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Hayley came stumbling out of the woods. Her thoughts were anywhere but in the present. So much that she wasn't bothering where she was placing her feet. Logs and rocks continued to make her stagger as she finally saw the Mikaelson mansion in her view. As she stepped on the neatly mowed grass, her breathing was strained. She felt as if she was going to be sick.

Three of Klaus' hybrids were in the backyard, watching her. They usually kept hidden. It was like Klaus knew she didn't want to know about their existence. But now they were told to stop Hayley from leaving the mansion after she got back from her run. Klaus threatened to sever their heads himself if they failed to do so.

One of them saw the stress on her face and started toward her. There was a small streak of dirt on her face, scratches on her arms, and grime underneath her fingernails from her falling on the forest floor. The hybrid went to Hayley's side right as she stumbled to the ground again. It was like her knees were made of nothing. The hybrid caught her arm, steadying her before she could hit the grass.

"What happened?" He asked her softly.

"I need to find Elijah." Hayley gasped, her eyes tearing into his.

"You can't leave. Klaus' orders."

At that, she ripped her arm out of his grip. "I don't take orders from him." She practically spat her words in his face. "This is an emergency. I'm going to find him." But the hybrid stepped in front of her. Hayley's eyes flickered to other hybrids that seem to come out of nowhere. They all watched her protectively but also in a way that they wouldn't shy away from a fight if that's what it took to stop her.

"But we do." The hybrid urged.

"Where's Klaus? Where are any of them? Please, let me go find them. Their lives depend on it. They're in danger." The words were flying out of her mouth. She was desperate for them to understand the importance.

The hybrid looked at her with sympathy. Unlike his ruler, he felt sorry taking away someone's free will. "They aren't here. I'll send someone to find them. But you have to stay at the mansion."

Hayley shook her head before he was even finished. "No. I need to go." But her confidence about convincing them was started to falter. She looked around at all the hybrids and knew they could stop her.

"Hayley…" The hybrid said so kindly it made her look at him. "Klaus gave us strict orders. All of us will be in danger if we disobey him…even if we don't mean to. You leave, we die."

Hayley put her hands on top of her head. She couldn't go. She would never put their lives at risk because of her stubbornness. And she knew he was telling the truth. After a second, she nodded her head. "Tell them their in danger. Get them as quickly as possible." She waited as the hybrid immediately did as she asked, sending five of the many hybrids to go and get each of the original siblings.

"Do you have a phone?" She asked him desperately.

He handed her the one from his pocket. Hayley instantly dialed Elijah's number. But it went to voicemail right away. Her eyes widened in panic. "It's off." She gasped. Was she too late?

The hybrid, who Hayley had heard the others call Adrian, took in a deep breath. "Or it just can't get service." He tried to reassure her. Hayley nodded blankly, trying to even consider the idea.

She looked down at the cellphone again and dialed Klaus' number. It picked up on the second dial. "This better be important Adrian." She heard his voice practically groan in annoyance.

"Nik! You need to come back to the mansion right now!" Hayley sputtered into the phone. For some reason, she hadn't expected him to pick up the phone either.

"Hayley, what's happened?" His voice instantly changed at hearing hers. And what he really wanted to ask was if she were safe.

"You have to come home right away." And as if she knew he wouldn't understand the life or death aspect of the situation she added, "YOU'RE LINKED. ALL OF YOU ARE LINKED! IF ONE OF YOU DIES, YOU ALL DIE!"

"Who told you this?" Klaus answered after a moment of trying to understand how any of that could possibly be true. But he didn't see it as a great threat. Even if they were connected, the only thing anyone could do was dagger his siblings. He'd put together that the Salvatore brothers must have stolen the last dagger the night of the ball. That was the only weapon they had. After all, Sage and Rebekah had burnt down the bridge.

"It's complicated…" Hayley said in a softer tone. "Just please come home. Is Elijah with you?"

"No. I have no idea where he is. But Kol is. We'll be back in a minute or two." Klaus tried to comfort her. But all his efforts were wasted. If Elijah wasn't with him and he wasn't answering his phone, Hayley couldn't stop from imagining the worse. She once believed he was dead and she didn't think she could go through that again. Hayley hung up the phone and gave it back to Adrian who now looked at her seriously after hearing what all the panic was about.

