A/N: All sections written in italics are flashbacks.
Bring Me To Life
The River in Reverse:
The gentle breeze swept through the trees as Hayley sat lazily on the front steps of the stack in the middle of the bayou and she looked up at the starry night sky with a sad smile on his lips as she leaned back on her hands. There was something almost magically about the night sky in her opinion. Maybe it was because the stars had been one of the only constants in her life and even now, when everything was thrown in the air, it gave her some semblance of security and stability.
"Hayley?" a melodic male voice called out to her tentatively from inside the shack as the squeaky screen door was pushed open and the werewolf turned her body around as she sat up straighter on the steps.
"Elijah. You should be lying down." Hayley pointed out with a small smile on her lips as she looked up at the handsome Original brother and she felt her heart rate accelerate slightly in his presence as she took in his delicious molten chocolate eyes, strong jawline and soft smile.
"There is a period of time before the werewolf venom incapacitates me enough to leave me bedridden."
"Right. Sorry, I've never had to play doctor to a vampire with a werewolf bite." She told him honestly with a hint of humour in her voice as her lips curved into a smirk and he chuckled slightly as he stepped further out onto the porch, with the door closing behind him.
"I'm sorry that you have been abandoned out here in the bayou while I'm unable to protect you to the best of my ability." Elijah said apologetically as he frowned down at her with sincere contrition burning in his oak brown eyes and Hayley scrunched her nose up slightly in disbelief as she automatically shook head to combat his admission of guilt.
"This isn't your fault, Elijah. We both thought the worst of Klaus and we are both paying the price. You more so than me, but still…"
They both knew that the words she spoke were the truth. After learning that the blood of Hayley's unborn baby could turn a werewolf that had activated their gene into a hybrid and left them sired to Hayley, or the baby once it was born, their immediate thought was that Klaus knew of this fact from the beginning. When they confronted Klaus with their assumption, he reacted violently by biting Elijah and leaving them alone in the bayou to deal with the severe fever and hallucinations that came then the werewolf venom spread without his body, but Hayley and Elijah both couldn't deny that his innocence was sincere.
"Yes, I just wish that he had left us with some form of transportation." Elijah stated drily with a grim smile on his lips as he leaned his shoulder against the pillar of the porch and Hayley let out an amused laugh as she looked up at him with admiration burning in her hazel eyes.
The Original vampire instantly tensed as he heard the distance sound of a car heading in the direction of the small shack they were hiding in and his oak brown gaze snapped up to the dirt road that acted as a makeshift driveway as a black sports car appeared from in between the trees but with it being night time and the windows tinted, he couldn't see who the driver was. Elijah pushed himself off of the pillar as he strolled down the steps so that he was positioned between Hayley and the unknown individual who had just arrived as the car pulled to a stop just before the road ended.
Hayley narrowed her eyes at the car as she slowly rose to her feet with a defensive stirring in her chest and she watched warily as the driver's side door swung open, making Elijah stiffened protectively in front of her.
Elijah let out an exasperated sigh as a familiar brunette stepped out of the car with a smirk on her lips and he instantly relaxed his stance as he raised his eyebrows at her questioningly with a small quirk of his lips. "Imogen, what are you doing here?"
"You, Mr Mikaelson, are a horrible host. The correct greeting would be something along the lines of, 'Imogen! How lovely to see you. Don't you look utterly delectable tonight?' Or something of that nature." The witch declared in amusement as she rested one hand on the top of the opened car door and the other on the roof as she quirked an eyebrow at him with a smirk playing on her lips.
"How did you even know we were still out here?" he continued with his interrogation as though she hadn't spoken a word and he crossed his arms over his chest sternly as he levelled her with a pointed look.
"It seems your werewolf over there, – " she told him politely as she pointed a finger towards the brunette standing the steps and smiled briefly at Hayley as Elijah glanced over his shoulder at her with an accusing eyebrow raised. " – thinks you need my help with something. She was a little vague on the details over the phone."
"We pissed Klaus off, and he bit Elijah as punishment, and then took our car." Hayley informed the other brunette bluntly with a small shrug of her shoulders as she crossed her arms over her chest and Imogen froze for a second as processed the information with a blank expression before she shook her head slightly.
"Okay, well, there's not much I can do about a werewolf bite without Klaus' blood. But luckily, it won't kill an Original."
"Which is why it was unnecessary for you to make the journey all the way out here to the bayou." Elijah pointed out sternly with a blank expression on his handsome face as he crossed his arms over his chest and the young witch narrowed her bluish eyes at him threateningly as she plastered a no-nonsense look on her face.
"Unless you're planning on forcibly throwing me over your shoulder, which I wouldn't object to, and carrying me back to the French Quarter with werewolf venom drawing closer and closer to your heart, I suggest you shut up and let me help you anyway I can." Imogen snapped at him impatiently as she tapped her foot on the dirt covered road and Elijah raised an eyebrow at her forceful tone as Hayley's hazel eyes widened slightly in shock, but both of them were silently impressed with her obvious tenacity.
The young witch had an innate ability to handle people of a stubborn nature, which she had found useful when dealing with a tired Davina in the mornings or a drunk Sophie at the end of a night on the town and now she discovered, it was also good for managing an ill Original vampire.
Elijah couldn't help smiling at the demanding tone of her voice as he ducked his head slightly so that she wouldn't see and grow offended by his reaction. It wasn't often that he found someone who showed no sign of fear or trepidation towards himself once they knew of his reputation within the supernatural world.
"Now, are you done being a big baby?" she asked him pointedly with a faint smirk on her lips as she tilted her head to the side and Hayley pressed her lips together in a tight line to stop herself from laughing at the affronted expression on the Original's handsome face.
"You shouldn't put yourself in danger by being here, Imogen."
"You shouldn't tell me what to do, Elijah."
"You both shouldn't argue when neither of you are going to win." Hayley interjected pointedly in a bored voice as she leaned her shoulder against the woodened pillar of the porch and she narrowed her hazel eyes suspiciously as the two of them continued to stare at each other, as though deliberately daring the other to give in.
Imogen sighed heavily to herself as she rolled her bluish eyes subtly in exasperation and she stepped back as she slammed the driver's side car door closed while moving towards the backseat with a slightly annoyed expression.
