A/N Two updates in a span of a few days! Yay me! I hope you'll enjoy this rollercoaster update because I don't know when I'll post the next one. Have studying, coursework, helping my brother with his online schooling, plus my Sizzie fic for Legacies and an AU for Haylijah, so don't know when I'll have time for chapter 11. Hopefully won't be too long! Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or characters, the honor goes to Julie Plec and co!

Rebekah Mikaelson glances at her watch before looking around Marcel's loft once more. Her dress from the wedding was somewhere between the door and Marcel's bedroom, and more evidence of their night before is strewn all over the place, and she smiles fondly as she recalls the way Marcel had pinned her against the wall while his mouth had done delicious things to her. Damn it, stop thinking about it. It was one night, one moment of weakness, she berates herself. After speaking to Hayley, she'd gone back to the compound to change before going back to Marcel's to kill time. She's not sure why, but she did. And, now she had just ten minutes till she was to meet Hayley, and she'd had quite a few mimosa's (the champagne being from the wedding), so she decides to just vamp-speed to the small, cozy café they'd agreed to meet at.

Hayley arrives a few minutes after she does, and Rebekah almost does a double take. The vampire's skin is practically glowing, and her short hair has that fluffy, wavy quality that takes most people an entire day at the hair salon to achieve. She's wearing dark green tights and a black printed dress paired with a leather jacket and combat boots. [And, Rebekah's heart breaks, because she's about to break Hayley's heart. The last time she'd invited her out to give her bad news about Elijah had not ended well, and she can only hope it's not a repeat. But, she smiles, and composes herself, standing to greet her almost sister-in-law].

"You'd think you're the one who got married," she quips, smiling smugly as she reaches to hug her. Hayley laughs, ducking her head bashfully, and returns the hug before the two of them sit down.

"Well…" the vampire trails off, shrugging. "Hello to you, too, Rebekah," she adds by way of greeting. The blonde smiles as a waiter arrives and takes their orders.

"Hi," she greets in return, smiling softly at the other woman. "I do hope you enjoyed the house. Lot of bloody work went into it," she adds, smirking smugly. [She is proud of the house and how well it had turned out, and she'd hoped Elijah and Hayley would get to enjoy it]. "I mean, judging by our conversation this morning, it sounds like you enjoyed your company. But, I do hope the house was to your liking as well." Hayley grins, and Rebekah's positive she's also blushing, and averts her gaze. The waiter arrives with two cups of coffee, and the vampire takes a sip.

"Well, yes, I did. Enjoy the company," she replies, and blushes even more, causing Rebekah to giggle unexpectedly. "And, the house, too. The foyer is really nice, got to see it up close…" she trails off.

"I'm sure you did, love," she quips, rolling her eyes. "Alas, I do not need the sordid details. As much as it would entertain me to hear of your sex life, that sex life includes my brother. And, I certainly don't need to hear that," she adds, chuckling.

"Right… err, sorry," Hayley glances down, blushing a little. "But, the house is really nice. Thank you for decorating it and taking care of it. Honestly, Rebekah, thank you," the brunette tells her.

"You're welcome. You are family after all, Hayley. I'd do anything for family," she replies. They settle into a comfortable silence as the waiter arrives with their food and they start to eat.

"Anyways, what about you? What happened after we left the wedding?" Hayley asks, changing the subject, and Rebekah can't help but be happy to comply.

"Well, there was more dancing and drinking, which was charming. Klaus and Caroline shared a dance, and almost kissed if I hadn't interrupted. My mistake. Freya and Keelin are as happy as two newlyweds can be, off to enjoy a few days of uninterrupted bliss before the craziness calls them back. Kol and Davina left, too, but I expect we'll see them. Hope enjoyed herself, and so did Josh. Everyone had a charming time, as did you, I'm sure," she recounts.

"That's nice. I'm glad. Everything's been so crazy, we all deserved some time off. Speaking of, you conveniently left out yourself and one Marcel Gerard from this equation of charming time," Hayley quips, giving her a suspicious look.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Marcel was there, and so was I," she says vaguely, though her flutters at the thought of the Enhanced Original.

"Right," Hayley rolls her eyes. "Don't bullshit me, Rebekah. I know you. And, I know how you feel about Marcel. So, you better fess up and tell me what happened between you and Marcel," she says firmly, and Rebekah sighs, dropping her head in defeat.

"Fine," she grumbles before looking back up, and Hayley flashes her a daring look. "We may or may not have spent the night… together," she admits, and immediately looks away.

