfather only three years after I had left."

"Maybe she needed to put herself back together," he responded.

Her eyebrows shot up, "She needed six years to recover?"

"Niklaus," he paused slightly as he saw regret darken her eyes, "he took a hundred years before he recovered from my mother's death."

She turned her head and mumbled, "That's because he killed the bloody woman." Elijah's eyes widened.

"What did you just say to me?" Hazeline eyes widened as she realized what she had said.

"Elijah, you're going to hate me if I tell you." "So do it and get it over with, Hazeline."

"I've been helping Niklaus." Elijah stared at her before replying, "How long?"

"A few days after you had been daggered."

"What did he tell you to get you on his side?" he asked.

She answered, "That he would bring you back to me." He rolled his eyes and stood. "Well, he didn't do that, Elena did."

He turned around to walk away, but she stood and caught his wrist. "We can fix this, Elijah."

"How?" he asked without turning around. "You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

~HIS MATE~

Morgan hummed quietly as she entered the house. It was eerily silent as she stepped into the kitchen. "Haze?" She rounded the corner and gasped when she found Hazeline and Elijah sitting side by side.

"I need your help, Morgan," Elijah stated. That's when she noticed how formal they were both sat. "What do you need?" Hazeline smiled.