"Come on." Adrian said as he gestured toward her. "Let's get you cleaned up. All you can do is wait now." Hayley just nodded, her mind on everything besides how gross she probably looked. They walked toward the mansion. With the news of people trying to destroy the originals, the hybrids that were left to look around the perimeter at ready.

As soon as Hayley and Adrian stepped into the mansion, a sound caught her attention. She looked at the hybrid with accusation in her eyes. "I thought you said they were all gone." Her allegation seemed to make him uncomfortable and guilt was written all over his face. Hayley glared at him and started walking toward the sound she had heard. She stopped at the double doors that lead to the mansions ballroom. Her hands lingered over the handle and she turned to face Adrian, trying to see if she truly wanted to know what was behind those doors. He shook his head with a last effort at making her change her mind.

Hayley threw open the doors and her mouth immediately dropped when she looked at the scene in front of her. Damon Salvatore was hanging from hunting traps. His black shirt was unbuttoned, allowing her to see slices all across his bare skin that trickled blood. There was a tarp underneath him. Even with all the gore, the originals still kept a level of sophistication. Rebekah turned as soon as the doors were thrown open. Hayley looked back and forth between the two vampires.

"What the hell is going on?" She accused Rebekah.

"Oh, don't mind me, sweetheart." The original said charmingly to her as if the setting were the most normal thing in the world. "I know you and Elijah have missed a lot of the petty drama that goes around this trifling town. Let me fill you in." Rebekah stepped toward Damon with a small knife in her hand. "Damon tricked me into sleeping with him." Rebekah cut his stomach. "Sage stole my thoughts." She cut his throat. "Then she deceived Damon on her loyalties." She jabbed the knife into his side. "That's how she found out about Wickery Bridge. Then she told us and together we burned down the weapon that could kill our family."

Hayley looked absolutely disgusted. Her eyes met with Damon's. She tried so hard not to show any sympathy or remorse but it was so clearly placed on her face. "Rebekah…" She whispered but wasn't able to say anything else to the original.

"I'm draining the vervain from his system." She said to Hayley with a look of triumph. "And then…that's when the fun begins. I think I'll compel him to kill his brother. Oh wait, no! I'll force him to kill Elena in front of Stefan and then he'll kill him too."

Hayley shook her head, her mouth still slightly open and her eyes wide. "Rebekah…you can't-you can't do this." But her sympathetic resistance fell on deaf ears.

"I don't think you really have a say, Hayley." The original said with her head tilted and a smirk on her lips. She walked over to Hayley and handed her the knife, the blade dripping with Damon's blood. "Here!" She said enthusiastically. "You have a go while I go find a bigger knife. I'm growing rather impatient." And Rebekah started toward the door. But she stopped and looked at Hayley. "I think we both know what would happen if you tried to release him." She raised an eyebrow as if to prove that she wouldn't hesitate to rip out Hayley's heart.

Adrian seemed to catch his cue to leave too. He saw how Hayley looked at Damon. She wouldn't leave the mansion now that she knew what was going on there. He followed Rebekah out and shut the door. Hayley instantly turned back to the older Salvatore. She was completely unsure of what to do. Her first instinct was to let him go. But he was the reason the originals were linked together. And he was also the one that took her. In fact, Damon had done a lot to her and the people she loved. But the urge to save her was still what controlled her instincts.

Hayley slowly walked toward Damon. Each footstep was completely silent. When she was only a foot away, he slowly lifted his head to stare at her. He looked completely exhausted. The parts of his skin that weren't covered in blood had a layer of sweat. But through all his pain, Damon still had his arrogant smirk hardly staying on his mouth.

"I must admit that I was impressed with your escape from the cellar. I guess I shouldn't underestimate you anymore." He whispered.

"I-I can't help you Damon." Hayley said almost pathetically. "Even though you don't deserve it." She heard Rebekah's heels heading back to the room. Damon seemed to also. His eyes seemed to get back a little light. He'd thought of something.

"Hayley," He said immediately. "Elijah took Elena. He took her because we had you."

"What?" She gasped.

"I found out where she was just before Rebekah attacked me. The caverns. He's keeping her there."

