Esmeray was surprised to see Elijah.

Once she had moved into her acceptance phase, she'd started proper work on the spell that might help her find any Poldarks. So far, she'd been unsuccessful.

"Damn it," she muttered, looking down and seeing the blood wasn't moving. Beside her, Jackson was asleep, tired after having spent the previous day with his Pack. "Maybe my blood won't work until I fully tap into my wolf side? Fuck."

There was a knock on the cabin door that made both her and Jackson sit up. Jackson growled to let her know that it was a vampire. "Esmeray," came Elijah's voice, making her immediately rush forward to open it.

"Elijah," she said, a wide smile on her face as she pulled him into a hug.

He was caught off guard, but he patted her back all the same. "Esmeray, you look well. I was told I'd find you here."

She frowned. "What? Who told you?"

"Sophie Deveraux," he said. "I assume you're familiar with the name?"

"Oh, yes. Her sister, Jane-Anne, was the one that um... gave Anya and I the instructions to get here. I assume you know about what happened."

Elijah nodded. "Yes, I heard about your situation." He nodded to Jackson before turning back to Esmeray. "May I come in? We have a few things to discuss."

Esmeray looked back at Jackson, who understood that she knew this vampire, and bowed his head. "You may come in," she told Elijah, gesturing for him to come into the cabin.

He made a place for himself in a small chair she'd built. "How have you been?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Better, now. Jackson has helped a lot. I think what I needed was just to be away from people to sort through my feelings. I do think I'm healing properly now."

"That's good to know. Unfortunately, the time has come for me to ask you for a major favor." He crossed his arms. "Katerina informed Niklaus that Jane-Anne Deveraux was plotting against him. Unfortunately, Jane-Anne was killed, but we were able to gain information from her sister, Sophie."

Esmeray stopped for a moment to process the news of Jane-Anne's death. She hung her head, nodding slowly. "What did you learn? Why do you need my help?"

Elijah ran his tongue slowly over his lips. He didn't know how to tell her in a way that would lessen the blow of what she might consider as infidelity on Klaus's part. "You know quite a bit about werewolf pregnancies," said Elijah. "You will be able to understand a young hybrid. It would appear that Niklaus... is going to have a child."

Esmeray's entire face went pale, and Jackson growled, knowing Elijah had just delivered bad news. She looked away to try and pretend she wasn't so hurt by this. "Oh," she said quietly. "With um... who?"

"A friend of Tyler Lockwood's— Hayley Marshall. The witches believe this child will be a tribrid."

"It will be," said Esmeray shakily. "Of course it will be. I sensed... I sensed that nature was pushing for there to be a tribrid for some reason. When it saw that Klaus and I weren't going to be together..."

Elijah gave her a saddened look. "Esmeray, please understand that this does not mean that Niklaus does not care for you any less. I know my brother, and I unfortunately know that this was the result of his drunk self trying to alleviate his pain with rash actions rather than speaking of it with someone."

Esmeray covered her face. "It's my fault, Elijah. I pushed him away and I was rude. He felt I wasn't going to be there for him anymore."

"Do not blame yourself," said Elijah sternly, making Jackson whine as if he agreed. "I know this is quite a lot to ask of you and I want you to know that you do not need to accept."

"Of course I'll accept," she sighed, looking back up. "How can I say no?"

"Pardon? You are at perfect liberty to say no."

"The thing is... in another world... I would be the one pregnant. How could I just look the other way simply because the child isn't mine? If it were me, I'd want someone to be there for me. Yes, it's complicated, but if there's one thing my Pack taught me, it's that we don't abandon our own. That baby would have been mine in another reality. This girl is my brethren even if we've never met. I still care for Klaus. The least I can do is help the child be carried to term. After that..."

"You should know that Hayley and Klaus are not romantically involved in any way," said Elijah. "You need not feel that you have to leave as soon as the child is born."

