𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 22

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Annalise walked into the Abattoir where the Fight Night event was taking place. Marcel stood on the balcony when she caught his eye, the vampire waved over for her to join him.

The heretic plastered on a smile and went up the stairs allowing herself to stand by him.

"Glad you could make it."

"Well who would want to miss a brawl between vampires?" Annalise smirked.

Marcel chuckled and turned towards the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Fight Night! And, the first rule of Fight Night is: the vampire left standing at the end of the night is one step closer to the inner circle, and one of these-" he holds up his hand on which he wears his daylight ring, "a daylight ring. If you can impress me with a little ultra-violence, you too can enjoy the warmth of the sun on your face. All you got to do is kick a little ass. Here we go!"

All the vampires form a circle as they wait for the announcement of the first fighters.

"Our first two contenders: Felicia and Otto!"

Felicia and Otto fight while the rest of the vampires cheer them on. Anna watches with interest as the fight begins, the male vampire has the upper hand in the beginning but it doesn't take long for that to change. Ultimately Felicia wins the fight by wrapping her legs around his neck and twisting her hips to snap his neck.

Marcel laughed, clearly impressed. "Damn girl! Not bad."

"Her form was a tad slow. Had he been any faster she would be dead." Anna critiqued. The vampire turned towards her, "Had your fair share of fights and experiences I'm guessing."

"Oh plenty." Annalise smiled, but this time it was a genuine one. The heretic had to admit, Marcel wasn't bad company. If only they weren't on opposing sides of this war.

Suddenly, Klaus and Elijah enter the courtyard. Klaus walks behind Felicia and snaps her neck. The whole room goes silent. The brunette furrowed her brows, what were they doing here?

"Good evening! I'd like a word." Klaus announced rather loudly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Marcel glared at the two original's.

Elijah felt his anger uprise at seeing the Martin heretic by his side. "It appears that we've interrupted a collection of filthy amateurs! We've come here for the girl. Give it to us, or we kill everyone here... starting with you."

Anna's lips slightly parted, were they talking about Hayley? The girl quickly pulled her phone and found around 15 miss calls from Elijah as well as 20 from Klaus. Rebekah sent her a text.

"Marcel was at the plantation. Hayley is missing."

The girl shoved her cellphone back into her pocket and mentally cursed. What was she supposed to do? Does she help them or stay hidden?

"You two got a lot of nerve, coming into my home and making demands." Marcel gripped the railing tightly.

Klaus fakely smiled, "Your home, is it?"

Elijah looked over at Anna and the two locked eyes. She knew what he was silently asking her, what better time to blow her cover than when the werewolf was missing.

Annalise grips Diego's neck and slams his body back into the wall. Marcel looks startled and confused by her sudden actions.

"It's a shame we aren't on the same side Marcellus."

The vampire's face went slack with shock, "You're with them."

"The name is Annalise Martin, I'm sure you've heard of me." the heretic said as Diego tried ripping her hand away but was failing horribly.

"You're the heretic. Klaus' beloved friend." Marcel bitterly spoke.

Klaus laughed, "You should've seen your face mate."

"The girl! I will not ask again." Elijah repeated.

"Just give us the werewolf back and no one gets hurt. Refuse and you just might loose another day walker or whatever the hell it is you call them." the Martin girl started to squeeze the vampire's neck even tighter.

Marcellus clenched his jaw and looked back down at the Mikaelson's. "I assume you're talking about Hayley? Yea high, dark hair, bitchy attitude? Who is she, anyway?"

"She's an old friend. You know how sentimental I am about old friends."

"Well, I ain't got her. And before you start whining, I did pay her a little visit earlier tonight. I was feeling nostalgic, so I took a trip out to the plantation where I used to be a slave. And, imagine my surprise when I realized that the Original family of vampires had taken up residence. Your girl, Hayley, answered the door, we exchanged hellos, that was it. You don't believe me? Look around. Hell, I'll even help you find her. But the question that I'd ask is, if Hayley isn't here, then where is she?"

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Annalise had joined Elijah and Niklaus in the courtyard. "Aw, his face is something I'll never be able to forget now. Priceless." the hybrid laughed.

"We get it Nik." the girl rolled her eyes.

Elijah looked around, "Not the most attractive community, are they?"

"You have no manners or sense of pleasantness do you?" Anna gaped at the original.

"You do realize they can hear you?" Klaus raised a brow towards his brother. "You do realize I don't care?" Elijah retorted.

"What are you? Toddlers?"

Marcel came walking in with a couple of vampires behind him. "You know, Elijah, I liked you better in that box." the vampire turned towards Anna with a bitter look, "Little liar"

"Oh don't take it personally Marcel. Water under the bridge. Wouldn't have deceived you if you hadn't taken Elijah." Anna crossed her arms.

Marcel hummed a response and looked over at Klaus, "Klaus, my sire, you I owe the world, and I always show respect to my elders. If your special lady friend is missing, you could benefit from the help of a witch."

"We already have a witch. Me. So how about you approve it so your teenage witch doesn't rat me out or whatnot. It's been hell not being able to use magic." the heretic complained.