It maddened her when somebody refused to accept help from others when it was offered without pretence. She understood why someone wouldn't purposefully seek out help, but it baffled her why they insisted on struggled on their lonesome when assistance was right in front of them.
She pulled open the car door to the backseat as she bent down inside the interior to grab a canvas carry bag full of food she had brought from her apartment for Hayley and herself because she wasn't sure how long they would be stuck in the bayou without access to society.
The young witch stood back up with the bag in her hand as she slammed the door closed and started making her way around the car towards the shack as she searched through the bag for the box of cookies she had remembered Rebekah flippantly mentioning that the werewolf coveted.
"What's with the bag?" Hayley asked curiously with a hint of suspicion in her voice as a frown pulled at the corner of her lips and she silently caught the colourful box that Imogen threw her from inside the canvas bag. She glanced down at the front of the box as her forehead furrowed in confusion until she read the large brand name and a small surprised laugh escaped her lips as she smiled over at the brunette witch. "Oreo's?"
"Rebekah mentioned that you were eating them practically nonstop the last few days. I figured they were your current pregnancy craving, so I brought you a packet before I came out here. I didn't know how long you had already been out here, or how long we would be out here, so I brought some provisions with me." Imogen answered nonchalantly with a shrug of her shoulders as she came to a stop at the bottom of the steps leading up to the shack and then pulled a plastic bottle of crystal clear water from the depths of the bag over her shoulder as she quirked an eyebrow at the impressed expressions on before the werewolf and the vampire's face. "I also brought my laptop, uploaded with movies and television shows, and some books to read in case we get bored. You know, before the hallucinations and dementia set in and we have to start treating Elijah like an eighty year old man with serious aggression issues."
Elijah chuckled warmly at the young witch's ability to make even the most maudlin situation feel just the slightest touch more relaxed and he couldn't help the fond smile from spreading across his lips as he watched her silently hand the bag over to Hayley with a smile of her own. "You certainly came prepared."
"I was a Girl Scout." She replied instantly with a smile in his direction as she flipped her brunette hair over her shoulder and he chuckled lowly with a twinkle of mirth in his oak brown eyes as he watched her turned back to the werewolf next to her.
Observing the two intriguing young women as they spoke quietly about whatever Imogen had brought with her, Elijah couldn't help but compare the two of them in his mind even though he knew that it was indecorous of him to do so.
Hayley Marshall was extremely hard to get a read on because she hid an inner vulnerability that she often felt through the desire to find her biological family and covered up any perceived weakness with provocative remarks. Underneath her tough exterior, the feisty brunette was very protective of those highly selective few she considered friends and held a determination to learn more about where she came from. Her impending motherhood had made her tenderer towards others and dedicated to keeping her child safe when there was something she could do about it. Hayley was often impulsive and tended to speak and act before she thought which could get her into trouble but she was also a highly skilled manipulator with extremely questionable morals.
Imogen Clare was a complete mystery that would never be fully unravelled because she refused to allow anyone to see what was hidden underneath the strong exterior she put forth to the world. She held a determination to protect her younger sister that most people wouldn't even be able to comprehend because she was practically the only one who raised her from the mere age of six and she would do anything in her power to keep Davina safe from any harm that may befall her. There was an undeniable spark inside of her that captivated and enthralled those around her as she covered her insecurities with a quick wit and charming façade.
"Elijah? Are you okay?" Imogen's voice knocked him out of his thoughts as she clicked her fingers in front of his face and he jerked his head back in surprise as the sharp sound echoed in his ears. He blinked his oak brown eyes at her as she quirked an eyebrow at him in a mixture of amusement and question. "You've been standing there, staring into space for ten minutes. Is the werewolf venom taking affect?"
"I'm fine. I'm still in my right mind." He assured her softly as he offered her a warm smile while gently touching her arm and she gave him a sceptical look as she nodded slowly with a small smile on her lips.
"Okay, if you're sure, but you probably do need to get inside. You're starting to burn up." she told him in concern as she raised the back of her hand to his forehead with a frown playing on the edge of her lips and he grabbed her hand in his as he lowered it back down to her side with an amused smile.
"I am fine, Imogen."
"You're sick. Inside, now." She ordered him sternly as she pointed a finger at the front door to the shack with a blank expression and his lips curled into a grin as he raised both his eyebrows at her in amusement.
"I like her. She's bossy." Hayley stated in amusement with a smirk on her lips as she pointed a finger at the young witch and Elijah glanced at the two women with an incredulous expression as he tried not to feel tormented by the growing bond between the witch and werewolf.
"Thank you, Hayley." Imogen said cheerfully with a grin as though she had just been given the highest compliment and she bounced slightly on her toes as she turned her attention back towards the Original in front of her with a smug smirk tugging on her lips. "That's two against one, Elijah. Go inside and get comfortable, you won't be leaving for a while."
"I'm starting to regret introducing the two of you. Alone you're each a formidable enemy, together you're dangerous beyond measure." Elijah murmured ruefully as he walked up the steps to the porch of the shack with a small frown on his lips and Imogen giggled slightly behind his back as she shared an amused look with Hayley.
"Hey, do you mind if I borrow your car?" Hayley asked the witch suddenly as she threw her arm out to block her path into the shack and Imogen raised an eyebrow at her in question as she glanced down at the offending arm, making the werewolf quickly pull back as she sighed. "Someone left a bible that might have a clue about my family on the doorstep earlier, and I just want to have a look around."
"Sure. The keys are in the ignition, but don't go too far out into the bayou. The Mikaelson's may kill me if you get lost out there." Imogen told her with a smirk on her lips as she shrugged her shoulders dismissively and Hayley smiled at her gratefully as she started walking backwards with her hands in her cardigan pockets.
Imogen watched carefully as the werewolf ducked into the driver's seat of the car with a determined expression on her face and then turned on her heel with a fond smile as she followed after Elijah into the shack. The Original was sitting on the edge of the creaky bed with his dress shirt sleeves rolled up over his elbows as she walked into the small room and looked around curiously as she placed her large purse on a wooden chair to the side of the room.
"Out of curiosity, what was it that you did to deserve the wrath of Klaus?" she asked him absently with a small frown as she ran her finger over the dusty top of the vanity desk and glanced over her shoulder at him as she blew the dirt from the tip of her finger.
