Darkness, loneliness and just utter disbelief. Those were the main things Samuel Gilbert felt. Jeremy was dead, alongside him the house burnt down. Which meant Samuel didn't have a home anymore, Elena had turned her humanity off, even as Samuel begged her, ached for her to stay with him.

Damon took away her choice, she slipped away into nothing, leaving Samuel behind as he watched his home burn to ashes. Ones thing for sure, Samuel Gilbert was never stepping foot back in Mystic Falls. Not even if Elena one day turned her humanity back on and ached for forgiveness.

He wouldn't forgive her, he'd never truly would. He packed what he could, he'd leave once night hit. He sat at the bar, sipping away at drinks, he lost count ages ago, he grew numb only now.

That feeling was peaceful, he wished it lasted forever, but it didn't. His moment slipped away the second someone sat down beside him.

"Oh what's with the sour mood? sad your little home is gone? It wasn't even your house". He rolled his eyes as he looked at Elena "gonna throw in some irony jokes? go on and say something about Jeremy next, I really don't care".

He downed another drink and Elena rolled her eyes "you're boring" he laughed lightly "you know. I really thought you'd fight through this Elena, I mean you still had me, I would've helped you".

He tapped his fingers along his cup sighing as he stood up "I do hope you enjoy your little vacation, when it's over, and you remember what you did, I want you to remember this".

He glared at her "you're dead to me, I hope I never see you again, that you suffer when you remember how much you've ruined our family. I'll be dealing with Jeremy's death, alone, and it'll be real. Because I can't take the easy way out like you".

He didn't say anything else, he walked out of the grill his entire body full of rage. He hissed in discomfort when his head slammed into the window of his car. "Oh yeah! Well you're still a pathetic human! Which means you can easily die like one! And I'll be alive forever! You'll just be a distant memory to me, someone who doesn't matter!".

Elena's neck snapped and Samuel let out a heavy breath as he pressed his fingers into his head. Damon looked at him with worry "you alright?" Samuel huffed as he opened his door "like you really care, it's your fault she's like that".

Damon sighed "so now you're leaving because of it? Because I made your sister turn her humanity off? She would've done something drastic if she had her emotions on, would've been in spirals".

Samuel let out a sigh "at least she would've dealt with it! You took away her choice to grief, took away the part of her that's my sister. And Damon I'm honestly not leaving because of it".

He got into his car "I'm leaving because this place just isn't home anymore, I mean my fucking house literally got burnt down! Mystic Falls is just gonna get me killed, I actually enjoy being human, the whole drama with Rebekah is also a another factor, I can't stand being here knowing what we had with each other, I think leaving town and starting over somewhere else, it'll help me heal".

Damon sighed "you'll come back won't you? When she turns it back on she'll need you". Samuel smiled sadly "I don't think I'll ever come back Damon, a fresh start means leaving behind my old life, Jeremys dead and I couldn't protect him. The least I can do, is stay alive for him".

He started his car "maybe one day, when I'm old and on my death bed, I'll send a letter or something, I know you'll likely still be in this town by then".

Samuel waved goodbye before driving away. Leaving Mystic Falls felt right, it was needed and honestly he was happy with a fresh start.

—

SEVEN MONTHS LATER

New Orleans, it was a magical place and beautiful. Samuel spent so many months here that he honestly didn't want to leave. His fresh start was perfect, he was healing the best he could with time.

It was hard at first, but now he was better. Rebekah was in the past and he was honestly over her. Jeremy, gosh he still missed Jeremy, he wouldn't ever get over Jeremy's death.

He sat down at the bar sipping away at his drink, Hayley sat beside him munching away at the gumbo. He found it tasted gross and awful, but for some reason Hayley loved it.

"Third time in here this week" Hayley smiled as she looked at the gumbo. "I'm obsessed with the gumbo, Jane-Anne" Samuel held onto his drink.

"I just like the drinks, you shouldn't be surprised I'm here with this one, she's always going on about gumbo, that shit is disgusting".

Jane-Anne laughed at Samuels words "you should really give it another try Sam, you might actually find it's good, you know, ladies in the 9th ward say my sister, Sophie, bleeds a piece of her soul into every dish".

Samuel smiles "I'll try it when I'm dead, as much as I enjoy your sisters food. I'm sorry, just can't get into the whole gumbo obsession".

His phone ringed and he sighed deeply "it your sister again?" he nodded as he hit ignore and put it into his pocket. "I really should just get a new number at this point, but I don't know, guess I still can't part ways with it just yet".

He knew sooner or later Elena's humanity would turn back on. He just didn't think it'd be so soon, he thought for sure it'd last years.

"I asked around the Quarter about my family" Samuel meet Hayley along her travels. She spent so many weeks trying to get answers on her family.

She only really ever told Samuel and Jane-Anne about it. She knew Samuel would try his best to help, seeing he had connections with the witches and vampires around here.

"And?" Hayley sighed as she grabbed Samuels drink from his hand. "Nothing. Zero. I can't find a single person who remembers them".

Samuel huffed slightly as he grabbed the drink back from Hayley "go back to eating your gumbo, this is my sacred beverage obsession".

Jane-Anne smiles sadly "because, Hayley, people like you were run out of here years ago". Hayley looked offended by the woman's words.

"Dial it back a bit with the whole people thing Jane-Anne, werewolf's are a normal thing and I honestly don't know why everyone here hates them".