Rebekah was close now.

Hayley took a few steps closer and was now right in his face. "Why should I help you?" She growled. Rebekah opened the door. "After taking advantage of me, linking the originals, daggering Elijah…why should I do anything for you?" The last bit of hope for Elena's rescue disappeared in Damon's gaze. Hayley grimaced and shook her head at him. She turned around to face Rebekah and crossed her arms.

The original heard the last bit of what Hayley had said to Damon and was satisfied that she had lost her pity for him. Before she could say anything, Klaus came storming into the room. With him, he was dragging Bonnie Bennett. His eyes fell on Hayley and then to Damon's hanging figure. "Well, well, well what have you caught, sister?"

Rebekah looked proud of herself. "Teaching him a lesson."

Klaus took a step toward Damon after shoving Bonnie in Hayley's direction. She caught her gently and lowered her head to the witch. "Are you okay?" She whispered genuinely. Bonnie was surprised by her kindness. She seemed to be one of the few people in Mystic Falls who hadn't talked to Hayley. Eventually, she nodded at the question.

Damon's head lifted a little to look at the original hybrid in the eye. "You are quite fortunate that my sister got to you first." Klaus murmured. "If I had, you would be suffering so much more. Especially after taking Hayley as if she were our sparkly toy. Consider yourself lucky." Hayley's jaw tightened as she overheard Klaus' words.

Klaus stepped away and smiled at his sister. "Why not turn him upside down? The vervain would leave his system much faster."

Rebekah sighed and cut Damon across the chest with the bigger knife she went to get. Damon let out gasp of pain. His heavy breathing soon followed. "Oh, Nik. He's my plaything. Let me do as I please." Rebekah answered her brother. Hayley shook her head, trying to hide her disgust.

"And her?" Hayley pointed at Bonnie. "Do you plan on torturing her as well?" She accused Klaus.

"Not if she cooperates. Bonnie here is going to undo her damage." He gave the witch a smirk that he knew would send chills down her spine. "If she performs the spell to disconnect my siblings and me, I promise I'll let her go unharmed."

Hayley looked at Bonnie, trying to measure up if the witch would do what was needed. Then Hayley raised her hands in surrender. "I clearly don't have a say in any of this. But I refuse to stand by and watch."

"We're doing what's necessary to survive, love." Klaus said to her. The use of the nickname that she'd reminded him multiple times that she despised earned him a glare from Hayley. She made a noise, showing how unbelievable he was being. But it worked into her plan perfectly. She left the room and no one followed her. The hybrids were all outside now.

If she moved fast enough, they wouldn't even notice that she left. And then no one else would know either, like Klaus. She still wore her running clothes: black running shorts, loose white tank top, and neon yellow Nikes. She took a deep breath and looked around the mansion one more time to make sure she wasn't being watched.

"Where are you off to?" A voice said from the catwalk above.

Hayley instantly turned and spotted Kol looking down at her. His presence could make her escape go either way. "Breaking a few rules and messing up some important plans." She said casually, praying that Klaus couldn't over hear them.

"Ah, see! That's why I like you!" Kol said with a smirk.

"Can you do me a favor…one rebel to another?" He raised an eyebrow at her offer. "Don't tell them I left?" She asked him nicely. He just watched her for a second. And Hayley thought he would rat her out right there. But then Kol gave her his infamous and mischievous grin. He nodded his head as he leaned on the banister. Hayley smiled back at him and then it disappeared. "And…" She hesitated, not sure how to say what she wanted. "I won't tell you to stay here. But…just be careful, okay?"

Kol seemed to smile even more. "Likewise, Hayley. This family would be even more of a bore if you got a stake through the heart. Plus, 'Lijah and Nik would probably be crying like babies for the rest of eternity."

Hayley couldn't help but shake her head and let out a light laugh at how blunt he was being. Then she gave him a nod and a small wave before racing out the door at vampire speed.

Lucky for Damon, she knew where the cavern was. Elijah brought her there one of the days he forced vampire training onto her. It was one of the few moments where he gave her a break. Instead of trying to throw stakes at her, he had paused and told her stories of growing up on the very ground they had been standing on then.