"Hayley was kidnapped by a vengeful hybrid my brother sired back in Mystic Falls. He wanted to test a theory. That the blood of her child could be used to sire hybrids. He claimed that Niklaus knew that. Furthermore, that he intended to use this knowledge to build an army. It was a horrible accusation. A false accusation, as it turns out to be." Elijah informed her thoughtfully as he kept his gaze locked on the ground with his eyebrows furrowed and he let out a heavy sigh filled with guilt as he hung his head in shame. "Perhaps I was too willing to condemn him. In the thousand years that we have been together, my brother has committed numerous unspeakable acts. But, then again, so has Rebekah. So have I."
"So did I, the last time I was in Cabo." Imogen murmured quietly, more to herself than to him, as she turned to face him with a small smirk and he looked up from the floor with a slightly confused expression as an amused smile played on his lips. "We've all done bad things. It's just, most people die before the list gets embarrassing."
"I believe that I have unintentionally damaged my relationship with my brother beyond repair."
"A bond as strong as yours is never beyond repair, Elijah. You said so yourself, 'you've given up giving up'. You spend a thousand years with someone, deciding to quit them is like losing a part of yourself. Siblings: the only enemy you can't live without."
"I don't believe a more accurate sentence has ever been uttered." He said with a weak chuckle as he smiled warmly over at the young witch and she shrugged modestly as she strolled over to sit on the edge of the bed next to him with a small smile.
Imogen frowned at him in concern as she studied his rapidly paling complexion and she slowly raised her hand to rest on his forehead as she tried to not show the worry ebbing into her mind. "You're getting worse."
"Yes, I feel the effects of the poison are starting to take hold." He agreed lightly with a small nod of his head as he started to feel slightly lightheaded and he bent over at the waist as his body wracked with a coughing fit. Imogen placed a consoling hand on his back as he stopped coughing only to gasp for a breath and she rubbed circles with a frown on her lips as he lifted his head to meet her troubled blue eyes.
There was a short silence as the two of them stared at each other with seemingly blank expressions but to observe closer you could see the slight upturn of their lips, the quick glance down and the heat warming their eyes. The atmosphere surrounding them was thick with tension as they both slowly started to lean towards the other but once their lips were within four inches of each other, they were interrupted by Elijah breaking out in another round of coughs.
"Okay, time to lay down." she ordered firmly as she stood up from the edge of the bed and gently pushed backwards on his shoulder until he was lying flat on his back with his head resting on the pillow.
"Really, Imogen, I'm completely capable of enduring this condition on my own."
"You may be capable of it, but that doesn't mean you have to."
Elijah looked over at her with a slightly startled expression on his handsome face but Imogen wasn't looking at him as she searched through her purse for something. He simply couldn't believe that she was acting so selfless towards someone whom she barely knew; towards someone who was by their very nature, a monster. It baffled him as to why she would put herself in a position that could endanger her safety just so that he wouldn't have to go through the effects of the werewolf bite alone.
"The bite won't kill me. Like Niklaus himself, it's more than a nuisance than anything." Elijah muttered under his breath with a slight smile on his lips as he watched in fascination as Imogen gathered some herbs from her purse and started mixing them in a small bowl with water as she happily hummed to herself.
"Yeah, well, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Or so the saying goes. I happen to agree with it." she told him honestly as she glanced over her shoulder at him with a small smile and his lips quirked up in small smile as she turned back around to focus on her concoction while muttering under her breath, "I have to."
"'Walked straight through hell with a smile.'" He recited knowingly as she picked up a small knife from her purse and she looked over at him in surprise as she nodded with a small smile on her lips.
"That's right. I can't believe you remember that."
"How could I not? That was the first evening we met."
"After a thousand years of life, meeting me is presumed completely insignificant. I suppose in another 50 or 100 years you'll most likely forget about me entirely. There's something poetically beautiful about that." Imogen pondered out loud to herself as she slashes the palm of her hand with her knife and Elijah frowned at her in confusion as he sat up on the bed while watched her holding her hand over the bowl. She stirred the mixture carefully as she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully and then turned around to face him with a small smile as she held the bowl out for him to take. "Here, drink this."
Elijah accepted the bowl from her outstretched hands as he offered her a thankful smile and she smiled back at him as he took a sip of the mixture without breaking eye contact, but immediately he started to cough as he leaned over the edge of the bed. "Forgive me. Please."
"It's okay. Remind me to annihilate your brother once you're healthy." She instructed him drily as she strolled back over at the desk to set the bowl down on the counter top and grabbed another empty bowl before moving over to fill to with water with one of the bottle she'd brought with her.
"Yes, remind me to remind you to get in line."
"It doesn't help that you and Hayley decided to shack up in a swamp either. The humidity will only make your fever worse."
Imogen gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed next to him as she frowned at him in concern because his skin was growing extremely pale and was glistening with a light layer of sweat. She rinsed out the rag she had found in the bowl of water and brought it up to rest on his forehead as he oak brown eyes fluttered closed with an appreciative hum.
"Hey, how is he?" a familiar voice asked from the doorway as they walked inside and Imogen looked over her shoulder at Hayley as the werewolf walked towards the other side of the bed with her hazel eyes locked on Elijah.
"Getting worse. I tried to give him a blood and herbal mixture that could've slowed down the symptoms, but he just brought it up back." The witch answered with anxiety tinting her tone as she pulled her hand away from Elijah's forehead under the other girls scrutinising gaze and Hayley pursed her lips together in a worried frown as she perched gingerly on the edge of the bed.
"I am still conscious and able to comprehend inquiries." Elijah interjected weakly in an amused tone of voice as he opened his oak brown eyes slowly with a small smirk on his lips and Imogen blushed sheepishly as she chuckled in embarrassment while Hayley grinned at him shamelessly.
"Are you okay?" the werewolf asked him softly as she peered down at him with unconcealed affection in her hazel eyes and Imogen bit her lower lip in between her teeth as she pondered how complex the dynamics of the Mikaelson family and Hayley were starting to become.
"I'm fine. Please just... return to your reading."
"I went through the whole thing. It's just a regular Bible. With an entry in a family tree, that may or may not be me, but you know I've been a little busy worrying about you."
"Did you see anyone when you were driving?" Imogen asked her curiously as she reached up to remove the now dry cloth from the Originals forehead and glanced over at the werewolf with a small frown on her lips as she quirked an eyebrow in question.
