I honestly didn't expect anyone to read this, let alone R&R. So i was oh-so pleasantly surprised when I got your reviews. Thank you so much!

1999

"Why are you going back to Chicago?" Cassandra asked Elijah harshly. Her arms were folded, as she didn't bother to hide her annoyance.

"My business is my own." He replied just as harshly.

"There was nothing to help you there. We would just be wasting our time." She informed him. Recently, it had become extremely hard for her to hide her feelings toward Elijah. He believed she would get over it after he showed no intention of reciprocating. But it never went away.

They had stopped momentarily in Salem. It continued to withhold a reputation of having some of the most powerful witches in the world. Elijah stopped grabbing his belongings around his hotel room. "You will not be accompanying me." He clarified quietly. There was no reason to avoid the issue any longer. He saw the hurt in her eyes when he explained that he would be going to Chicago alone. Elijah was a true gentleman and would never tell Cassandra that he knew she saw him as more than her employer. But he felt the time had come to be honest and show her somehow that her wishes would never be fulfilled.

Elijah took in a deep breath and looked at the ground. "I cannot give you what you want, Cassandra." He finally said to her evenly, meeting her eyes to show how much he meant it. She tried to act as if she didn't know what he was talking about. But they were both done playing this game.

Silence filled the room. It caused Elijah to hear the ticking of the clock. Cassandra played with the tips of her brunette hair. "You found her, didn't you?" She asked him in a whisper. But Elijah's only reply was crossing his arms, as he didn't falter their gaze. "Why didn't you say anything?" But then she immediately regretted questioning his reasoning. Why would he tell her? She had been a fool for hoping anything more than a work relationship or mutual respect would come from such an arrangement. Cassandra took in a deep breath before a sad smile appeared. She was embarrassed for being so naïve. "I should have listened to the rumors…the warnings the other witch's gave me." Elijah didn't give a reaction to her statement. He really didn't care about any stories about him that ran through the supernatural world. "Witches always say, if a vampire doesn't kill you, then you will fall in love with it…one extreme or the other."

Elijah continued to stand still, allowing her to say anything she wanted. He didn't want to make it any worse, or cause her any more embarrassment. "Everyone says you're incapable of love." Cassandra whispered. It was true. Anyone that knew of the originals also knew of Elijah's reputation. The supernatural world's fear of him made it impossible for them to see the morals or compassion he still possessed. "But I guess that can't be true." Cassandra suddenly grabbed her bag off the ground. "It was stupid to expect anything. I don't think I should help you any more."

Elijah nodded his head. "I understand." If he hadn't been so attentive, he would have wondered why she hadn't left sooner. While all the other vampires and witches came and went, Cassandra stayed at his side. He still didn't understand what had given her hope while he had detached himself from any form of friendship or company. Once he looked up, Cassandra was already walking toward the door. When her hand closed around the handle, she paused and looked at the ground. She then turned around to give Elijah one final look. He knew it was her last hope of him saying anything to stop her. But he said nothing.

"Goodbye, Elijah. I hope you find the revenge that you've allowed to take over your life." She said harshly before slamming the door shut to his hotel room. Elijah let the effect wash over him, just for a moment, and realized that he felt nothing.

Elijah didn't expect Hayley to remember him. She was only 5 years old when he first met her. He wondered how long it took a child to forget such a short interaction. Then he convinced himself that it had been too long for her to recall. But afterward Elijah thought it was better that way. Over time, it would confuse her to have him visit sporadically without giving some sort of explanation.

Elijah stood outside of Hayley's elementary school. He learned that Hayley walked from school every day by herself. The final bell rang, releasing all the kids outside. Boys and girls rushed past him, running to their parent's cars or to the bus. Moms waiting outside eyed Elijah, but he didn't notice. After most kids had disappeared or started playing on the schoolyard, he wondered where Hayley was. He decided to walk to the front entrance, thinking he might find her in a classroom. But as soon as he walked through the front door, he heard her heartbeat. To the left was the entrance to the front reception, the principal's office, and the nurse. Through an open door, he could see Hayley with her back to him. She was sitting in the chair with her head hanging as she faced the principal.