"Spent the night? Which, in your terms means you had mind-blowing sex all night, right?" Hayley immediately smirks. Furrowing her brow for a second, a look of realization crosses the younger vampire's face. "Oh my God. You had hot hot sex with Marcel at the wedding venue?" Rebekah just looks down, and nods slightly. "Bekah…"

"All right, yes! You're bloody right. I had a bloody good time with Marcel after the party dissipated which most certainly included some mind-blowing sex, too. And, we moved our proclivities to his loft at some point. Happy now?" she snaps, though she's only a little annoyed. The other woman just snorts.

"Very," she grins. Silence settles between them as they finish their food before ordering desert. "And?"

"And what?" Rebekah attempts to seem unaffected.

"You know what!" Hayley retorts. When she doesn't say anything, the short-haired vampire groans and rolls her eyes. "Rebekah Mikaelson, I have known you for almost sixteen years, and trust me when I say, I know you. Now, days ago you would not hear about Marcel and thought the proposal fiasco was stupid."

"It was. Bloody idiotic," Rebekah cuts in, and Hayley rolls her eyes again.

"Well, I don't think so. And, I think you know that. Or, well, your response to it was," Hayley remarks.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean, Rebekah, is that you're kind of an idiot," Hayley informs her, her voice completely deadpan, and Rebekah can't help but stare at her. "You said you don't want to marry Marcel because you wanted to set him free, right? Because you want a human life, and Marcel is comfortable with being a vampire, despite Caroline pointing out that having love is worth more. Because, Rebekah, you're never going to get that human life. Which sucks, yes, but life isn't fair. You have this life. This messy, complicated, millennia-long life. And, you could go at it alone, you could. But, it's going to be boring and without context. Unless, you say yes to Marcel. Don't you see, Rebekah?" the vampire bursts out, and Rebekah's chest tightens at the obvious truth in Hayley's words. "Marcel is your context. He is your one big, totally epic love that spanned centuries. Freaking centuries, Bekah. A love like that doesn't die, it will always be there. And, you could have it. But, so far, you've chosen not to. Instead, you continue to live in the land of denial, and just had mind-blowing all-night-long sex with him while pretending it didn't mean what it did. So, yes, Rebekah, you're an idiot. An idiot for ignoring the life you could have, for robbing yourself of epic love." The words tumble out of Hayley's mouth, and Rebekah can't help but stare at her, though she is right. [Briefly, she wonders how Hayley had acquired all this knowledge, but she didn't have to wonder for long. And, she hates how ultimately, she is going to have to be the one to shatter Hayley's perfect world to pieces]. She nods, smiling meekly.

"All right, yes, I suppose you're bloody right, Marshall," Rebekah quips after she'd finished with her rant. [Hayley's not sure where this whole speech in regards to Rebekah and Marcel's predicament had come from, so she attributes it to the fact that for once, her own love life is not in shambles. Now, her and Elijah were finally actually together, a fact that they'd celebrated all night with copious amounts of lovemaking, followed by more sex in the morning. At one point, she'd had to pull away just to rest long enough to be able to go meet with Rebekah].

"I know," she retorts, amused. "And, you can repay me by giving me maid of honor at your wedding," she adds, chuckling.

"Yes, yes, all right," Rebekah rolls her eyes, and they fall into silence yet again, though it's not as uncomfortable. And, it's only exacerbated by the sinking realization she has. The realization being that Rebekah is keeping something from her, that she'd had another reason for wanting to meet her. The former hybrid sits up straight, and crosses her arms over her chest.

"All right, Beks, out with it!" she snaps, pursing her lips. A look of confusion flashes over Rebekah's face before it flickers to fear, and confusion again. Should've know she's hiding something. Of course, she didn't just want to meet up! She berates herself internally. "Come on, out with it, enough stalling."

"I don't know what you mean," Rebekah feigns confusion once more, but Hayley's not buying it.

"Rebekah, I love you, but I also know you're hiding something. I know you, I can sense when you're doing this, and I know you're doing it now. So, please tell me what the hell is going on!" she exclaims, becoming more and more irritated.

"Um, I…" the blonde bites her lip nervously, and Hayley bristles.

"Rebekah, for the love of God, if you don't tell me what is going on, I'm going to call Klaus. Or, Marcel. Or, whoever knows what the fuck you're hiding!" she practically growls the last part, glaring furiously at Rebekah. "Look, the last time you did this – took me out for lunch and chit chat, you told me the love of my life erased his memories of me!" she snaps, and at this Rebekah freezes. Hayley's heartbeat is racing as she continues to stare at her best friend, still confused, her eyebrows furrowed, but she'd clearly hit a nerve.