"No, just trees and trees and swamp." Hayley answered with a hint of annoyance in her voice as she shrugged her shoulders helplessly with a small smile and Imogen offered her a sympathetic smile as she nodded her head in understanding.
"Hayley, Imogen, please. This fever will make me unstable. And once the hallucinations begin I'll start to see things. You both must leave me here." Elijah insisted firmly in a small voice as he tried to sit up but Imogen laid a hand on his shoulder and pushed him gently backwards until he was lying with his head on the pillow.
The witch stood up from the edge of the bed with a sigh escaping her lips as she bent down to pick up the bowl of water and she smiled down at the Originals as she placed the saturated cloth on his forehead to cool down his fever. "You couldn't stop me from pushing you back down onto the pillow, Elijah. I think between Hayley werewolf strength and my magic, we'll be perfectly fine."
"She's right, Elijah. I'm not leaving you like this." Hayley agreed fervently as she straightened the cloth on his forehead with a small smile on her lips and Imogen wandered over to her purse as she tried to ignore the moment happening behind her.
Jealousy tugged at her stomach as she peeked over her shoulder the pair from the corner of her eye but she tried to squash that irrational thought as she searched through her bag for the herbal valerian she had packed. She held no claim over the handsome Original and while she thought it was unwise to get romantically involved with the woman carrying your brother's child, she had had no right to be envious of the obvious attraction between Elijah and Hayley.
Imogen pulled out the small vial of clear liquid from the contents of her purse as she located the syringe she had brought and then skilfully transferred the liquid into the needle as she held it up into the light by the window. She tapped the plastic tube gently to make sure there were no bubbles in the plunger as she started walking back over to the patient and sat down on the edge of the bed as she offered him a grim smile. "Liquid valerian root. It should make you weak and drowsy for a little while, but with your fever and the fact that you're an Original, the effects will burn off sooner than what's considered normal."
The witch didn't wait for him to respond before she stuck the pointed end of the needle in the crook of his elbow and injected the remedy into his bloodstream as his lips parted in shock at the sudden pain but his oak brown eyes slowly drifted closed. Imogen removed the needle easily with a soft smile on her lips as she let her gaze sweep over his handsome face discreetly and she couldn't help but notice that he looked much more serene and at peace in his sleep.
"You like him. Don't you?" Hayley asked the witch abruptly in a knowing tone with a hint of bitterness in her voice as she stood up from the bed and Imogen snapped her head over in her direction as she raised her eyebrows at the sudden question.
"I don't know." she answered honestly in a thoughtful voice as she stood up from the edge of the bed with a small frown and she walked over to the place the syringe on the counter top as she pondered the question with more detail. "I don't really know anything about him. But what I do know about him I like. He's loyal and devoted to his family, witty and thoughtful, undeniably charming, intelligent. It's obvious that he's incredibly handsome. I've never really gone for sophisticated, responsible guys."
"I know what you mean. I'm having a magical miracle baby with a psychotic one-night stand. Klaus is a notorious psycho... who I slept with. Classic me." the werewolf stated drily as she laid a gentle hand on her slightly protruding stomach with a fond smile on her lips and Imogen turned around to face her with her arms crossed over her chest as she chuckled in amusement at the comment.
"I spent my teenage years dating whatever guy would piss my parents off the most. And my college years were spent jumping from bed to bed, guy to girl to guy to professor."
"You slept with your professor?"
"A professor!" Imogen corrected her quickly with a small laugh as she nodded with her head towards the door to the shack and Hayley followed her out onto the porch so that they wouldn't wake Elijah with chatter as she grinned in amusement.
The two women both leaned next to each other on the woodened railing of the porch as the moon illuminated the scene from above and the only sound between them was the crickets chirping in the distance. Although it was obvious that they both possessed affection and admiration for the Original inside the shack, there was a peace between the two of them as they stood in companionable silence.
A soft pain filled groan came from inside the shack, breaking the tranquil silence as the girls shared a concerned look and headed quickly back inside to see Elijah's handsome face scrunched up slightly in anguish as he thrashed in obvious distress on the bed.
Imogen rushed over to the bed as she sat down behind him slight while carefully reaching for his shoulder so that he was lying with his head on her lap at the same time that Hayley laid a hand on his clammy forehead to check his temperature on the other side of the bed and a shocking sensation suddenly ran through both of them, a feeling similar to being squeezed through a tube.
The vision was blurry but there was the faint outline of a dark skinned woman surrounded by white that kept flickering in and out of focus. The sound of water dripping echoed through the silence as the image became slightly clearer and the shape of an attractive dark skinned woman lying in a bathtub became prominent. The woman was smiling warmly at someone across the room as she played teasingly with a sponge and she held out her other hand beckoningly…
"Celeste?" Elijah asked weakly as he lifted his hands up for the mysterious Celeste but it was Imogen's elbow that he grabbed gently instead and the witch tried to ignore the tingling sensation where he touched. She bit her lower lip in between her teeth sympathetically as she absently ran her fingers through his short brown hair like she used to do for Davina when she was ill.
Hayley narrowed her eyes in irritation at the intimate scene in front of her and looked away sheepishly as resentment and jealousy burning in her stomach even though she knew it was wrong to feel that way towards either of them.
Elijah let out a strangled gasp as he jerked slightly out of the memory, his oak brown eyes widening in shock as he struggling to catch his breath and shame clouding his features as he looked up at the brunette witch above him. "Imogen, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."
"It's fine, Elijah." Imogen assured him softly with an earnest smile on her lips as she realised she was still running her fingers through his hair soothingly and immediately pulled her hand back as though it had been burnt.
"Celeste? Whoever she was, she was smokin' hot." Hayley interrupted the moment between the two with a forced air of nonchalance as she offered them a strained a smile and pushed down any of the lingering bitterness she felt.
There was something about the young witch that made it nearly impossible to hate her, even though it would have been easier for Hayley. Maybe it was the carefully articulated answers that rang with obvious sincerity, or the compassionate concern that came from her with earnest whenever she asked a question.
"Did I let you both enter my thoughts?" the Original asked them both in concern as his handsome face displayed evident apprehension and he blinked his oak brown eyes in distress as he slowly shook his head at his own weakness. "I'm not well. I should go. This is..."
"This is your current reality." Imogen reminded him sternly in a motherly tone as he gradually lifted his head from her lap and attempted to move his legs over the edge of the bed as he coughed feebly. "Elijah. You're sick, we're taking care of you."