"Hayley, I don't want to see you in this office again." The principal said strictly. "I'm going to have to call your parents tonight." When Hayley didn't respond she took in a deep breath. Elijah, rather entertained by the situation he walked in on, decided it was a good time to intervene.

"May I ask what the problem is?" Elijah said to the principal, who was taken aback by his presence. He allowed himself to glance at Hayley for just a second before turning his attention back to the young principal. She had a ball of tissue held up against her nose. It was red from blood. Hayley squinted, seeing that she recognized him from somewhere. Then Elijah heard her heartbeat quicken. That's when he knew she remembered him.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The principal asked him rudely.

"I'm Hayley's uncle, I was supposed to pick her up from school today." Elijah replied smoothly. But the principal narrowed her eyes suspiciously and looked at Hayley, seeing her reaction to such a statement.

"Can I go now?" Hayley said easily, even for a kid. She gave no notion that she was confused by Elijah's presence. The principal seemed convinced by this and nodded her head from Hayley's question.

"I will meet you out front." Elijah muttered to her. She nodded, grabbed her bag, and ran out the door, relieved to have her freedom.

The principal stood up and jumped when Elijah was in front of her in a second. "Whatever trouble Hayley caused, it would be better if it was forgotten." He compelled the woman. Her pupils dilated under his influence and blinked blankly a few times. Elijah nodded his head and briskly walked out of the office.

He made his way outside and found that they were alone. Hayley leaned against the brick wall of the school with her backpack in her hands. Her gaze was at the ground. Elijah slowly stepped towards her. "Hayley?" He said cautiously. Perhaps he had been mistaken; perhaps she really didn't remember him and she just saw him as an escape from getting into anymore trouble.

But as soon as she heard her name, Hayley's head whipped up and she met his gaze. "Elijah." She said with an innocent smile.

"You remember me?" Elijah asked her quietly.

Hayley nodded her head eagerly. "Of course." But then her smile slowly faded. "It was a long time. I thought I wouldn't see you again." She said sadly. Apparently, two years for a human was much longer than it was for a vampire.

Then Elijah finally put his attention to her nose that just stopped bleeding. He was kneeling in front of her now. His thumb and finger gently grabbed her chin to hold her still so he could see the damage. But Hayley swatted his hand away, annoyed with his concern. "May I ask what happened?" He asked roughly.

"Nothing happened." Hayley snapped as she picked up her bag and walked a few steps away from him. She stopped and turned to look at him. "Are you walking me home or what?" She asked him sharply. Her reaction made Elijah smile. He realized it was her way of avoiding the subject. He nodded his head and walked to her side, noticing how much bigger she got just in two years.

They were walking for a few minutes before he heard Hayley sigh. "I got into a fight." She finally confessed to him, looking straight ahead as she did so.

"Did you start it?" Elijah asked, amused. He wasn't her parent. And although, he was protective over her, he wasn't about to give her a lecture of any sort. If she got into some sort of fight, he was sure she could justify it.

"I told a boy I could beat him in a race. He was picking on my friend, Janet. I knew I could win and then he'd be embarrassed." Hayley rushed. "And I did. But then he got mad and pushed my friend on the ground. So I beat him up." She looked a little scared before finishing the story. "The nurse said I might have broken his nose…and he got a black eye." Her voice went quieter and quieter as she continued. Elijah tried not to seem pleased by the idea of her beating someone up. But he couldn't stop himself from admiring the obvious spirit she had. "Are you mad?" Hayley finally broke the silence with her concerned murmur.

Elijah looked at her seriously. The sound of her voice vanished all amusement at her story. "No, I could never be mad at you, Hayley." He said honestly.

Then Hayley's expression changed and she stopped walking to face him. "Why didn't you come back sooner?" She asked him.

Elijah took in a deep breath before kneeling down at her side. "I travel quite a lot. I apologize if you were expecting me sooner." He replied sincerely.

"I didn't tell anyone about you…just like I promised." Hayley sounded proud for keeping their secret. Her eyes fell on his hand that rested on his knee. She grabbed it slowly and then looked at him. "It's okay that you took so long." She caught the surprise on Elijah's face from her forgiveness and fell into a fit of laughter. It was hard for Elijah to think there was a darkness that could destroy her when she was like this: laughter filling the air, eyes beaming with light, and a smile that was utterly contagious. How could such a thing happen to a girl so innocent and full of energy? There couldn't be a darkness that would consume her.