"Sure. One little locator spell. I'll let Davina know." The vampire turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Klaus questioned.

"I hate to cut this short, but the sun's coming up soon. My nightwalkers need to get inside, and I have got a city to run. I leave you to track down your lost sheep." Marcel said and continued to walk away.

Elijah turned towards Anna, "Can you find her?"

"Are you doubting me?"

"Anna gets very offended when being doubted."

"I could write an entire essay about what offends you Nik so don't start an argument you won't win." the brunette scowled at the hybrid.

"What got you knockers in a twist?"

"Shut your trap."

Anna placed a map on a small table and waves her hand over it as Elijah and Klaus join her side. "Sequitur" the girl chanted. As she casts the spell, a puddle of Klaus' blood traces across the map from their current location to the Bayou.

"She's in the back country. Way up past Houma, deep in the Bayou." Annalise looked at the Mikaelson brothers.

"I don't suppose you could be more precise?" Elijah asked her.

"What's the matter, Elijah? You're worried a bit of splashing about in the bog might ruin your expensive shoes?" Klaus smirked tauntingly.

Anna sighed as she noticed the hybrid was trying to provoke him. "As a matter of fact, after my recent confinement, I could use a decent stroll through the countryside." Elijah told his younger brother.

"There are encampments at this location. If Hayley went out that far, chances are she went to find them." the heretic explained.

"Clearly, she hopes to make the acquaintance of more like herself. I suppose our company wasn't good enough for her."

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The heretic, hybrid, and vampire trudged through the woods looking for the missing werewolf. Anna accidently tripped on a twig and Elijah instinctively caught her.

The brunette was breathing heavily as she looked into the eyes that had become a weakness of hers. His pupils always dilated when he looked at her, a little detail she noticed.

Klaus to say the least did not look pleased. He felt like he was slowly loosing Annalise to Elijah and he hated that. The girl was like a sister to him but now she was always with his brother. The saint Elijah.

The older Mikaelson felt the hybrid watching them so he stood the Martin girl on her feet again and cleared his throat turning towards the woods again. "We should head south towards the water."

Klaus smirked to himself, "You seem quite determined to find the little wolf."

Elijah wanted to scoff. He knew exactly what his brother was trying to do. It was the very reason he had been trying his best to stay away from Annalise but was failing miserably.

"If I'm moving too fast for you, Niklaus, you're welcome to wait in the car. Do be certain to leave the windows down."

"You always seem to fall for the women you know you shouldn't Elijah. I wonder how that always ends." Klaus was pressing his luck.

"Sorry to burst your bubble Nik, but no one asked so why don't we just go back to focusing on the task at hand." Anna snapped as she now took the lead.

The hybrid sniffed the air, "Have you found her scent?" Elijah questioned.

Klaus walks up to an SUV and groans as he started to search through the car, "No, but I found someone else's. This vehicle reeks of someone I thought I was rid of... Tyler Lockwood."

"Ah, the werewolf with anger issues." Anna crossed her arms.

"And why would your little hybrid-sidekick from Mystic Falls have any interest in Hayley?"

"He wants revenge because I went after his girl." Niklaus told the two as he continued his search. "Why do I suspect this is the least of your offenses?" Elijah narrowed his eyes.

"Because it is." Anna pressed her lips into a firm line.

"Back when I had the means to sire hybrids, he was my first, Although, I didn't give him much choice in the matter." the hybrid explained as he pulled out a blanket and sniffed it.

"Yup, he was quite the fighter." the heretic added.

"He was loyal in the beginning, but he grew insubordinate, turned my other hybrids against me. I couldn't have that, so I massacred the lot of them. Tyler ran like a coward before I could finish him off."

Elijah looked frustrated, "Anything else that you would like to share?"

"Well, there was this business with his mum..."

"You killed his mother. Wonderful." Elijah incredulously said.

"He needed to be taught a lesson!" Klaus defended himself. "And what lesson will you be taught, Niklaus, if he retaliates by harming Hayley?" the vampire shot back.

"So you do care about her?" the hybrid knowingly smirked. He was trying to stir up things between Annalise and the vampire.

"I care about the child she is carrying. That child could be the very thing to save our family. Why can't you grasp that? And stop trying to make it seem like I have any sort of romantic feelings for the girl, I assure you I do not." Elijah finally snapped.

Anna didn't understand why Klaus was trying so hard. "This isn't going to get us anywhere." she spoke out.

"Enough. I'll kill Tyler Lockwood myself." the hybrid angrily said as he vamp-sped away.

Annalise rolled her eyes and continued trudging through the woods with Elijah by her side. "Anna about what Niklaus said about Hayley, I don't have any-" but the heretic cut him off.

"I don't care Elijah. We aren't together, you can do whatever you want." but as soon as those words left her mouth she instantly regretted it. She did care, more than she would ever admit.

Elijah looked torn at her answer, he had hoped for her to say anything, anything but those words that were just spoken.

The two continued through the Bayou silently. Annalise squinted her eyes as she spotted a brunette running.