The Original's breathing was laboured as he gripped the edge of the bed tightly to keep himself upright and he couldn't help noticing the warmth radiating onto his back through his shirt where Imogen had laid her hand comfortingly while he was coughing. A strange feeling like he was being watched pricked at the back of his mind as he lifted his head to look towards the opened window and narrowed his oak brown eyes thoughtfully. "We're being watched."
Hayley stood up from the edge of the bed abruptly with a suspicious expression on her face and she glanced at Imogen with a raised eyebrow, silently asking if she was okay to deal with Elijah while she checked out who was watching them. The witch nodded back at her subtly, trying not to alert Elijah that they were conversing behind his back and Hayley stalked out of the hut with a singlehanded determination in each of her steps.
"Alright, you big baby, back to bed." Imogen ordered the ailing man softly with resolve tinting her voice as she stood up from the bed and gently started pushing himself backwards onto the bed with a gentle smile.
"No, Imogen, it is not safe for you to be near me in this deteriorating condition." He argued with her quietly in a hard voice as he tried to resist her urging him to lie down but he was feeling too exhausted to provide much of a contest.
"If you're still using words like 'deteriorating', I think you're fine." she teased him in amusement with a quirked eyebrow as she sat down facing him on the edge of the bed and he chuckled weakly with a wry smile on his lips as she felt his forehead with the back of her hand.
The moment her hand touched his clammy skin, the sensation of being sucked through a tube overtook her once more and she closed her eyes in preparation to be swallowed into another one of Elijah's memories.
The same dark skinned woman was sitting alone in a bathtub as she leisurely lifted her shapely leg over the edge of the porcelain and let the water from a sponge drenched her skin as she hummed to herself absently.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the room as Celeste looked towards the door expectantly and Elijah Mikaelson entered the bathroom dressed in 19th century clothing with a loving smile on his lips as he strolled closer.
Celeste let out a breathy chuckle at the sight of him as she lazily threw the sponge towards him and he caught it on instinct as she giggled happily with a mischievous smile playing on the edge of her lips before speaking seductively in a slightly accented voice, "Assistance, please, good sir."
"No, I'm much happier taking in such a wondrous view. It's perfection." Elijah told her playfully but there was a serious undercurrent in melodious voice as he leaned a hand on the wall and swept his oak brown eyes over the dark skinned woman naked body hungrily.
"Your brother is again up to no good. He's challenging the gentry to duels as though they have any chance of a fair fight."
"I do grow weary of sacrificing my joy to temper my brother's mischief." He replied easily with a weary sigh escaping his lips as he wandered towards the bathtub and sat down on the edge of the porcelain as he held out his hand expectantly for her leg. "Surely, you can cast a spell to put him in his place."
"It would take a hundred witches to put him in his place. Besides, he only ever listens to you." she remarked knowingly with a quirked eyebrow as she watched him gently caress her leg with the sponge in fascination and he nodded his head solemnly in agreement as he carelessly dropped the sponge into the bath water.
"Yes. He certainly needs a little discipline." He remarked with a playful seriousness as he lifted her foot up to his lips and pressed a small kiss to her toes with lust heating his oak brown eyes as the witch grinned up at him tenderly. "Spanking of some kind is in order. I think I shall need some rehearsal. Come."
Elijah leaned down towards her with a smirk on his lips as Celeste eagerly met him halfway and their lips crashed together passionately with a synchronisation that came only from numerous bouts of repetition.
Imogen blinked in confusion as she was thrown back into the present day and she pulled her hand away from Elijah's skin as he shivered uncontrollably from the fever he was currently struggling through.
"Imogen, please. This fever. My mind is flooded with these torturous memories. You have to take Hayley and leave." Elijah requested sternly with a touch of desperation in his voice as he lolled his head to the side to look at her and she immediately shook her head in answer as she stood up from the edge of the bed.
"Elijah, I've basically been a parent since I was six years old. I know how to looking after someone who's sick." Imogen told him honestly as she walked over to her purse with a glance over her shoulder at him and she pulled out a bottle of water from its depths as she unscrewed the cap while strolling back towards the bed. "What is your deal? You don't like people taking care of you?"
"There are consequences for those that care. I will not have you pay that price."
"There are also rewards for those that care. It's not our choice who decides that you're worth the risk."
There was a brief silence as they stared at each other defiantly, each unwilling to back down or take back their words and Imogen refused to be the first one to concede as she sipped her water without taking her eyes off the delicious oak browns ones staring back at her. She had never before felt such a need to know someone, to take care of someone other than Davina and it scared her beyond measure that she felt like that now at the most inconvenient time, with the most inconvenient person.
Imogen sat down on the edge of the bed in front of him as she finally broke eye contact and bent down to set the water bottle down on the floor as she sighed heavily in defeat, remembering that Elijah had over a thousand years to perfect the art of obstinacy. She tucked her leg underneath her body gracefully as she shifted to get comfortable and tilted her head to the side with a small smile as she looked at him earnestly. "So you're having weird retro sex dreams? Get over it, I'm staying."
"You are something else, Imogen Clare." Elijah murmured quietly under his breath as his eyes fluttered shut tiredly, almost as though he didn't want her hear the comment at all but she had the moment he spoke the words and a blush spread across her cheeks as she ducked her head modestly with a small smile.
"You don't know me, Elijah Mikaelson." She replied in a whisper with a hint of teasing as she brushed a strand of brunette hair behind her ear and he hummed absently in affirmation as she came to the conclusion that he had fallen into a light doze.
The young witch's bluish eyes swept over his handsome face with a fond smile on her lips and she internally scolded herself as she reached down for her water bottle while shaking her head to herself. There was a part of her that it was stupid of her to feel anything close to an emotional tie towards the Original, any of the Originals, but she couldn't help being dragged into the mess of tangled affections that came from knowing the Mikaelson family.
She let out a heavy sigh as she sat back up straight with the water bottle in her hands and she placed one hand down on the mattress absently as she raised the plastic to her lips but before she could take a sip she felt something gently touch her hand, sending shivers up her arm. Imogen looked over at her hand in confusion as the corners of her lips pulled down in a small frown and she saw that Elijah's hand had absently moved, grazing the side of hers by accident.