It only took Hayley a few minutes to get there. She stopped and looked around, trying to find where Elijah could have hidden Elena. That was when her eyes spotted a hole in the ground. It was completely accessible to any vampire. But for a human, it would be impossible to jump down without breaking their legs or climb out if they somehow survived the fall. Hayley took a deep breath before hopping down. She landed on her feet and closed her eyes to listen for her heartbeat. She instantly located it. If it weren't for her supernatural hearing, Hayley would have surely gotten lost in the tunnels.

She saw a light coming from a small nook in at the end of one tunnel. Candles had been lit inside and her vision was able to spot Elena sitting on the dirt floor, her knees at her chest. Hayley walked forward. But just as she reached the opening, some sort of invisible wall stopped her. Elena spotted her and jumped at seeing someone.

"It's magic." The doppelgänger noted. "You can't get in."

"I guess you'll just have to come out."

"Yeah, okay." Elena mocked her.

Hayley sighed. "Listen, I'm here to get you out. Not to hurt you." Her hands were on her hips, making her give off even more of an attitude. She observed Elena to see she was apprehensive. "Look…I don't have time for any of this. I really don't give a fuck if you trust me or not. Do you want to get out of here or not?"

Elena took a few steps toward the invisible barricade. "I thought they took you. Isn't that why Elijah brought me here in the first place?"

"They did. But I go out. I never knew you were here." She gave her as few details as possible. A deep exhale escaped her. She glanced behind her, half expecting Elijah to be behind her. But the tunnels were still as dark and empty from when she'd arrived.

Elena was just barely an inch from the barrier, eyeing Hayley. "Why are you saving me?" She asked quietly.

Hayley narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "You still don't get it do you?" Her hands fell from her hips before she change her tone. "Just because I love him and I care about his family doesn't mean that I am one of them. If you can recall, Stefan's the only reason I'm even a vampire."

Her answer was honest and to the point. It caused Elena to let out a gasp of breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. She nodded and finally took a step out of her protected bubble. Without waiting for her, Hayley quickly walked back the direction she came. She didn't bother looking behind her to see if Elena was following. The little brunette had to jog to keep up with Hayley's long legs.

At a human's pace, it took a little longer than before to find the opening. Hayley stopped and bent her head back to look up at the sky. It was starting to get dark. Soon the sun would be past the horizon. Even though she hid it well, Hayley worried about Elijah's safety. If he wasn't making sure Elena was kept hidden, where was he? Hayley looked at Elena who seemed rather nervous as she looked up at the opening as well.

Without giving her any warning, Hayley grabbed Elena and jumped straight up to the opening. It was easy, even with a human in her grasp. The moment she landed softly on the ground, Elena didn't take it as gracefully. The doppelgänger stumbled out of Hayley's grip and quickly fell to her knees on the rough forest floor.

"Come on. We have to leave before anyone comes back." Hayley said without any sensitivity. She didn't know how long Elena had been down there. It was probably only a little bit longer than she had been locked in the Salvatore's cellar.

Elena seemed confused. "Anyone as in Elijah or Rebekah?" Hayley just nodded. "But…don't they know you're here? Didn't they send you?"

"No. I came on my own." She responded without looking at her, already walking through the forest. Elena jogged to catch up once again.

"Then how did you know where to find me?"

Hayley barely slowed her step. "It was Damon…Damon told me they had you here."

Elena instantly stopped walking, her mouth dropped. "They have Damon?" She gasped loudly. "I have to go get him!" She started walking in a different direction than Hayley had been taking her as if she knew where she was even going.

Hayley rolled her eyes and grabbed Elena's arm roughly. The uneven gesture caused Elena to look slightly alarmed. "I don't like you, Elena. And neither you nor I can do anything to help him. I don't know why I'm even helping you. But it would all be a waste of my time if you went on some stupid suicide mission and got yourself killed."

Elena shook her head. But it took her a moment to figure out her next defense. Hayley's frankness had caught her off guard. "Klaus won't kill me…he won't let anyone kill me." She defended desperately.

Hayley made a noise at how superior Elena believed she was in the eyes of the original hybrid. "Yeah, probably. But it will only make him kill Damon even faster. Besides, it's not Klaus that has him. It's Rebekah." But she shook her head at Elena. "We can't do anything."