The heretic vamped over to her and Hayley turned sharply with a knife in her hand. Anna's eyes widened and held the werewolf's hand steady.

The pregnant girl sighed in relief and dropped the knife, "Oh thank god."

"Attacking someone who was trying to save you, ironic." Anna smiled. Hayley chuckled and hugged the heretic. The Martin girl awkwardly returned it.

Elijah walked up to the two women.

Hayley pulled away and was breathing heavily, "You will not believe the crap day I'm having."

"Let's get you home then." Anna encouragingly nodded.

The werewolf looked between the heretic and the original, "There's something you two need to know about the baby."

Anna had her brows furrowed as Hayley explained to them what she had found out as Elijah paced anxiously.

"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." the werewolf shouted.

"Should we be throwing accusations around? I mean maybe he didn't know." Anna tried defending the hybrid.

"It's Klaus!" Hayley yelled like it justified anything.

"I should get you two home." Elijah finally said. "Are you serious? Home to what?" Hayley looked beyond angered.

"Look, regardless of my brother's intentions, mine remain the same. I said that I would protect your child, even, if need be, from Klaus himself."

"Are we really going to assume Klaus is behind this?" Anna was torn.

Hayley ignored her comment, "I can take care of myself. I've done it for a long time." she got up and continued walking.

Elijah looked over at the heretic, "Don't look at me." she huffed and followed after the werewolf.

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The three of them appeared at Dwayne's shack where Hayley was held. Klaus stood up and threw the male's body in front of them. "There you are! I see you've found our wandering stray. Perhaps you could shed some light on the situation. This" he kicks the body over, "appears to be a hybrid."

"His name was Dwayne." Hayley bitterly told him.

"Well, whoever it was, I didn't sire him. Any idea how that's possible?" Klaus tilted his head.

The werewolf stomped over closer to him, "As if you didn't know!"

Anna quickly gripped her arm, "Hayley." she warned.

"Ahhh, well, aren't you two fast friends? Oh, come on, then. What kind of horrible accusation have you conspired to levy against me?" Klaus looked unamused.

Anna scoffed, she hadn't even said anything against him.

This was when Elijah spoke up, "Tyler Lockwood brought Hayley here to test a theory. That the blood of her child could be used to sire hybrids. He claims that you knew that. Furthermore, that you intended to use this knowledge to build an army."

Klaus expression went slack with hurt and anger. His own brother believed these accusations, he could tell.

"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."

Elijah scoffed, "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?" He impersonates Klaus "'Every king needs an heir!""

"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. You strive to take everything from me!" 

The two siblings stare at each other as Klaus approaches him.

"That's all I am to you, isn't it? And Rebekah. And, judging by the way Annalise hangs on your every word, it's clear she feels the same way!" Klaus paused looking hurt, "No doubt my child will as well."

"Nik, I never-" Anna tried but couldn't finish her sentence. "No. I see the way you defend my brother, it will always be Elijah Mikaelson." Klaus looked down.

"Brother, if-" Elijah said with a kinder tone. "You've said all that needs to be said, brother." Klaus steps back a few steps and holds his arms out in defeat, "I'll play the role I've been given."

He turns as though he's going to walk away, but instead, he turns back quickly and vamp-runs over to Elijah before biting him savagely on the neck. Anna gasped in horror as Hayley clamped her hand over her mouth in disbelief.

Anna ran over to the original holding him as he clutched the bite. Klaus smirked evilly at the heretic, "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."

The brunette heretic looked up with her anger fired up, "Retaliating this way doesn't make you any better."

"What happened to us Anna? You always stood by my side. Now look at you, on your knees for my brother."

"Why are you acting like this? I'm not going anywhere Nik if that's what your so afraid of. But this isn't the answer." the girl tried to reason with him.

"I didn't come here for a life lesson. Enjoy the company. Hayley, your coming back with me." he stated as he gripped her arm and sped out of the Bayou.

Anna sighed as she looked back down at Elijah and softly caressed his cheek. The heretic gripped his arm and helped the original stand.

Annalise and Elijah walked over to the porch where the vampire sat. "It won't be long for the poison to kick in. Rest 'Lijah."

The Mikaelson softly smiled, "You haven't called me that in awhile."

The heretic chuckled and playfully shoved his arm, "I should leave you here."

"You should." Elijah looked serious as he spoke.

Anna narrowed her eyes, "I'm not abandoning you."

But Elijah looked lost in thought.

"You're thinking about Nik."

"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. I've killed more innocents than I can keep track of. We've all done bad things. It's just, most people die before the list gets embarrassing. You have a good heart Elijah. Not many people would have as much patience as you do with Klaus. Over a thousand years you've stood by him. You two aren't always bound to see eye to eye."

Elijah was entranced by the woman before him, he reached up twirled a strand of her dark brunette hair around his index finger.

"You have a way with words no one could imagine."

Annalise lightly chuckled, "So I've heard."

Annalise Martin and Elijah Mikaelson. Two soulmates, but love doesn't come at an easy price.

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