Her heartbeat accelerated slightly as a small smile graced her lips without her consent and she couldn't help wondering how it would feel to hold his hand for real, to have his fingers intertwined with hers. Never in her lift had she been a handholding kind of girl, but there was something about Elijah that implored traditional methods of affection be utilised.
"Imogen…" Elijah gasped out in a whisper as he shifted slightly on the bed and she snapped her head up with her eyes wide in concern, thinking that he had woken up from his slumber but his closed were still peacefully closed as his murmured incomprehensibly. His hand absently fell to cover hers by accident as electric shivers darted up her arm at the contact and she bit her lower lip in mystification as to why he had such an effect on her.
Heavy footsteps approached the front door to the shack, causing Imogen to jerk her hand out from under Elijah's and she turned her head around expectantly as Hayley pushed open the squeaky screen door. "Hey. Did you see anyone?"
"There was a blonde woman, but she ran before I could ask her anything." The werewolf told her dejectedly with a tired sigh as she ran a hand through her brunette hair and shook her head to herself as she gratefully accepted the bottle of water Imogen silently offered her.
A startled gasp escaped Elijah's lips as his oak brown flew open and both women immediately turned their attention towards him in concern as he struggled to catch his breath. "Wha – Where I am?"
"You're in the bayou. With Hayley and Imogen. You're okay, Elijah." the witch reminded him soothingly in a compassionate voice as she held her hands up palm first in surrender and he comprehension crossed his expression as he nodded sagely with disgrace written all over his handsome face.
"I apologise. My mind – it's not, it's not well."
"You have nothing to apologise for, Elijah. I'm sorry you're going through this." she murmured sincerely as she reached down to the bowl of water still on the floor by the bed and wrung the water out the cloth as she shifted on the edge of the bed.
"I am the one who condemned my brother for something he did not do and had no intention of doing. I deserve a few hours of discomfort." He replied easily in a guilty voice as he closed his closed with a sigh escaping his lips and he hummed in appreciation when he felt the damp cloth being placed on his forehead, his already warm skin tingling when Imogen's finger accidently grazed him. "Although, I do regret that my actions lead to you and Hayley being abandoned in the bayou along with me. It's dangerous for you to be around me in this condition."
"You seem to be forgetting that no one forced me to drive all the way out here. Hayley called me for help, and I came out here of my own freewill." She told him firmly with an eyebrow quirked pointedly as she tucked a strand of brunette hair behind her ear and Elijah stared at her for a moment, seeming to be biting his tongue to holding back from disagreeing with her. "I would do it again."
Imogen bit the corner of her lower lip in between her teeth as she looked away from his intense oak brown eyes with a slight blush touching her cheeks and she stood up from the edge of the bed to put some distance between herself and the Original. She was disappointed that just being in Elijah's presence seemed to change her into a flustered teenage girl when she knew that she was anything but and she needed to get herself together if she was going to make it through, she needed to the strong woman that she knew she was.
Hayley watched curiously as the witch made her way over to the desk with a flustered expression on her pretty voice and couldn't help but feel sympathy because she knew exactly what it was like to get caught up in the mere presence of Elijah Mikaelson. The werewolf decided to take the pressure off of the other girl so that she could get a grip and turned her attention towards the Original with a small smile on her lips as she walked forward to sit on the edge of the bed. "So, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Hayley, thank you. What about our visitor? What does she want?" Elijah asked curiously in a strained voice as he tried to reposition himself with difficulty and she grinned slightly in amusement as she reached over to help him by moving the pillow under his head to the side.
"I'm guessing she's the one that left the mystery Bible on the doorstep last night. Would be nice if she'd stick around long enough to tell me why."
"Hayley, you came here to gather information about your family, not to play nursemaid to a vampire with a temperature. Please, find her. Learn what you can."
"No, I'm staying." Hayley insisted firmly with a shake of her head as she pressed her lips into a straight line but a small smile almost immediately replaced the defiant gesture and she reached over to straighten the cloth on his forehead as she heard the screen door close gently.
Being stuck inside the small shack that felt like a hotbox for hours had driven Imogen to seek solace out on the short dock next to the river while she knew Hayley was there to watch over Elijah and she sat down on the end with her legs dangling aimlessly over the edge.
The young witch pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to check her messages because she didn't have any reception inside the shack and hadn't told anyone that she would be out of touch until further notice. The first text message was from an unknown phone number and Imogen frowned to herself in confusion as she clicked on the little flashing digital envelope.
Unknown: M planning a move against K - J
It took her a moment of thought to decipher the cryptic text but the message soon became clear that Marcel was planning a move against Klaus and Josh had come through for her as a triple edge sword. Panic immediately shot through her as she stood up from the edge of the dock and stared down at the phone screen in horror because she wasn't positive that Marcel would come out on top if he were to challenge the Original Hybrid.
For the last eight months she had been solidifying her alliance with Marcel for the sake of her little sister but now the whole leadership of the French Quarter was up in the air, ready for anyone to grab. It was better to dance with the devil you knew than the devil you don't and Klaus had readily admitted to her that he was the devil in disguise.
"Damn it!" she swore to herself out loud as she tangled her fingers in her brunette hair and fought the urge to throw her phone into the river as she closed her eyes tightly while counting to ten in her mind. Imogen took a deep calming breath as she opened her eyes with a slight nod of her head and she began to categorise what needed to be done when she got back to the Quarter, starting with finding out who now held the power over the supernatural. If Marcel had been ousted as the King of the Quarter that meant Davina was now basically a piece of property to be handed over as a trophy to the victor and Imogen had no doubt in her mind that Klaus would use her as a weapon to subdue his enemies.
A loud scream pierced the silence night, making Imogen spin around to face the direction it had come from in surprise and then she started running off the dock when she saw that the distressed scream had come from the shack where she had left Hayley with Elijah.
The screen door was handing open when she reached the front porch but she didn't stop to think about why the door would be open as she ran inside and saw a blonde woman standing over Elijah's desiccated body as Hayley stood by the wall struggling to catch her breath with her hand on her throat.
"Does someone want to explain what the hell happened?" Imogen asked them in exasperation as she made her way over to Hayley's side in concern and stood protectively in front of the pregnant werewolf as she gently guided the girl hand away from her throat so she could check the damage. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Hayley assured her politely as she dropped her hand to her side with a small smile and the witch nodded back at her in acknowledgement with a worried frown as she looked at the bruised skin that was already healing.