Elijah wondered how Hayley saw their association. She'd only met him twice and yet, she never questioned him or his intentions. But Elijah didn't know that he showed her a kindness that her parents or everyone else did not. Her innocent heart was already reminding Elijah of the compassion and kindness that he still possessed. She didn't see him as a monster, only as her friend.

Hayley started walking again, holding on tightly to his hand. "Elijah, do you have a girlfriend?" She asked with a smile, and then a giggle escaped.

"I do not." Elijah replied with a smirk.

"Are you married?" Hayley continued to interrogate.

"I am not." He caught her smile at his answer. "Are you married?" Elijah then asked her; curious as to what sort of reaction he would get from.

"Ew! I'm 7 years old!" Hayley exclaimed. "And boys are gross and stupid!" She added. Elijah couldn't help but have a little satisfaction at her response. Hayley didn't seem like the type of little girl to dream about being a princess and finding her prince charming. Even as a child, their was so much more realism within her.

Elijah remembered where her house was and could hear inside to recognize that she was home alone. Her house was empty, no siblings, and no parents. He didn't want himself to be invited in. She was still just a child, and should be allowed safety in her own home. Even though Elijah would never harm her in any way, he still wanted such a barrier to exist.

Hayley let go of his hand as soon as they stood on the path up to her front door. Elijah knelt down to say goodbye. She looked sad and refused to meet his gaze. "I must go now, Hayley." He informed her. But she still wouldn't look at him. He sighed and glanced at her neighborhood to see that no one was around.

"Why do you have to go?" She finally complained.

Elijah always had a smooth and collected response to anyone's question. But this was one of the very rare times that he didn't know what to say. There was no way he could tell this child the reality. He didn't want to tell her the truth but he didn't want to tell her a lie either. He had hoped he could just leave her without giving either response. Elijah couldn't explain to Hayley that he would be with her for the rest of her life.

It was such a strange feeling, knowing he would fall in love with this child later in her life. Right now, he couldn't explain his feelings toward her. It wasn't love, not yet. At present, he felt a security over her, as if he was her guardian. But he knew, as time moved on, it would change. He didn't want to involve Hayley in the confusion, as she grew older. By finding her at such a young age, he had already made their relationship difficult. And he knew it would only get worse.

"I cannot stay, Hayley." Elijah said softly. "I can only see you every so often." He tried being honest without giving her too much information.

"But why?" Hayley urged quietly.

"Because it is not safe." Elijah said honestly. His mind fluttered to his brother Klaus. He wouldn't hesitate to hurt a child to get to him. Even if he was on another continent, the thought always remained in the back of Elijah's mind. "I promise that one day I will tell you." He pledged to her. And that really was the truth.

The lack of details she received clearly upset Hayley. She slowly walked backwards toward her front door. Her expression was a mixture of sadness and anger. And she could see the hurt on Elijah's face from her developing separation.

"When are you coming back?" She murmured.

"I do not know, Hayley." It was the truth. He couldn't stand the thought of having her wait for him only to never show up.

"Bye." Hayley said harshly before turning her back on him and walking to her front door. She slammed it closed behind her. It was a childish response, but that's exactly what she was. Elijah took a deep breath before he left at a speed no human eyes could catch.

2004

"Your teacher called today." Hayley's mom said at the dinner table. Hayley immediately made eye contact with her older sister, Lisa. They both knew what was coming. Hayley was the only one in the family that received any lectures.

"She said that you were disrupting class again." Her mother added.

"I really doubt that doodling in class should be seen as a disruption." Hayley snapped back before taking a sip of water.

"Well, I found your notebook in your backpack." Her mother said as she held it up. She'd come prepared for this little talk. Instead of the pages being filled with equations and numbers, there were elaborate doodles and drawings.

Hayley slammed her silverware onto the table. "You went through my stuff!" She shouted at her mother. Lisa cringed at the noise. She knew her parents singled her little sister out, while they thought she was perfect. The only thing worse than being the golden child is knowing that you are. Lisa always sided with Hayley, but her point of view never helped any of these situations.

