KLAUS HAD LEFT them under the excuse that he had "business to attend to". Elijah just rolled his eyes, deciding on going for a quick walk around Bienville Park with Colby before returning home.

"I am sorry for that horrible business you witnessed earlier at the Church." Elijah said, watching Colby kick around a stray stone she found along the path. Colby shrugged, looking up at him.

"It's alright. I've come to expect some unpleasant things while being friends with your family." Elijah smiled, looking out ahead of him.

"Friends, hm?" He asked in amusement. Colby laughed, eyes lighting up with joy.

"Oh hell yeah, Elijah! You didn't think I've been living with you guys this entire time and not think of you as friends, did you?" Elijah couldn't hold back the chuckle that escaped from him, watching the young girl jump excitedly around him. There was a question itching at the back of his mind, and while he didn't want to ruin the good mood, he had to ask, if only to put Agnes' warning completely out of his mind.

"What happened to your mother?" He asked gently. Colby paused for a moment, looking back at him.

"Well," She looked to a park bench, gesturing for Elijah to come with her as she sat down, him sitting next to her. "I was ten, so it was about seven years ago now. She started getting sick. Like, so sick she couldn't get out of bed. Eventually, Claire told me that they had to move her to some place where she could get help. A hospital, I assumed. I was wrong, as it turns out, but I didn't know that until recently." Elijah furrowed his eyebrows, looking at her in confusion.

"Where did they take her?" Elijah asked, watching as Colby pointedly avoided his gaze.

"They took her to the cemetery, in one of the mausoleums. The witches thought they could help her. My mom was, literally, losing her mind. At least, that's just what everyone thought. I didn't get to see my mom much after she got moved from the apartment." Colby began to play with her fingers, placing them in her lap. She absently twiddled her thumbs as she took a deep breath. "Claire took her to the bayou in the end. My mom wanted it that way, I guess. See, a banshee's loudest scream, is the one signifying their own death. It's powerful enough to where it could possibly kill people nearby. My mom didn't want to put anyone in danger, so she wanted to be moved out to the bayou." Colby paused, her eyes burning lightly. "I had a dream about it. Her death. I saw it happen. When she screamed – god, it was awful. The wolves; they were there. After she died, they howled for her. I remember waking up that night to the howling of the wolves. I remember feeling like something was wrong, but I was only ten, so I ignored it and went back to sleep. I had no idea my mother had just died or that my aunt was with the witches, already planning her funeral." Colby sniffled lightly, wiping away stray tears. She didn't cry often, it wasn't something she liked to do. But she missed her mom.

Colby felt an arm slowly slide around her shoulders, Elijah pulling her into his side. She almost rested her head on his shoulder before remembering that they really had to get home.

"Thank you, Elijah." She said softly, standing and holding a hand out for him. "Let's go home?" She asked, smiling as Elijah took her hand. Whatever Agnes said, whatever Sabine saw; Elijah swore then that nothing would happen to Colby Scott.

–•–•–

"Hayley?" Elijah called out when they got home, finding the house empty. The pair moved into Hayley's room as Elijah called Rebekah. Colby slowly walked over, sitting down on Hayley's bed. A low whispering buzzed in Colby's ears. She tilted her head slightly, trying to hear them better. It was a jumbled mess of voices.

"Marcel was here." Klaus said as he entered the room. Elijah slowly lowered the phone from his ear, stunned as Colby slowly moved to the center of the bed, sitting cross-legged. "Colby?" Klaus asked, turning to look at her. Colby made a motion to quiet him as the whispers continued.

There Colby sat, for hours, as the whispers buzzed continuously. It almost gave her headache, but she felt like she was close to discovering what they were saying. Elijah and Klaus had left to go see Marcel, and there she sat. By the time the sun began to rise, Colby was becoming frustrated. The voices whispering something that she could just barely make out was nearly infuriating, it made her want to scream.

"Either tell me something or go away." She said sharply, hands gripping her knees tightly enough to turn her knuckles white.

"Bayou," A voice whispered, cutting through the buzz of voices she couldn't understand.

Even though the answer was vague, Colby got up from the bed, already making her way down the stairs. Grabbing her keys from the kitchen counter, Colby quickly made her way to her car, almost in a daze.

She drove as if on autopilot. When she came to a stop, she realized that she had drove herself to somewhere in the bayou, just as the clear voice had told her.

"Go." A voice said again as Colby stared at the trees in front of her. Swallowing down a protest, Colby complied, weaving her way through the trees like she knew exactly where to go. When a shack came into view, a body crashed into hers, nearly sending them both tumbling to the ground. Without saying anything, Hayley grabbed her hand and took off running again, leaving the girl no choice but to follow. Pulling the both of them behind a tree, Hayley moved to stand in front of Colby as she hears someone approaching. Readying the knife in her hands, Hayley swings around to attack their pursuer, only to have her arm caught by Elijah.

"Forgive me! I thought you were in danger, it appears I was mistaken." Hayley sighed in relief, lowering the knife and hugging Elijah. He hugged her back, looking at Colby over her shoulder. Colby looked like she had just snapped out of a daze, finally able to shake the voices away completely.