"So, who the hell – " Imogen stared to ask the blonde haired woman as she turned around but stopped abruptly when she saw that the woman in question had disappeared and her shoulders sagged as she let out an exhausted sigh. "Crap."
Hayley growled in the back of her throat as she ran out of the shack, determined not to let the woman get away without answering her question but stopped short at the top of the steps when she saw the woman lighting a fire in an empty campfire ring.
Imogen followed the werewolf down the steps as they both watched the stranger suspiciously and positioned herself slightly in front of the pregnant girl in case it turned out the blonde wasn't in ally despite defending Hayley against Elijah.
"I'm sure you got questions." The blonde woman stated knowingly from the far side of the bonfire as Hayley sat down on the fallen log bench and Imogen stood next to her with her arms crossed over her chest as she felt the warmth of the flame on her skin.
"Only a thousand of them. Like who are you, why are you following me, where the hell is everyone and if the people in this book really are my family, what happened to them?" Hayley asked her rapidly with anticipation written all over her face as her hazel eyes practically glowed with eagerness and the blonde offered her a small smile as she glanced fleetingly at the witch standing protectively by her side.
"I'm Eve. I'm following you because you brought an Original to a werewolf country which is pretty much the same reason why everybody else skedaddled. If you wanna know what happened to the people in that family tree, I summon it up nice and quick: Marcel happened."
"What did he do?" Imogen asked her curiously with a small frown as a sense of dread washed over her and Eve looked over at the other brunette with her eyebrow raised as she slowly sat down on the opposite log.
"He killed most of them. Later, the descendants of the ones who dodged death, he strong-armed a witch into putting a curse on them."
"What kind of curse?"
"Swap nature around, inside out. Made it so their natural state was as wolves. They only turn back human on the full moon."
"That would be an incredibly powerful spell. Not many witches would be able to cast something that complex." The witch murmured to herself in bewilderment as her forehead furrowed with confusion and she slowly sat down next to Hayley as she awaited the rest of the story.
"We're hunted by the marks we carry. That crescent moon birthmark - that's why I got rid of mine. I didn't wanna get found out." Eve informed them truthfully as she turned her shoulder towards them so that they could see where her skin puckered because she had burnt off her birthmark years before.
"I can't believe a witch would do something like that. We're meant to maintain the balance of nature, not change it completely. What Marcel has done is completely barbaric. You can't just eradicate an entire species." Imogen said in a slightly horrified tone of voice as she shook her head at the mere thought of it killing a species and both of the werewolves looked over at her with the same aghast expression as the nodded solemnly in agreement.
"Good evening." Elijah's voice carried over the ominous sound of the fire crackling, the river rushing and the cricketing chirping in the distance and Eve stood up abruptly as she took on a defensive stance with a blank expression.
The brunette's shared a look as they climbed off the log to their feet and Elijah walked forward with the wooden stake that had been lodged in his chest now in his hand as he held it up for them to see in the darkness. "I think I might have something which belongs to you."
"Elijah, I've got this. Are you okay?" Hayley asked him in concern as she stepped closer the blonde with a pointed look at the Original and he nodded slightly as his oak brown gaze flickered over to her before returning to the unknown blonde.
"The wound is healed, the fever is broken but for some strange reason I have this sharp and lingering sensation in my back."
Hayley's lips quirked into a small smile at the comment but she just turned back to face Eve without a word and gave the blonde a pleading look as she took a step forward. "I have to get him home. But I'll be back, okay? I need to know more."
"Keep that mark covered up." Eve ordered firmly as she gestured towards the crescent birthmark on the brunette shoulder and Hayley nodded in agreement as she started walking backwards, taking that as permission to come back to talk.
Imogen watched as the blonde woman walked off into the darkened forest without a backwards glance and then turned to Hayley with an encouraging smile as the werewolf stared blankly at the spot Eve had disappeared.
"What happened?" Elijah asked them both in a whisper as though he was afraid to break the silence that had fallen over the trio and Hayley turned around to face him with a slightly mystified expression on her face as she slowly walked towards him.
"I just met part of my family."
Imogen turned off the ignition of her car after parking in the circular driveway to the Mikaelson's plantation mansion just outside of the French Quarter and sighed slightly to herself as she leaned her head back on the headrest.
"So thanks for the ride." Hayley said awkwardly from the backseat of the car as she leaned forward so that her head was poking through the two front seats and the witch lolled her head to the side to look at her with a small smirk on her lips.
"No problem. Thank you for calling me. Don't hesitate to do it again if something comes up with you or the baby. I know you probably don't trust me, I wouldn't either, but you can trust that I would never do anything to harm a child." Imogen told her sincerely with a smile spreading across her lips, a part of her was more than happy to help just because it was the right thing to do and other part was intrigued by the magically component of the situation.
The werewolf offered her a genuine smile as she nodded gratefully at the witch and slid across the backseat towards the door as she ignored the part of her that hated leaving Elijah alone with the gorgeous woman.
The car door slammed closed as Hayley exited the car with a smile towards both occupants of the front seat and Elijah looked over at the young witch next to him with a faint smile playing on the edge of his lips. "Quite the awkward little adventure, wouldn't you say?"
"Believe it or not, I've has worse experiences."
"Unfortunately, I don't find that hard to believe at all." he murmured quietly as his oak brown eyes seemed to study every inch of her face with some emotion that she couldn't quite name and she blushed under his gaze as her finger absently traced over the words inked on her wrist.
Subtle reminders of her past always made her pause to think about the way things used to be but if she was always spending her time getting over the past, how was she supposed to get on with her future? She was strong enough to endure through the pain she was put through, she was resilient enough to keeping going with her life despite the obstacles and she possessed the fortitude to stay true to herself in the face of life.
There had been something bothering Imogen since the bayou but she didn't want to bring it into conversation until they were alone, knowing that it was a difficult subject for the Original.
"Elijah, do you want to tell me what happened to Celeste?" she asked him quietly as she leaned her head back on the headrest and looked over at him with an earnest expression on her face.
The question took the Original by surprise, his oak brown eyes widening a fraction but making no other indication that he was taken aback and he immediately looked away from the brunette as he cleared his throat. "That's not important."
"It is important. A thousand years of memories and that's what breaks through your fever riddled brain? You absolutely don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but sometimes it helps to talk about things. Trust me, I have a degree in psychology."
"Something's are better left in the past."