"That's not the point." Their father finally intervened. "The point is that we get calls from all of your teachers saying you never pay attention in class. They say you're constantly daydreaming, you can't focus, and you choose to doodle instead of doing the assigned work for each class."

"Yet, I still have straight A's. Why does it matter? I know all the subjects. I can answer all of their dumb questions." Hayley defended. And it was true. She wasn't stupid. Hayley was actually one of the smartest people at her school. But the mundane topics of every class could never hold her interest. She was too imaginative, too creative. So her thoughts got lost in worlds that didn't exist and dreams that would never come true.

"You better lose the attitude. This is our last warning. We're sick of getting constant phone calls from your middle school." Her dad pointed his finger at her.

"Maybe you should let her take that art class at the park district on the weekends like she asked." Lisa added meekly. She thought if she suggested it, they would actually listen this time. "Then she can get it out of her system and focus better when she's at school."

Her father turned to look at Lisa, his expression immediately softened. "That would only encourage this behavior, honey." He explained to her nicely.

Meanwhile, Hayley watched her mother slowly go through the sheets of her notebook. Every page was filled with drawings. Instead of looking impressed, her mother looked disgusting the further she flipped through. Then she landed on a drawing of a handsome man dress in a suit with brown eyes that almost perfectly matched his hair. Hayley's heart jumped to her throat as she ripped the notebook from her mother's hands. She had enough of them and started for the back door.

"Where are you going?" Her mother challenged.

"I'm leaving." Hayley responded simply before slamming the door behind her. She knew her parents wouldn't try and stop her; they didn't care enough. She moved to the side of the house so she could see inside but they couldn't see her. Just like that, they had gone back to eating dinner as if nothing had happened. That was the family Hayley's parents had always wanted. They never needed her.

Hayley turned and stomped toward the woods behind her house. Prairies, hills, and forests lay just beyond her backyard. They were the escape from her problems. She had a spot about two miles in that no one knew of, not even her sister. It was a fall day, early evening. The sun still had an hour or two before it set. Hayley looked up at the trees that hovered and swayed way above her head. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

A gust of window suddenly pasted and it caused shivers to go across Hayley's skin. She only had on a t-shirt, forgetting to grab a coat because of her rush of anger. But with the wind came the sound of the dry leaves rustling in the braches, some even billowing down to the ground. The sound was like a lullaby, ridding Hayley of all her anger. She pushed further into the forest until she hit the break where the trees ended and the small hills of grass began. Now she could see her spot where no one ever found her. The hill sat behind a little lake and gave a full circle view of the nature around it. No one really went up there besides her.

Once Hayley made the hike up to the top of the hill, she sat down and immediately became lost in her thoughts. After a few moments, she glanced over at the notebook she still had. Just the sight of it made her angry. She's always seen any of her artwork as some kind of diary. If other's looked closely enough, they could find her secrets, her feelings, and her desires. It was a dismal violation when her mother abused such privacy.

Hayley grabbed if off the ground and flipped through the pages angrily. It wasn't until she went back to the page of the man, the last one her mother had seen before Hayley ripped it out of her hands. But her mother didn't even notice the sentimental portrayal. Hayley stared at it for a moment. It was astonishing that she could even remember his name. The last time she saw him was five years ago. But she couldn't remember that, she had lost track of time.

Why hadn't he come back yet? Hayley asked herself. Why did he even bother showing up if he was just going to disappear all the time? She continued searching for things that she could never figure out. And with each unanswered question, she became angrier and angrier. Hayley began ripping pages from her notebook, until a dozen of ripped pages lay across the surrounding grass. Then she chucked the notebook into the ground and dropped her head between her knees. But she didn't cry, she never let herself cry. She believed it made her weak.

"Hayley." A voice said firmly, but at the same time, with concern. It came from a few feet behind her. No one had ever come up there before. So the sound startled her to point that she quickly stood up and whipped around to the face them. Elijah stood carefully, unsure of how she would react to his presence. He'd caught the end of her outburst, concerned at what could bring out such a reaction within her. But it was also when he saw a slip of the darkness he had been warned about. It wasn't just a childish tantrum; it was controlled by something deep inside.