Hayley smiled at Samuel "thanks Sam, at least you appreciate werewolves". He leaned back "shit when you almost get killed by one. You learn to respect them, Tyler Lockwood was scary when he turned, luckily he didn't kill me".

Jane-Anne placed a map onto the bar in front of Hayley "In the bayou, they call the werewolves "Roux-Ga-Roux". She circles a place and Samuel looks at it closely, remembering it closely.

"You head out there, you'll find what you're looking for. Be careful. It's the last place you'd ever want to go". Samuel sighs "I would go with you Hayley, but  honestly I got bad vibes about that place, heard stories, but hey I'm one call away if you actually do need me. I'll come and help you".

He stands up "thanks for the drink Jane-Anne. I'll be back normal time tomorrow". She smiled at him as he left in a hurry. Hayley left soon after.

—

   Hayley Marshall didn't think her entire life would change in a matter of a single day. She was pregnant, with some miracle baby. She felt like a mess as she pulled the sheet off the crib.

She coughs as dust flies into her lungs "are you alright?" She looks at Elijah as she holds onto the sheet for a moment longer.

"Just dust. This place is ancient" she looked around at all the furniture. She didn't want to be alone, not here of all places, it was pretty scary.

"Yes, it should serve our purposes. It's a sanctuary from our business in the Quarter. Right now, you are the most important person in this family. You need a good home".

Home, Hayley didn't even imagine herself having a home here, not with the Mikaelson at least. It was silent between the duo before Klaus entered the room with a smirk on his lips.

Elijah looked at him "is it done?" Klaus smirked
"As a matter of fact, yes. Your underhanded deal worked quite well". They walked out of the room not wanting Hayley to hear them.

The sudden knock on the door, made the duo stop talking "who on earth could that be?". Elijah frowned deeply "only we know of this place, you haven't called anyone?".

Hayley walks down the steps "relax, it's my friend, if I'm going to be stuck in this hellhole with you two, I at least want some company".

"A friend! What part of staying hidden do you not understand?" Hayley rolled her eyes at Klaus's words. "If I'm carrying your little miracle baby, least you can do is let me have a friend to help me, especially if you're gonna be running around all the time and I'm stuck here".

Klaus sighed "fine, but if your little friend even thinks of doing anything, I will kill them". Hayley huffed as she opened the door "hey, sorry for the wait, these two idiots were freaking out".

Samuel held onto his bags tightly "Hayley, you're absolutely amazing, but why the fuck didn't you mention, it was the Mikaelsons you were involved with, when you called with the "I'm pregnant and need someone to watch over me".

Samuel glared at Klaus and Elijah sighing deeply "I didn't sign up for this shit again, but I guess I'm here and there's no point in going back to my apartment, that I just sold".

He walked inside "Ah Samuel! I was wondering when I'd see you again, how's that little heart of yours? Still brutally broken by our sister?".

Samuel let out an annoyed laugh "oh you're so funny Klaus, seriously I'm dying over here". Hayley smiled "sorry, if I knew you had a history with them, I wouldn't have called".

He smiled "it's okay Hayley, now that I know whose kid you're carrying, I'm definitely gonna need to watch over you, Mikaelsons are bad news, uh no offense". Klaus laughed as he walked towards Samuel patting his shoulder.

"None taken, you're consider a truthful companion in all of this, although if you try anything reckless we just might to have kill you".

Hayley sighed "can you maybe not threaten the only person here I trust, no offense to you two, but I really don't know you". She grabbed a hold of Samuels hand dragging him up the stairs.

"I'll help you find a room" Samuel wave awkwardly at Elijah and Klaus. "Nice seeing you two again! Lovely place you got here!".

When he was away he let out a heavy sigh, "so you dated a Mikaelson, that's the girl who broke your heart?". He shrugged his shoulders "it happened, she broke up with me because I didn't wanna help her find the cure, I got over it".

He set his bags onto the bed coughing when dust flew towards his face. "Gosh how old is this place?" Hayley laughed as she pulled open the curtains. "It's pretty ancient I think, but hey at least now it won't be so bad with you here".

He smiled "I was worried when you called. At first I thought maybe you found your family and they didn't want anything to do with, or that you didn't find them... I honestly wasn't excepting the whole, you're pregnant and need someone to stay with you at a creepy house".

"I was going to tell you the whole story about it, but I think it would've been a lot on the phone". He sat down on the bed "hey, I'm not upset about you calling me for help, the Mikaelsons have a history full of people wanting them dead".

Hayley sat down beside him "and I'm practically easy bait. I don't know I thought I'd feel happy about this, being pregnant, I guess I'm just scared".

Samuel grabbed a hold of her hand "hey, you don't have to be scared. I'll help you every step of the way, that's what friends do for each other".

She laughed as she leaned into his shoulder "you always know when to help me feel better". He let out a light laugh "I guess it's a good thing I'm here then, although they really need some like air conditioning in here or something".

He looked around the room he was in, it was old and coated in dust. He'd likely spent all night just cleaning it and making it feel semi decent.

Hayley smiled as she stood up "I'll let you settle in, I'll be attempting to make my room less messy". He smiled at her as she left, he could hear her departing steps down the hallway.

He sighed deeply as he stood up off the bed wiping dust off the window. It was dark outside but he could still see a few people wondering about.

His fresh start was going down in a massive spiral, he didn't think he'd be back with the Mikaelsons. But he'd endure it for Hayley's sake.