"That's true, I suppose." Imogen relented with a soft sigh escaping her lips as she turned her head to look out the windshield and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully as her hands rested uselessly on her lap. "The past gives you strength and wisdom, it should be celebrated and treasured. You shouldn't let it haunt you, Elijah."
"You feel that way about your own past?" he asked her curiously in a quiet voice as he studied her profile intensely and she glanced over at him with a small smile on her lips as she nodded in answer.
"My past made me who I am today, and today I'm a strong, independent woman with no doubt in my mind that I am capable of anything I put my mind to." She replied easily in a nonchalant tone as she shrugged her shoulders innocently with mirth in her bluish eyes and Elijah smiled back at her faintly, agreeing wholeheartedly with her reflection. "How can I be upset about that?"
There was an almost content silence engulfing the two of them as they held each other's gaze, taking in each miniscule change in expression and carefully evaluating the amount of affection, hoping for at least enough to keep the other in their life. Soft smiles, warm eyes and innocent touches were harmless enough that no one would be seriously hurt when the inevitable happened and they were forced to concentrate on the wellbeing of their opposing families.
Elijah slowly reached his hand out towards the pretty witch with a blank expression, his fingertips gently tucking a strand of brunette hair behind her ear before resting his hand on the back of her head and watching her bluish eyes flutter closed in anticipation of what she knew was coming.
Celeste's white dress clad body was submerged in a bathtub full of water, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling and her hands up slightly as though she had been using them to defend herself before she was bested.
Elijah stood over the bathtub with a distraught expression on his handsome face as he stared down at the witch incomprehensibly and his knees started to weaken as he grasped the edge of the porcelain tub to keep upright. His breaths were coming out in broken sobs as he shook his head in denial and collapsed onto his knees as he reached out to grab the back of Celeste's neck before lifting her head out of the water. His oak brown eyes studied her blank expression as he slowly touched her cheek mournfully and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers as he cried for her, for the loss of her.
His body wracked with gentle sobs as he gradually lifted his head and let out an angered, grief-stricken scream as the reality of the situation hit him like a freight train.
Imogen blinked her eyes as her vision blurred sightly when she returned to the present and she felt an overwhelming degree of sympathy for both Celeste and Elijah as she cleared her throat delicately while gathering her bearings.
"It was a cruel and bloody time to be a witch. Courtesy of my wonderful brother." Elijah explained softly in a slightly detached tone as he gazed absently over her shoulder and kept his hand resting on the back of her head as his fingers inattentively tangled in her brunette hair.
"She died because of Klaus?" Imogen asked quietly as she leaned slightly into his touch on instinct and he immediately looked back into her bluish eyes with a serious expression on his handsome face as he removed his hand from her hair.
"She died because of me. Because I cared too deeply for her. I had allowed my brother to slip through my grasp. I loosened the reigns while Celeste consumed my every moment. I had abandoned him in the name of my own happiness. Celeste payed the price."
There was a tense silence as they stared at each other, compassionate bluish eyes analysing intense oak brown ones, carefully assessing the words he had spoken and the meaning behind each flicker of emotion.
"If you weren't so much stronger than me, I'd slap you." Imogen stated abruptly with a blank facial expression as she looked away from him and shook her head at him as she tried to stop herself from scoffing at the notion.
"Excuse me!?" he asked in a mixture of shock and amusement as he raised an eyebrow at her with a faint smile on his lips despite the sober mood hanging over them and he watched in intrigue as her head spun around to look at him, her brunette haloing around her face, her bluish eyes alight with fierce tenacity.
"You're wrong, Elijah. That's not what family is. It's not something you should have to control. It's a privilege and an honour. It's not one person's happiness above another's." she declared passionately as she looked into his oak brown eyes with a fiery certainty that he wasn't sure he had ever seen within another person and she sighed heavily with her lips pursed to stop from saying anything more as she turned her head to gaze out the driver's side window.
Imogen stared out at the vast gardens of the Mikaelson mansion as she turned to organise her disordered thoughts and carefully sneaking glances at Elijah's in the reflection of the window as he looked down at his lap in deep thought. "Why are you trying to put together your family when it's so clear that one part of it might just be broken?"
"To me, the very definition of the word 'broken' suggests that something can be fixed." Elijah replied sagely as he lifted his head to look at her with an earnest expression and she couldn't help her lips quirking up into a sad smile as she nodded in understanding. "I have a whole eternity to accomplish one single task: My brother's salvation. If I surrender this, then tell me what value would I be to my family, to myself, to ... to Hayley's child, my niece?"
The way he looked at Imogen was almost like he was literally asking for an answer, begging her with his oak brown eyes to give him the answer he had searched a thousand years to find, but she didn't have the remedy for the Mikaelson fractured dynamic as much as she wanted Elijah's inner demons to be at peace.
Imogen had always felt nothing in the world compared to the comfort and security of having someone just hold your hand, and she could only imagine that it had been some time since someone had taken Elijah's comfort into consideration. She slowly placed her hand down next to his in the middle of the space between the seats, her little finger barely grazing his and she looked up at him through her eyelashes as she searched his expression for any indication to what he was feeling.
His eyes were downcast, avoiding her compassionate bluish eyes as he looked down at their scarcely touching hands and she watched earnestly as he slowly shook his head in a dejected manner.
"Please, Imogen. You've seen what happens." he murmured miserably in a quiet melodious voice as he finally lifted his head slightly to look at her unguarded expression and he almost gave into the desire he felt to press his lips to hers, to taste her, to touch her soft skin, to run his fingers through her hair.
Elijah gently laid his hand over the top of Imogen's, curling his finger around to hold it as she bit the corner of her lower lip in between her teeth and tried her best to ignore the electric current she felt run up the nerves of her arm as she leant the side of her head against the headrest.
He ran his thumb over her knuckles in a soft caress as he looked into her seemingly endless blue eyes and felt the urge to gently tug the lower lip she was nibbling on from in between her teeth, but held back the desire as he glanced down at their entwined hands.
The second he let go of her hand, she suddenly felt a rush cold run up her arm causing her to miss the warmth of his skin on hers and she watched sadly as he opened the passenger side door without looking back at her as she let her hand drop down to her lap. It was silent as he climbed out of the car, shutting the door behind him and she let out the breath she hadn't even noticed she had been holding as she watched his retreating back walk away from her.