Hayley looked at him nervously. She refused to show any signs that she was happy to see him. But she didn't realize how easily the jump in her heartbeat gave her away. Although she was still angry that he'd found her like this.

"What are you doing here?" Hayley whispered angrily.

Elijah narrowed his eyes calmly. He took a step toward her but stopped when she took a step away. But he continued forward and bent down to pick up the drawings that she had ripped out. He managed to pick up all of it up before the wind carried them away. He flattened the papers before he observed all of them.

"Did you draw all of these?" Elijah asked. Hayley could easily hear that he was impressed and captivated by them. He wasn't exaggerating or lying. It was a reaction she had never received before. And she realized it wasn't fair that she'd greeted him so coldly, especially after all this time apart.

"Can I have those back?" Her question brought Elijah out of his observations. He eyed her for a moment, unsure if she planned on ripping them to shreds. "Please?" She asked, more kindly this time. He nodded his head and handed them back to her. "I don't like showing them to people." Hayley informed him quietly.

"And why is that?" Elijah asked her.

"I just don't." She snapped before shoving the paper inside the demolished notebook. She gripped it tightly now, hoping it would keep anyone else from seeing its contents. Then she looked up at him now, unsure of what to say.

"What happened?" He asked her softly.

Hayley observed him, untrustworthily. She never told anyone why she got so upset, but mostly because no one ever really asked. She hid it well, except Elijah had caught her letting it go for once. "Why do you care?" She asked him darkly.

Elijah wasn't expecting how different she'd be at this age. She showed more emotion and had learned how to manipulate and hide it. And she was much smarter than he expected. Even now, she was above her age. There was a suspicion about why he was being a part of her life now. Elijah wondered when she would find it.

"I only wish to help." He finally responded.

Hayley slowly took a step toward him, narrowing her gaze. "Are you a ghost?" She asked him seriously.

Elijah couldn't help but smile at the question. "I beg your pardon?"

"You look the same every time I see you. No one else seems to notice that I'm talking to you. Are you a ghost that only I can see?" There was no amusement or smiling when she asked him again.

But Elijah didn't bother hiding his smirk. "No, I am not a ghost."

"Are you a time traveler?" She gasped with excitement, causing Elijah to let out a small laugh. Hayley then took a step closer, shutting the distance she had put between them before. "I read a book where a man time traveled. But he couldn't control when it happened or where he went. He always visited the girl he was in love with, when she was a child. She kept having to wait for him."

Elijah's smile and amusement instantly vanished. The story was too familiar. Only in his life, both of them waited. Hayley waited for him while Elijah waited for her to grow up and for her to be safe. His eyes flickered to hers, seeing that she was waiting for his response. "No. I am not a time traveler." He answered quietly.

Elijah expected her to ask another question. A part of him feared that her wild imagination might finally cause her to ask the right one. But instead of saying anything more, Hayley just nodded her head, satisfied that he had answered her truthfully. Instead, she embraced him quickly. It was a rare moment of affection that either of them ever received. She was now big enough that Elijah didn't have to kneel down. He felt her small heart racing and her quick breathing.

"I'm sorry I was mean to you." Hayley whispered into his chest.

"It's quite alright." He reassured her as he looked up to see that it would be twilight in a few minutes. "Come on. Let's get you home." He muttered softly.

Even though Hayley didn't want to go home, Elijah made everything better somehow. She nodded, pulling away. With the sun practically gone, it had become even colder than before. She shook a little when a gust of wind hit them. Elijah immediately noticed the reaction. "Are you cold?" He asked her. But Hayley shook her head. He knew she was lying as he took off his suit coat and draped it around her shivering shoulders. When she gave him her hand to hold, it was cold as ice.

Hayley leaned her head against Elijah's arm as they started walking down the hill and back toward her house. Just like last time, they talked about random things. Not once did she say anything about her family. But Elijah seemed to already know her parents were the reason for finding her upset. And just like usual, Hayley never asked him any questions. He didn't realize that she wanted to. But somehow she knew that he wouldn't be able to answer them…at least, not yet.

However, halfway through their walk, Hayley stopped and let go of Elijah's hand. She turned to look up at him. "Elijah, why are we friends?"