Esmeray shrugged, trying to stay positive, though her heart felt unnaturally heavy in her chest. "Well, I don't know if I'll want to be there making things complicated. For you, Elijah, and for that child, I will do this. That baby doesn't deserve to be left uncared for. I'm probably the only person that can do what's necessary to keep a mother and child safe during a tribrid pregnancy."

"You are selfless as always," sighed Elijah, getting to his feet. "I offer, and I hope that you accept, for you to live with us. You ought not be isolated on your own. We never know when the child might need something."

Well, fuck. Esmeray hadn't been expecting to go and live with them. And yet, she didn't think to object. "Alright," she said softly. "Let me gather my things." She stopped and knelt beside Jackson. "I think it's time for me to go." She took his paw. "You have been tremendously kind to me, and I don't know how to thank you for all that you've done."

Jackson looked at her as if to say, "You've already thanked me enough." She'd become a new friend, and often, when she needed to release magic, she did spells that helped the Pack. She'd fixed up the cabin and other things he'd brought to her, and kept him entertained.

She patted his head gently before dipping down to kiss it, then got up and started to gather her things into the suitcase she hadn't seen in months. Elijah helped her where he could before leading her outside, to where he'd apparently parked his car. Esmeray waved at Jackson, letting him know that she would see him again soon, before climbing into the passenger's seat.

"Is Klaus going to be there?" Esmeray asked nervously as Elijah drove to the French Quarter. "I don't know what to say to him..."

"He will be there, but I have already instructed him not to approach you unless you tell him it is alright. He's a bit overwhelmed— it would appear Marcellus is still alive, and is currently reigning over the French Quarter."

"What? But..." she tensed.

"Rule one," said the vampire who'd killed Anya, "no werewolves in the Quarter. Rule two, no using magic without the king's permission. Rule three, no hybrids." He looked directly at Esmeray. "That would be you."

"The king," she said shakily. "The king says the witches can't use magic in New Orleans. I completely forgot..."

Elijah looked at her curiously. "What do you mean? I didn't know that you knew that the witches weren't allowed to do magic."

"Jane-Anne said the vampires could sense when they were doing magic. The vampires that came after me were working for someone. They attacked me because I was a hybrid."

Elijah realized what she was implying. "You think that Marcellus..."

"Was the one that sent them to attack me," she finished. "He wanted them to kill Anya and I."

They didn't speak after that. Esmeray was trembling, and Elijah didn't know how to comfort her.

They arrived at a large white house, not all that different from the Mansion in Mystic Falls. Elijah offered to take Esmeray's bags as they went through the front door. They didn't immediately see anyone, but they could hear movement in different parts.

"This can be your room," said Elijah, bringing her bags into a spacious sort of dormitory. "Come, we ought to have you meet Hayley."

Esmeray clasped her hands together tightly as he led her into another room, where a tall and slender brunette was pulling a sheet off of an old crib that was now covered in dust. She started to cough, and Elijah sped forward. "Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Just dust," Hayley said, not sensing yet that Esmeray was there. "This place is ancient."

Elijah smiled, and Esmeray recognized the way he was looking at Hayley. He'd looked at her like that before. He was attracted to her. "Yes, it should serve our purposes," the Original told the wolf. "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." He gestured toward the werewitch in the doorway. "May I introduce you to Esmeray Poldark?"

Hayley turned, and smiled awkwardly. Clearly, she had no idea who she was. "Esmeray is the friend I told you about," said Elijah. "She is a hybrid herself and will be able to understand your child better than everyone."

"Oh, sweet," said Hayley, offering her hand for Esmeray to shake. "Nice to meet you. Hayley Marshall."

Esmeray mustered up the kindest smile she could, pushing down any jealousy. "It's nice to meet you too. How are you feeling? With wolves, at least from my knowledge, you start to experience all these strange sensations as soon as you become aware of a pregnancy."

Hayley made a 'so-so' motion with her hand. "How am I feeling about having a miracle baby with a psychotic one-night-stand, or how am I feeling physically?"

"In general, whichever you'd like to answer," said Esmeray, trying to keep her voice level. "How about... how you feel about becoming a mother? That's an important one I'd like to hear about."