"You will not believe the crap day I'm having." Hayley said, wrapping an arm around Colby's shoulders as she moved to stand next to her.

"I'll take you home." Elijah said, turning to walk away. Hayley stopped him, lightly grabbing his shoulder.

"Elijah, there's something you need to know about the baby."

–•–•–

Hayley sat against a tree as she told Elijah and Colby what she learned from Tyler. Elijah was pacing anxiously as he listened while Colby frowned, staring at the ground.

"Klaus must have known, that's the only explanation! He could care less about the baby, he just wants her to be born so he can use her to make more sired hybrids." Hayley exclaimed, looking at Elijah. They share a brief look before Elijah looks away. "Although, the way that Dwayne was acting, it was more like he was sired to me." Colby refused to believe that Klaus would do that. She knew about his power grabs, about his mission to create new hybrids; but she refused to believe that he only cared about the baby for that, or that he even knows. Maybe she felt like she owed it to him to hear his side of the story, but she refused to cast him as the villain.

"I should take you two home." Elijah said, stopping next to Colby.

"Are you serious? Home to what?" Hayley protested, looking up at him in disbelief.

"Look, regardless of my brother's intentions, mine remain the same. I said that I would protect you, even, if need be, from Klaus himself." Elijah said calmly. Hayley scoffed, clearly offended.

"I can take care of myself. I've done it for a long time." Hayley stood and began to walk away. After a moment of hesitation, Elijah and Colby both follow after her.

When the three returned to the shack, Klaus was waiting for them. He shoved Dwayne's dead body in front of him, greeting the three.

"There you are! I see you've found our wandering stray. Perhaps you could shed some light on the situation. This," he paused to kick over Dwayne's body. "Appears to be a hybrid." Hayley's face dropped, looking down at Dwayne's body.

"His name was Dwayne." She said sharply. Klaus rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Well, whoever it was, I didn't sire him. Any idea how that's possible?" Hayley stomped towards Klaus, ignoring Elijah's attempt to stop her.

"As if you didn't know!" She snapped, Elijah managing to hold her back as he carefully steps in front of her, a barrier between her and Klaus. Colby carefully stepped around the three, moving to stand behind Klaus.

"Well, aren't you two fast friends? Oh, come on, then. What kind of horrible accusation have you conspired to levy against me?" Klaus asked, snapping his glare to his sibling.

"Tyler Lockwood brought Hayley here to test a theory." Klaus nods, telling Elijah to continue. "That the blood of her child could be used to sire hybrids. He claims that you knew that. Futhermore, that you intended to use this knowledge to build an army." Klaus looked hurt, but it quickly gave way to anger.

"And, of course, you assume it's true. I mean, why else would I show interest in my own flesh and blood? A heartbroken little crybaby points his finger at me, and my own brother falls in line, eager to believe it! How quickly you believe the worst, especially when it comes from her." Klaus snapped, gesturing to Hayley. Elijah huffed, rolling his eyes, suddenly angry.

"Oh, spare me your indignation. When have you ever demonstrated any kind of concern towards Hayley or her child, beyond your own selfish pursuits? And what was it you once said to me? 'Every king needs an heir!'." Klaus frowned, taking a step back from his brother.

"My big brother, so, you doubt my intentions? Well, I can't say I'm surprised, standing next to the noble Elijah, how can I be anything but the lesser brother? A liar, a manipulator, a bastard." The brothers stare at each other as Klaus approaches him. Elijah shifted uncomfortably. "That's all I am to you, isn't it? And Rebekah. And, judging by the way Hayley hangs on your every word, it's clear she feels the same way! No doubt my child will as well." Colby frowns, speaking up, hoping to quell his anger.

"I don't believe it. You may want to believe that Klaus only cares for his child because of some stupid blood that he didn't know about, but I won't. I don't. Not for a second." The three of them looked shocked, and Klaus' gaze softened a bit, looking back at her. Elijah spoke again, kinder, softer.

"Brother, if–" Klaus interrupted him, shaking his head.

"You've said all that needs to be said, brother." He took a step back, holding out his arms in defeat. "I'll play the role I've been given." He turns to walk away, but runs over to Elijah and bites him on the neck. Hayley screams in horror and runs over to him as Colby stares in shock at the scene unfolding before her. Klaus wipes his mouth with his hand, sneering at the pair. "You two enjoy each other's company. You'll have much to bond over, once the hallucinations and dementia set in. Consider that bite to be my parting gift to you both."

Klaus turns to walk away, but Colby hesitates. She looks towards Elijah, who nods slightly. Pushing back the guilt, Colby quickly followed after Klaus. Even though Elijah told her to go, Colby still felt like she was taking sides in a fight she did not want to be in the middle of.

"How did you find your way out here, anyways?" Klaus asked as they trekked back through the woods. Colby shrugged, glancing in his direction.

"The voices told me." Klaus looked concerned at that, remembering what Agnes said to them. Colby wasn't the only one feeling like they were taking sides in a fight they shouldn't be in the middle of.