"Who is it, Bekah? Is it… is it Klaus?" she asks, biting her lip. Rebekah shakes her head. "Someone else from the family? Kol? Davina? Freya or Keelin?" she asks, but Rebekah still shakes her head. Her throat constricts, and she swallows thickly. "Is it… is it Hope?" she asks, her voice trembling.

"No," Rebekah replies, her own voice just as pained. Then, it dawns on her, and her blood runs cold as her heartbeat races.

"Is it… it- it's Elijah, isn't it?" she almost chokes out. Rebekah nods, her own expression wrecked. "Wh- what is it? Is he- he's leaving me, right?" she practically whimpers, and Rebekah reaches to take her hand across the table.

"No, he's not, love. He's not leaving you, of course not. He's just- I j- just, um-" Rebekah starts to explain, but words seem to have failed her, a rare occurrence for a Mikaelson.

"Rebekah, whatever it is, tell me. Or, show me. I don't care, I just- I just want to be sure Elijah's okay," she says softly. Rebekah nods.

"You ought to know, Hayley. I just- I've been dreading telling you, and I thought- I didn't know how. I don't know how," the blonde tells her, her eyes filled with tears, and this shakes Hayley. Because the way Rebekah is reluctant to tell her is worse than when she hauled her all the way to New York to tell her Elijah had his memories of her erased.

"What is it Rebekah?" she demands in near tears. "Tell me, for God's sakes because I can't- I need to know!" she cries hysterically, reaching to grab Rebekah's hand, part of her hoping to simply get her point across, the other to maybe get into Rebekah's head. But, the blonde catches her hand, and Hayley's attempt at a head dive is stopped. "Just- please, Bekah, tell me," she whimpers. Finally, Rebekah's shoulders slump in defeat and the blonde huffs.

"Fine. I'll just- I'll just show you," she sighs. Then, she pulls her chair closer to Hayley and reaches to grasp the side of her head firmly. [To anyone else, it might look like they're girlfriends, or whatever, but Hayley doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks of this].

At first, she sees Marcel and Rebekah in the compound, and it doesn't take long to realize this was the day of the wedding. The former hybrid swallows back tears as she watches, and it's obvious Rebekah was berating Marcel about something.

"Don't bullshit me, Marcel! What the hell did you mean when you said that Elijah's decision was because of what Vincent said to him?" Rebekah yells in a demanding tone, not beating around the bush. "And, just what did Vincent say to him, pray tell?"

"Nothing. It was just- doesn't matter," Marcel mutters, brushing it off, but Rebekah clearly doesn't believe him.

"Oh, come on, Marcel! You're lying to me! I know you, I've known you for so long, I know when you're lying and you're lying now!" she yells, her voice emotional as she steps closer to him. Marcel's jaw is sat, and he doesn't say anything, refusing to meet her gaze. Slowly, he stands up, moving to walk out, but she won't let him. Instead, she reaches for his wrist, gripping it painfully, breaking down the protective barriers to his mind.

The memory Rebekah sees in Marcel's head is in Lafayette Cemetery, and Hayley swallows thickly. She sees Elijah, Vincent and the four Harvest girls lying on the ground, and immediately knows when this had happened (seven years ago when they were trying to get rid of the Hollow and Elijah had Vincent perform the ritual).

Elijah starts walking away, but Vincent turns and stops him, "Elijah, let me ask you a question. Do you remember what it's like to be a human being?"

"Not really," Elijah says softly, his voice sad.

"Cause you just put four little girls' lives at risk," Vincent presses angrily.

"I'm trying, Vincent," Elijah sighs sadly, though she can see his shoulders slump in defeat. "I-" he starts to say, but cuts himself off. There's pregnant pause before he continues, "now whatever happened tonight, we prevented the city from being destroyed-" he tries to argue, but this time it's Vincent who cuts him off.

"What happens if what we did didn't work tonight?" he counters angrily. Elijah scoffs.

"It did," he retorts, his jaw set. "But now we have an ally against the Hollow," he adds.

"Yeah, Elijah," Vincent mutters and sniffles. "You're an infection on my city," he adds, and Rebekah can't help but flinch at the harsh words. In the memory, she sees the way Elijah's jaw is set and knows how it hits him, though he doesn't show it. Instead, he just stands there, his expression devoid of emotion as Vincent tears into him. "You have absolutely no virtue and you have no value here, or wherever it is that you decide to drag yourself next. I feel sorry for the little girl that she's got to be raised in a household with a punk like you," he spits out the word, pure disgust and hatred in his eyes, and Rebekah grips Marcel's arm tightly. "And, I'm going to be praying for her soul. Because I know you ain't got one, Elijah," he says his name in disdain before walking away.