Hayley winced. "I— I was abandoned when I was born and my adoptive parents kicked me out the second that I turned into a wolf. So... I don't really know how I feel about being a mother because I... I never really had a good one."

Elijah gave her a reassuring look, and once again, Esmeray could see the tenderness in his gaze. "I will always protect you," he told her gently. "You have my word on that."

"And noble Elijah always keeps his word."

Esmeray flinched as Klaus appeared behind her. "Is it done?" Elijah asked him.

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Klaus. "Your underhanded deal worked quite well. Marcel was only too happy to accept my blood even as he accepted my heartfelt apologies. His man, Thierry, yet lives and I remain a welcome guest in the French Quarter. My only concern now is this coven of impudent witches."

"I believe them to be honorable," Elijah countered. "They did release Hayley to me. Although, they haven't been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need. They don't want him dead. There must be a reason why."

"Can we talk about all this in the morning?" asked Esmeray, crossing her arms. "I'd like to rest."

"Nonsense, love, you and I need to have a chat," said Klaus, which made Elijah glare at him.

"Fine," she said, holding up her hand to keep Elijah from butting in. She followed Klaus out into one of the other rooms, presumably the one he was staying in. "Why am I here, Klaus? Don't tell me you're going to try to knock me up next."

He scoffed. "Don't be absurd, I didn't ask for any of this in the first place." He was facing away from her, looking out toward the balcony. "I didn't think you'd come. I thought you'd be angry. That you'd rather get revenge on me. Or maybe, the reason you came was to get revenge."

"Are you insane? What, do you think— I'm going to sleep with Elijah to get back at you? That's childish, Klaus. Elijah told me you were drunk and as much as it hurts, I'm not going to be immature about it and make life a living hell for Hayley. She doesn't deserve that, and neither does the child she's carrying. Your child, by the way. You don't seem to be acting very nicely. Regardless of what you feel for her or for me, that kid is innocent. I won't stand by and let it suffer the way all of us suffered in our childhoods. The least I can do is help it be born healthy."

Klaus continued to look away. "I was under the impression you wanted nothing to do with me."

"I said something harsh, Klaus. I shouldn't have said it, even if I was angry. I didn't try to talk to you again after that because I knew we both needed the space. But even now, it doesn't mean that I want this to be over."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned to look at her, seeing that she genuinely seemed intent on helping his child and keeping some sort of relationship with him. "How could you possibly want anything to do with me now that I've fathered a child with another woman?"

"We're not going to repeat the cycle of abuse," she said quietly. "We're not going to let this become another terrible Esther-Ansel-Mikael love triangle that hurt people. It's because I care about you that I'm making an effort to stay. Like I told Elijah... in another world, I'd be the one carrying that baby. I wouldn't want for everyone to walk away from me because of it. Yes, it's going to be difficult for me to be here knowing that that baby isn't mine and never will be. Yes, it'll be hard to forge anything with you while you have a commitment to two other people. But if I'm only ever going to be a stepparent, then I will be the best damn stepparent I can be, because you deserved that, and this child deserves that, too. I'm not going to be like Mikael, if that's what you're worried about. You're still like family to me, Klaus, even if it's been months since we last spoke like this, and even if we get into disagreements and grow angry with each other. I'm doing this for Elijah, because he asked me to, and for the baby, because it doesn't deserve to come into a world surrounded by a dysfunctional family."

Klaus swallowed hard, still unable to comprehend how she could be so generous in the midst of all this. "It's just good to see you again, love," he said gently. "I... I am grateful that you are here. Though, I understand if you need to go..."

She shook her head. "Damon's told me all about the Silas ordeal and I really don't think it's wise for me to try and go back there and butt in. He'll understand if I choose to stay for a bit longer. Once the baby is born, I will go and visit him. FaceTime is still a thing, you know. Just because you're going to be a dad now doesn't mean you get to forget how to use technology."

Klaus cracked a small smile before offering her his arm. "Here. My memories. You can see what you've missed."