He tilted his head and thought about the question. "Would you wish for us to no longer be friends?" But when he thought about it, if she didn't ever want o see him again, he honestly didn't know if he could follow her wishes. Did he even have the strength to stay away from her?

"No. I don't want that." Hayley whispered, almost sounding insulted that he even suggested it. "I just don't really get…never mind." She finished lamely. It felt weird asking Elijah why he would be friends with her, but she always wondered about it. He was handsome and unlike any man she'd ever met. And she didn't understand why he kept in contact with her. She'd never told anyone about him, not even her sister, because she knew it would be immediately interpreted as inappropriate. But that wasn't what this was and at least she was sure of that part.

"Hayley…" Elijah started, battling his own inner turmoil with what he allowed himself to say to her. "One day you will understand all of this." He said to her seriously. Then he was surprised when she broke out into laughter.

"That just confused me more." She said between laughs. It was the first time she smiled since he'd found her that day. He realized it was unusual how little she laughed and smiled for being so young.

Elijah smirked at the sound of her laughter. There was never a more pleasant sound in his life. But his enjoyment disappeared when his vampire senses picked up on something in the woods. He looked down the path and found two people a few yards away from him and Hayley: a young man and a woman. Immediately, he knew the man was a vampire. Then it took a few seconds for him to realize the woman was a witch. Hayley followed his gaze. Her smile fell when she saw how seriously Elijah was watching them. He stepped in front of Hayley protectively; blocking any view the two of them had of her.

"Feeding on children? I must say, even for me, that is quite twisted." The vampire said as he and the witch walked slowly toward them. He smelled the air with a sneer. "Though, I have to admit she smells delectable."

"Take another step and I promise, it will be your death." Elijah said evenly.

"We're not here for a fight, Elijah." The witch finally spoke. "Only to give you a message…from Klaus." She said with a malicious smirk. Elijah didn't lose his composure at the mention of his brother. But inside, he hadn't expected anything like this. He didn't say anything to either of them.

"He knows you've been trying to track him. Since you're his brother, he will give you one and final warning: stop looking for him. If you don't, he will dagger and throw you to sea to join the rest of your siblings." The witch repeated the message just as Klaus had instructed.

"Or…" The vampire intervened as he tilted his head, looking at Hayley who peaked around Elijah's frame. "…We could take the girl and bring her to Klaus. I'm sure he would enjoy that more than killing you." Somewhere in their conversation he realized that Elijah did not have the child at his side to feed from her, it was something deeper than that. The witch quickly turned her attention to the vampire. Apparently he was no longer following the plan. "Think about how fun it would be. Klaus could raise her just like a puppy! She would be quite a pet." The vampire laughed darkly. But he was a fool for testing an original.

Elijah's jaw tightened under such threats. If they recognized how important Hayley was to him, then they needed to be killed. If he didn't, they would inform Klaus of her existence and Hayley would forever be in danger. Elijah shot forward, grabbing the witch by her neck, snapping it and dropping her corpse to the ground in just mere seconds.

But then Elijah heard Hayley scream his name. He looked up to see that the vampire had made his way to her the moment Elijah headed for the witch. The vampire's forearm was around her neck, with his hand gripping her hands in front of her, stopping her from moving them at all. The vampire's fangs were out and they lingered over Hayley neck teasingly as he sneered at Elijah.

"It doesn't matter if you kill me. We have already told Klaus about her." The vampire raised his eyebrows.

Elijah's gaze darkened. "I know a lie when I hear one." He growled.

The vampire expected such a reaction and smiled at it. "Am I?" He mocked. "If I were, how would I already know that the girl's name is Hayley? A certain witch recited a prophecy to you about her." He tilted his head, knowing that he'd given enough proof for Elijah to finally believe him. "Your old witch spilled. What was her name? Oh right, Cassandra. Yes. Actually, she told us right before we killed her."

Elijah's rage and fury was only building up to an even more disturbing danger. But on the outside, he appeared completely composed and unaltered. He allowed himself to glance at Hayley. Even from his distance, Elijah was able to see that she was shaking. Fear had taken over.