Rebekah drops her hand which falls down in her lap.

"Hayley-" But, Hayley feels as if she cannot breathe, as if for whatever reason all air had left her lungs, as if her chest was on fire.

"Oh, Gods," she mutters before tears finally start falling down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Hayley," Rebekah murmurs softly, caressing her arm gently.

"Oh, Gods, he- this was why! This was why Elijah- oh!" she sobs, putting her head in her hands as more tears continue to stream down her face. Then, she feels arms around her and sees blonde hair through her tears, so she returns the hug, clinging desperately o Rebekah. "God, I am so awful!" she sobs.

"What? No, Hayley, bloody hell… you're not awful! Why would you say that?" Rebekah asks as she continues to pat her back.

"B- bbec- ccasuse-" Hayley blubbers before sobbing loudly again. "I- I was s- sso- awful to him!" she cries hysterically.

"Shh, Hayley, shh, it's okay, it's going to be okay," Rebekah murmurs softly in her ear as Hayley continues to cling to her, crying hysterically. Eventually, she manages to calm herself, and she pulls away to look back at Rebekah, sniffling, and trying to wipe away her tears with her hand. "Oh, Hayley, I'm so sorry. Honestly, Vincent was just bloody awful," the blonde Mikaelson says sadly.

"Yeah… he was. But, I- I was even more awful," she mumbles sadly.

"What? No, Hayley, you-" Rebekah immediately exclaims, protesting vehemently, but she doesn't let her. [The thought that she hadn't known about this, that Elijah hadn't told her, that she hadn't noticed anything, sickens her. And, the way she acted towards him, how cold she was to him, especially after the pendant. Oh, God, the pendant, she realizes, and her blood runs cold. I am officially the worst person ever, and Elijah is a saint for forgiving me, she tells herself, her heart breaking, wracked with guilt].

"No, Rebekah, I am," she snaps, filled with sadness. "I am just the worst. I was the worst girlfriend ever- I mean, okay, Elijah and I never put a label on it, but I was the worst because I didn't even think, or notice something was wrong, that he was hurting. I was so consumed to get rid of the fucking Hollow, I didn't even notice my own- Elijah was in pain. That he was in the worst possible headspace from Vincent's words. And then, when he went into the pendant, he was in that worst possible headspace when he did, so obviously he chose the worst part of himself, and then the way I fucking acted like such a bitch!" The words tumble out of her mouth, and Rebekah just stares at her shocked. "I just- I feel so guilty, just so fucking guilty!" she yells, and gasps before biting her lip hard to keep from crying hysterically. "It's all my fault, all my fucking fault!" she practically wails.

"No, Hayley, stop it! Don't you dare blame yourself, Hayley Marshall!" Rebekah says firmly. "Yes, you made a mistake seven years ago, but it's not just your fault. You know Elijah is a bloody martyr, if you didn't find out, maybe he didn't want you to," she tells her. "But, honestly, it's not even Elijah's fault, if it's anyone's fault, it's Vincent's. He's an arse, and a monster," Rebekah adds, and at the mention of the former Regent's name, Hayley's sees red.

"Rebekah?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you happen to have your trusty make up bag?" she asks, her lips pursed. [She knew she must look horrendous, and she wasn't about to walk around New Orleans looking like she did].

"Uh, yes?" the other woman peers at her, confused.

"Good." Wordlessly, Rebekah hands her the small bag, and Hayley gets up to go to the bathroom. After washing her face and reapplying her makeup, she reemerges and joins Rebekah.

"Okay, where are you going?" the blonde enquires as Hayley hands her the makeup bag back.

"Lafayette Cemetery." And then, she vamp-speeds away.

People stare as they watched her stride towards Lafayette Cemetery, though nobody tries to stop her. Her entire body shakes with anger and her blood boils as her eyes scan her surroundings, looking for a particular person. And then, she sees him and she beelines for him. Vincent clearly hadn't been expecting it because he stares at her dumbfounded as she stalks towards him.

"How fucking dare you?" she yells once she's within his earshot. He opens his mouth to say something, to ask her what was going on, but Hayley doesn't let him. "How could you?" she yells, glaring at him.

"Hayley, what is-" this time, he'd managed to say something, but before he could finish, she cuts him off.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she screams, her voice louder now, higher pitched.