"How can you just stand by as they kill people?" Elena yelled.

Hayley stepped closer. She looked down at her from the great height difference between them. "You think I like watching people get killed? You think this is what I wanted? Nik killed one of my friends. Elijah almost killed Stefan earlier today when he found me. This is never what I wanted. I'm trying to stop them from destroying what humanity they have left."

Elena's heart was racing from Hayley's rising anger. And Hayley could hear it too perfectly. "Then why are you with them?" She whispered.

Hayley wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of even answering. But she believed she owed it to herself. Recently, she'd been asking herself the same question. "Because I love them…even after all of the things they've done." Hayley's voice softened. "But who are you to judge?" She challenged. And without waiting for Elena's response, she led her further into the woods. Eventually the trees became thinner and Hayley stopped as their feet touched the dark pavement of the road.

"You should have reception now. I don't have a car. You can call someone to come get you." Hayley stated without glancing at her.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Elena asked so sincerely that it forced Hayley to look at her.

She observed the doppelgänger closely. Wondering if she should lie or if the truth could do the human girl some good. "Because you're at the core of all of this. Even if you can't help it, you're the cause. And I guess you're just the type of girl I've always disliked."

Elena crossed her arms. "And what type of girl am I?"

Hayley took a step closer. "Fragile and over-emotional…but everyone just seems to be in love with her despite it. People are always pathetically attracted to the girl that constantly needs saving." Her words seemed to hit something deep within Elena, for her eyes started filling with tears. It only proved Hayley's point further. But Hayley didn't comfort her or even give the doppelgänger a look of sympathy. Her jaw just tightened as she turned to leave her.

"Hayley," Elena said quickly through her emotion. "Thank you." But Hayley just looked at her impassively before disappearing into the forest at vampire speed. Elena wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand as soon as she was sure that she was completely alone. She looked down at her phone and contemplated calling Stefan or anyone to come get her. But she shoved the cell phone in her pocket and decided to walk instead.

Hayley made it back to the mansion in a few minutes. She hoped no one noticed she had left. Guilt would overwhelm her if any of the hybrids were punished for her being gone. Maybe if she was lucky, Kol had made sure her disappearance went unnoticed. She turned to slowly close the door so quietly that even the supernatural couldn't hear it.

But when Hayley turned around, she jumped when Kol was standing just a foot away from her. "I must say, even for a vampire, your senses aren't very sharp." He said with a smirk.

"Right." She shrugged. "Did anyone-" But she stopped when he instantly shook her head. "Has Elijah come back? Or even called?" But Kol shook his head again. It was obvious he wasn't as concerned with his brother's whereabouts as she was.

"Look at it this way…if he were dead, the rest of our family would be too." He said brightly as if the idea of death didn't scare him at all.

"I guess that's one way to look on the positive side." Hayley muttered cynically under her breath.

Kol looked her up and down almost with displeasure. "What have you been doing, rolling around in the woods?"

Hayley took in a deep breath. It wasn't until then that she realized how mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted she was. There was too much stress and furtively saving Elena had finally caused it to set in. It was like that witch had sucked all the energy from her. Hayley was dazing into nothingness as she tried to recall the exchange.

Kol instantly caught the change in her demeanor. His eyes narrowed. "Hayley, what happened to you today?" For once, his voice wasn't covered in puns and mockery. He genuinely wanted to know. It was the first time he showed concern for her.

"I promise I'll tell everyone. I just want to make sure you aren't all linked. It's too dangerous. There's no time to waste." Hayley told him through a hushed voice. Then she exhaled deeply and looked down at herself. He was right to judge her appearance so severely. Her knees were spotted with blood, the only proof that she had been cut there before her body healed itself. Her white tank top had a few grass stains. And the bottoms of her Nike's were covered in mud and dirt. "I think I'm going to take a shower. Maybe it will take my mind off of all this." She added the last part almost pathetically.

"I'll let you know if anything changes." Kol said through a grin.

"Really? You need an excuse to barge into the bathroom while I'm in the shower? I thought worse of you, Kol." Hayley tried to sound lighthearted. But it was becoming rather difficult.

But Kol winked at her anyways as she turned to go upstairs.

Sorry for any typos/grammatical errors. I edited this super fast.