"I think I'll just take her now. Save myself another trip." The vampire thought out loud. But Elijah humored him long enough. His victim couldn't be even a hundred years old yet. His brother must have become desperate for companions and slaves. Elijah ripped his hold off of Hayley and shoved him against a tree so hard that it cracked under the contact. Elijah ripped his heart out without showing a second of mercy. For threatening Hayley, he deserved a slow and painful death. But Elijah couldn't give him the proper punishment while Hayley stood watching.

Elijah turned around to see that she was crying, but her eyes were filled also with shock and horror. He locked down at his hand to see it was covered in blood. As if things weren't already complicated enough, there was no way of explaining this to a 12-year-old girl. Elijah quickly wiped his hand so it was no longer covered in blood. Then he carefully walked toward her, cautious of every step.

The second that he was just a foot away, Hayley broke into hysterics. She took a step backwards, but was too terrified to see the large branch right behind her. Her foot caught it, causing her to fall to the ground. Elijah couldn't stand the way she was looking at him. He held his hands at his sides, hoping it would stop her fear. "Hayley…I would never hurt you." His voice was desperate.

Her tears had stopped, leaving her eyes blood-shot and her cheeks moist. She still wore his suit jacket that engulfed her small body. The back of it was covered in fallen leaves from tripping. She didn't know why, but her fear was slowly fading. She suddenly realized that Elijah would never hurt her. He only hurt those people because they were going to take her. Hayley felt safe with him and she didn't understand where the security had come from.

Elijah offered his hand to her. Hayley stared at it for a moment before grabbing it. The second she was back on her feet, she threw her arms around him. Her face was buried into Elijah's chest as she felt his arms on her back. "It's alright. You're safe." He whispered soothingly. She had started crying again. "I will never allow anyone to harm you." He promised her.

Elijah looked around. Night had officially fallen. There was no guarantee that his brother hadn't sent more slaves to do his dirty work. He glanced at the dead bodies. He would come back for them later. Right now, his biggest concern was getting Hayley home safely. Elijah gently scooped her up in his arms. She didn't give any struggle or oppose it, completely trusting him. "Close her eyes." He muttered quietly. He didn't want her to look at the bodies any longer or see him moving at vampire speed.

Within seconds, he was standing at Hayley's front door. Her family was gone. There were no heartbeats present inside. Elijah was too preoccupied to wonder how they could just leave her alone. He looked down at Hayley, whose eyes were still shut tightly. "Hayley, will you invite me inside?" He asked gently.

She opened her eyes and showed surprise when she realized they were already at her house. "Come in." She said through her exhaustion. Elijah didn't hesitate as he opened the front door. He went upstairs and knew instantly what bedroom was Hayley's; her scent filled it. He gently laid her on the unmade bed, pulling the covers around her.

Hayley was in between sleep and awake. Elijah wanted to leave her like that, but he couldn't allow her to remember the night's events. Even grown men were unable to handle witnessing such things. He couldn't live with himself knowing all of it would haunt this child.

"Hayley." He whispered loud enough to wake her. The shock and terror had drained her. A few seconds later, her eyes fluttered open. Elijah leaned forward, locking gazes with her. "You must forget tonight's events. You will only remember seeing me, and our walk back to your home. You'll be safe here." He compelled her. Then he pulled away slightly, just to speak with her. "I must go." He told her sadly.

"Please stay. You only just got here." Hayley muttered sleepily.

"I cannot. I will not come back for quite some time." He informed her honestly. "It is not safe for me to be near you. Do not invite anyone into your house that you do not fully know, Hayley. Do you understand?" His voice was strict and serious. She nodded her head at his instruction.

"Do you promise you'll come back?" Hayley whispered.

"I give you my word."

Hayley seemed content that he would keep his promise, for she quickly fell back asleep. Elijah paused just a moment before leaving the room. He wouldn't be back for a long time. That was all he knew right now. By continuing to visit, he'd put her in danger. Now Klaus knew of her existence. But all Elijah could do was hope that his brother was only aware of her name. Elijah understood if he stayed away, Klaus would leave her be. He hoped that the vampire was bluffing when he said he'd already informed Klaus about Hayley. It would be better if Elijah made her forget about him completely, but he was too selfish to do such a thing. And it would only make things harder in the end.

EHHHH OHHHH. It's 4 oclock in the morning. I have issuesssssssss.