"Hayley, please, calm down, y- you're makin' a scene-"

"Oh? I'm making a scene? I don't care if I'm making a scene! You stole seven years from me! How could you?" she screams yet again, and she can feel tears prickling at her eyes, but she blinks them away. [Now is not the time to cry, and she won't give Vincent the satisfaction of seeing her cry]. "You stole seven years from me, Vincent! Seven. Years." Her voice drops to a hiss on the last part as she continues to glare at him.

"Hayley, what's goin' on-"

"Do not pretend you don't know what I'm talking about! You told Elijah-" she cuts herself off, shuddering as she remembers seeing the memory Rebekah had shown her. "You told him he was an infection on your city- which, by the way, New Orleans is not your city! You told him- God, how could you fucking say that? Do you really hate him that much? Because, you pushed him so far down his personal rabbit hole – you made him hate himself more than he already did – that he- that he saw no way out but to have him forget everything and everyone including me. That is pain you put both of us through-" this time he manages to cut her off.

"Now, Hayley, that pain has hardly anythin' to do with me!" he exclaims, though his tone remains measured and calm.

"Really? Do you really believe that?" she screams, on the verge of tears, but she blinks them away. "Because the reasons we hurt each other were because of you! What happened in the pendant-" he cuts her off, trying to defend, or explain, but Hayley doesn't care.

"Wasn't my fault, Hayley, I-" she doesn't let him finish.

"You don't know what happened in the pendant, so don't even think about going there! But, because of you he was already in a bad place when Freya put him inside her pendant and his mind shattered! So, he chose the darkest part of himself to revert into! He's a more-than-a-thousand years old vampire with PTSD, OCD and co-dependency! What the hell do you think telling him he was an infection with no value and no virtue did to him? Not to mention that this is what led to Elijah erasing his memories of me! This is why he chose to forget me and the rest of us! Because you basically flat out told him the world would be better off without him!" Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes, but Hayley didn't care because Vincent had hurt Elijah and she wasn't going to let it pass. "How could you do that to us?" she huffs, trying to catch her breath.

"Hayley, I-" Vincent's latest attempt at saying something results in Hayley vamp-speeding towards him, glaring menacingly at him.

"You took away Freya's brother, and you claim to be her best friend. You took away the one person who could calm Klaus down, even just through a phone call. You took away Hope's uncle, and when her paranoid, control freak father pulled away because he was scared, and she needed someone – her uncle – she didn't have that. And, you took away my soulmate, the one person who loves me more than anything, the love of my life… you took that away from me! You knew what happened when Rebekah told me about what Elijah did – what you made him do – and like a coward you didn't say anything! I trusted you – for seven years – I worked with you, I built this city back up with you! And, you had driven away the love of my life!" she practically growls the last part, and she sees a hint of fear in Vincent's eyes. "And, you were such a coward because you didn't say a word! You still are!" she screams. She lunges for him, reaching to wrap her hand around his neck and shove him against one of the walls of Lafayette cemetery. She smells blood, and part of her, a tiny part of her feels a bit better, but the rest of her is still angry. And then, there is a hand on her arm, prying away her fingers, loosening the grip on Vincent's neck, and she looks to the side to find Klaus being the one stopping her.

"Klaus-" she starts to protest, but Klaus shakes his head and gently pulls her away from Vincent.

"Little Wolf, please, don't," he says softly, a grave look on his face. "Let him go," he adds in a hushed whisper. "He," Klaus says more loudly, loud enough for Vincent to hear, "doesn't deserve it!"

Hayley just purses her lips as tears spill over her cheeks. "How could he?" she mutters, her voice wavering, and she inhales sharply. "How?"

"He was being cruel, Little Wolf. Some people are," he mutters, turning to glare at Vincent. "But you do not need to demean yourself to his level. And, while I would love to watch you tear him to pieces, Vincent may prove himself to be occasionally useful-" Klaus continues, but Vincent interrupts him.

"Uh, right here," he says, which only serves to anger both Klaus and Hayley.

"Quiet! I am not quite done with you!" Klaus growls menacingly before turning back to Hayley. "Elijah needs you, Hayley. He needs you to tell him Vincent was wrong because he won't believe me, or Rebekah, or Kol," he adds. "He needs you," he repeats and she nods. Once Klaus lets her go, she takes one last look behind her, flashing Vincent an unforgiving glare before vamp-speeding out of the cemetery.

"Klaus!" Caroline Forbes-Salvatore snaps as she enters the cemetery, finding that between her arrival and Hayley's departure, the Original hybrid had managed to pin Vincent to one of the stone walls of one the graves, and the witch's feet were dangling above the ground. She watches the scene in front of her carefully for a few more seconds before clearing her throat. Finally, Klaus glances over at her, though he doesn't move from his position, and Vincent grunts.

