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.