"Caroline," he greets her, and she can see a smug smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "How lovely of you to come. Care to join us?" he quips as she moves closer, arms crossed over her chest. She flashes him a fake smile.

"Thanks, but no, thanks. Now, will you please put him down?" she says, her voice firm, as if she was talking to one of her students. Klaus ignored her, which only made her scowl more. [Sure, she understood the source of Klaus' anger. Hell, she was angry, too, on Hayley's behalf. Okay, and Klaus' just a bit, but she wasn't going to admit that to herself. But, she saw no reason for Vincent to die. She told herself it was because Vincent was well-known member of the witch faction in New Orleans, because this would mean war]. "Klaus!" she hisses, glaring at him. "Put him down, now! You don't want to start a war," she adds, trying to be rational. Finally, the hybrid turns to her with a withering glare and a scowl.

"Like you said, love. Thanks, but no, thanks," he growls before lifting Vincent up, and Caroline's breath hitches in her throat, for a brief second wondering if Klaus might let him go. Alas, he doesn't, and instead slams the witch hard against the wall, his head connecting with a loud crack. Caroline freezes at the smell of blood, and inhales sharply, but is mostly unaffected.

"Klaus!" she yells. "Are you trying to start a war? Because, that's what's going to happen when you kill a former Regent of New Orleans. Do you really want another war on your hands?"

"Well, love," he seethes, "I wouldn't mind. I mean, blood and mass murder are my thing," he drawls, repeating his earlier action (lifting Vincent away from the wall before slamming him against it, harder than before).

"Klaus," the blonde gasps, and swallows thickly. "Put. Him. Down," she growls, but the hybrid doesn't even flinch.

"Why should I?" he growls, turning to flash her another withering glare before lifting Vincent up high and slamming him against the stone wall, hard. Blood splatters all over, and Vincent groans, though she can see he's losing consciousness. "Why should I have mercy on him?" he roars. "He does not deserve it!"

"Klaus," she says, slowly, carefully, switching tactics. [She was getting nowhere being Headmistress Forbes-Salvatore, so she decided to appeal to Klaus' merciful side. Not that he had much of one as it was, but he is no longer the same Original hybrid she had met in Mystic Falls. He is different. A better man]. "You aren't- this isn't who you really are," she starts slowly, but he doesn't say anything, doesn't give any sort of indication he had heard her. "You're a good man. A good father. I know you're upset; I know this hurts you. I know it's because Elijah is your brother, and you were so angry when he decided to erase his memories," she continues, and pauses for a second when Klaus finally looks over at her. For a second, neither of them says anything, but the silence is broken.

"Don't-" Vincent chokes out, but is entirely cut off by Klaus tightening his grip on his neck.

"Quiet!" the Original roars loudly, and Caroline takes a deep breath before stepping closer to him.

The witch falls silent, so Caroline continues, "you were so angry. And, now you know it was because of what Vincent said, and you're angry at him. You should be. What he said was cruel," she asserts. "But, that doesn't mean you should kill him. Just let him go," she adds, her voice taking on a softer, gentler quality. Klaus doesn't say anything in response, standing still, his hand gripping Vincent's throat tightly, forcefully, his posture rigid. He grunts, and his scowl deepens as Caroline tries to meet his gaze. "Just let him go. Besides, it's not worth it. You need to be there for both of them. You need to be there for your family," she continues. Again, he grunts. "Do it for Hope," she whispers quietly. [It's basically a hail Mary. If bringing up his daughter doesn't make Klaus let go of Vincent, then Caroline's pretty sure Vincent is done for. Because, from one look at the former Regent, it's clear he doesn't have long to live unless Klaus lets him go. Sure, she might be able to use force to get Klaus off of Vincent, but there's no way she'd win in a fight against Klaus Mikaelson].

"What?" Klaus asks, surprise clear in his eyes as they meet hers.

"I said," she pauses, "do it for Hope. For your daughter. Do you really want to ruin your relationship with her? She's only just started to see you, to understand you, to love you for not being perfect. She's not a kid anymore, yes, and doesn't think you're some kind of saint. But, that doesn't mean she'll be able to look you in the eye if you kill Vincent," she continues, her voice soft. [Part of her itches to touch him, to pry his fingers from around Vincent's neck, to- Caroline doesn't finish the thought. What the hell is wrong with you? Get a grip, she scolds herself. But, even as she does, she continues to look into Klaus' eyes]. "And, honestly, will you be able to look Hope in the eye if you do it?" she adds softly, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.

For a second, it feels like time had stopped. Klaus gapes at her for a few seconds, surprise written all over his face before finally, he lets go of Vincent. The former Regent falls to the ground, and she catches him, though maybe she shouldn't have. Once he straightens himself, and turns to face them, it's her turn to glare at him. She plasters on a sweet smile, but her voice drips with venom.

"I suggest you leave. Because, I don't think I can talk down the entire Mikaelson family down from killing you. And, maybe I don't even want to. What you said was low and cruel, and what was worse was you lied to Hayley and Freya for years after. You caused irreparable damage, and I don't think the Mikaelsons will forgive and forget this one. So, leave. Find somewhere else to be. Before Klaus changes his mind, or before Hayley, or any of the others come back," she hisses the last part. Vincent nods, but doesn't move. Klaus rolls his eyes beside her. "GO!" she screams, and he turns and leaves.

With Vincent gone, both her and Klaus sigh heavily, and Caroline can't help but glance at him nervously. He looks exhausted, and the angry scowl is replaced by a sad, almost heartbroken look as they both lean against the stone wall.

"You okay?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. Klaus barely gives her a nod, and they descend into silence once more.

"Klaus-" she starts, but he cuts her off.

"Don't worry, love, I'm fine," he mutters, though the emotion in his voice betrays him.

"I'm sorry, I just-" she mumbles, biting her lower lip, unsure what else she could possibly say, but Klaus cuts her off once more.

"It's not your fault, Caroline," he says softly. "You just- you reminded me of Camille," he adds, his eyes slightly watery.

"Oh," she sighs, not sure quite what to say, but also overcome by a sense of understanding, of comfort. She doesn't say anything then, not that there is anything she can say, so she just reaches across the small space between them and takes his hand in hers, lacing her fingers with his loosely. Klaus doesn't pull away, and squeezes her hand lightly in gratitude. He doesn't say it, but the look he gives her conveys his 'thank you' entirely. Silence descends between them once more, but it's comforting this time, and they stay like that for a few more seconds, or minutes, she's not sure. Finally, Klaus straightens himself, though he doesn't drop her hand, so he pulls her along with him.

"Shall we go then, love?" he flashes her a small smile. She nods.

"Yeah. We should probably head back," she nods, smiling back. Then, their gazes inevitably drift to their still joined hands, and Klaus pulls away. She averts her gaze, licking her lip nervously, and the Original frowns slightly.

"Right. Well, we should, uh, we should just go back to the compound," he mutters awkwardly.

"Yeah. Yes, we should," she agrees, just as awkwardly, and plasters on a fake smile. When neither of them move, she clears her throat, "uh, lead the way, Mikaelson." Klaus nods, and the two start walking back. Although, they could have both vamp-sped home, neither of them is in a hurry to get there, so they stop once they arrive in the Quarter, walking at a leisurely pace, their hands brushing lightly. Caroline itches to reach for his hand, and is certain she's pretty much screwed because whatever feelings she had buried deep inside beneath hostility, and later lighthearted banter, are still there.

Her mind still spinning, and running mostly on instinct as a result, Hayley goes to look for Elijah at their home. She finds all the lights off at the house, though there is a soft glow that looks like candlelight. Hayley wipes away the tears on her cheeks and moves towards the front door, hoping it won't be too obvious she'd been crying, though Elijah would know. He knows her too well. She reaches for the doorknob and twists it before stepping inside.

"Elijah?" she calls out for him, and once she is inside she notices that the only light comes from the direction of the deck, so she moves in that direction. There are tea lights illuminating her path, and Hayley wonders if they'd had a date planned, even though part of her knows there is something else. "Elijah, are you home?" she asks just as she enters the living room that leads to the deck overlooking the lake. And, she stops dead in her tracks. The French doors leading to the deck were open and the deck was filled with tea lights, casting a soft glow all over it. And, in the middle of the deck stood Elijah, wearing a perfectly pressed suit. He'd been looking out, but when he hears her, he turns. "Elijah," she mutters softly as she walks towards him, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Hi," he says softly, and the moment she is within reach he reaches for her and pulls her closer before gently pressing his lips to hers. Hayley responds immediately, deepening the kiss and winding her arms around his neck, pressing herself closer to him as she loses herself in the kiss. Their tongues tangle together for a few seconds before, reluctantly, they pull away, though Elijah rests his forehead on hers. "You okay?" he asks her, and Hayley feels tears prickling at her eyes even as she nods. He furrows his eyebrows, but she just shakes her head.

"I'm fine, I was just- I love you, Elijah," she tells him, reaching to stroke his jaw. He smiles at her.

"Me too," he says simply. And then, he takes a step back, and before Hayley can really process it, he is on one knee, reaching for her hand.

"Elijah…" she gasps, stunned.

"Hayley Marshall, ever since the moment I met you I knew I had found the person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. The person I was destined for. But, I was too scared to admit my feelings, too set in my ways to see what was right in front of me. I fell for you. I fell madly in love with you. You once told me you have felt everything for me since the moment we met, and Hayley, it was mutual. It has always been mutual. I am sorry I was never able to tell you how I felt- how I've always felt for you. Because I have always loved you, Hayley Marshall, and I always will. My soul will always be tied to yours. Even when I had forgotten you, my mind may not have known who you were, but my heart and soul did. We had a profound connection even when you came to Mannosque five years ago. I don't want to let you go, Hayley. Ever. You are my soulmate, and I am never letting you go. I promise you that. I let you in, Hayley. I don't let people in, but I let you in. You know me, better than anyone, you know me, and you are still somehow here. We've hurt each other, tremendously, and yet you've still somehow forgiven me. And, despite all we've done, all the ways we've hurt each other, the mistakes we've made, we are still here, now. And, you're right Hayley, about living in the now. I once told you that your heart was too good to be that of a Mikaelson, but perhaps, it is the idea of being a Mikaelson that needs to change. Perhaps there is space for good people in this family," he says, and Hayley is on the verge of tears as he reaches into his pocket to pull out a small velvet box. "You know you have always been a Mikaelson, but I would like it to be official, if you'd let me. Hayley Marshall, will you do me the utmost honor of marrying me and becoming Hayley Mikaelson?" he finally asks as he opens the box to reveal a diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"

The ring is beautiful. The centerpiece is a princess cut clear diamond, with two smaller, though similar diamonds on either side, the yellow gold band studded with small diamonds. Hayley can only nod, tears threatening to spill from her eyes before she finally manages to say, "yes. Yes, Elijah, yes, I'll marry you!" Gently, Elijah fits the ring on her finger before standing up and wrapping his arms around hers as she winds her arms around his neck, and their lips meet halfway for a searing, passionate kiss. When air becomes a necessity and they finally pull away, Elijah looks at her in concern, clearly sensing that something wasn't right. And, Hayley bursts into tears.

"Hayley? Hayley, what's wrong? What is it?" Elijah asks in concern, searching for a sign of what was wrong, but Hayley couldn't help herself as tears streamed down her face. "Hayley, what is it?" he asks, clearly worried, but she just shakes her head. "Hayley, please, tell me," he begs her, his hand still gripping her waist, concern etched all over his face. [Part of her doesn't want to tell him, doesn't want to remind him of what had happened with Vincent, but the other part of her knows that she has to].

"I know," she mutters, her breath hitching in her throat as she tries to calm down. "I know," she repeats, still the only two words she can manage to say.

"You know what?" he asks her, clearly confused, but all she can do is cry. And, all Elijah can do is wrap his arms around her, pulling her to him while she sobs relentlessly. He tries to ask her again, but she just continues to cry. And then, it clicks. "Fuck," Elijah mutters quietly, freezing as he continues to hold her. Hayley pulls away, shocked at his choice of words, and even more so by the tears in his eyes and the way his lower lip trembles. Her shoulders slump, and she sniffles, trying to gain control of her breathing, but it's coming out in short gasps.

"Elijah," she mutters, and watches as he shuts his eyes briefly, but doesn't say anything, so she continues to stare at him, tears falling down her cheeks. "Elijah," she mutters, and he opens his eyes, still tear-filled, and she reaches for him, her hands grasping his, running her thumbs over his knuckles, fingering his daylight ring.

"Hayley… please forgive me," he mutters quietly, so quietly if she hadn't been a vampire and sitting so close to him, she wouldn't have heard it.

"What? No- that's-" she cuts herself off, and squeezes his hands, gazing deeply into his eyes, willing him to understand. "That's not what this means. I- I am sorry, Elijah! You don't get to be sorry. I'm the one who- I'm sorry. I am so sorry." The words tumble out of her mouth, and she practically sobs as she pulls her hands away from his only to cup his cheeks, her thumbs caressing his jaw. Her lips descend onto his, and he kisses her back immediately, his hands reaching to grasp her waist firmly, pulling her to him. His cheeks are salty with his tears, and so are hers, but Hayley doesn't care as she continues to kiss Elijah Mikaelson. Desperately, thoroughly, deeply.