Esmeray took it gently and concentrated.

Pain. She witnessed Kol's death and the entrapment of Klaus in the Gilbert House for a few days beside his brother's body. She felt the agony of the white oak, and saw the conversation between Klaus and Silas, when he was in a replica of her body. She saw him speaking to the witches and hearing the steady heartbeat of his child. There was one face that stood out that made her tear up as soon as she exited the memories.

"What's wrong, love?" said Klaus, looking alarmed. "What happened?"

"T-Thierry," she gasped, clutching her chest. "That vampire— he's— he's the one— he's the one who b-brought the vampires— he's the one who got Anya killed."

Klaus came forward to try and hug her, but she moved back. "I need to rest," she said shakily. "I'm sorry. I need to go to sleep." She darted out before he could ask her to stay.

_

The house was quiet in the morning. Esmeray bottled up her emotions while she slept and let them out in the morning. She rushed about cleaning and cooking a plentiful breakfast for Hayley, having taken advantage of the fact that either Klaus or Elijah went shopping for nutritious food. By the time Hayley came down, the house was shining, and it smelled amazing.

"You woke up early," observed Hayley after thanking Esmeray and beginning to dig into her food. "How much are they paying you?" she added jokingly. "Are you really going to be my doctor and also clean and cook?"

Esmeray half-smiled. "It's been awhile since I got to clean or cook, and I got excited. I needed to do it."

It was dawning on Esmeray that Hayley had no clue about her relationship with Klaus. The way she talked about him (mostly criticizing his behavior) suggested that she had no idea that Esmeray actually fancied him quite a bit.

"He's just so irritating, it's embarrassing for me to think that I let him get me pregnant," sighed Hayley.

"To be fair, nature has been wanting a tribrid kid for awhile," said Esmeray. "Don't know why, but it must be important."

Hayley nodded. "So um, how do you know them? Elijah just said you were an old friend who specialized in old wolf traditions."

"Is that all they said about me?"

"The only other thing Elijah said is that you're a hybrid— wolf and witch. I admit, I haven't heard much about you other than the fact you exist."

"Well, I'm from their time. Born in 985. Technically, my new birthday is March 26th, 1991. By those standards, I turned twenty several weeks ago. I know old wolf traditions because I was there when they were done all the time. Elijah's the one who woke me up after my Pack put me to sleep for a thousand years thanks to Klaus's mother, who didn't want me to help him be unbound. Obviously, I ended up helping him unlock his werewolf side. We're um, close, I guess."

Hayley raised her eyebrows. "Did you and Elijah—?"

"Oh, no, I slept with their sister, Rebekah."

Hayley choked on her food. "Oh," she said, coughing a bit. "I didn't even know they had a sister. Wow. And here I thought you were in a relationship with one of the brothers."

Esmeray laughed awkwardly, and Hayley frowned. "Wait. Are you, or are you not?"

"Look, I don't know if they wanted you to know, but Klaus and I had... have... a thing. We're technically wolf soulmates."

Hayley went very red. "Oh my God. I didn't even know that was a real thing. I... I'm sorry... I had no idea..."

"It's not your fault," said Esmeray quickly. "Please, don't blame yourself. Know that I'm here to help you no matter what I feel for Klaus. You and the baby are my priority. I know it's probably a weird thing to add on, but you can trust me. I'm not here to hurt you."

Hayley looked down at her plate. "This is all so confusing. The witches hexing me so I can't leave. The whole idea of a tribrid baby. I really don't know what to do."

"It's complicated, I get it. You and Klaus don't have feelings for each other, and the way you're getting to know him now is just terrible."

"You're not... mad?"

"I don't feel like I can be mad. Klaus and I weren't together— he didn't cheat. I made him feel like he and I were never going to be a thing again. Honestly, I might have done the same, but without the drinking. I don't do alcohol or drugs."

Hayley let out an awkward laugh. "Already a better candidate to be this kid's mom. At least you like... Klaus. Any chance you can take one for the team here?"

Esmeray raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're a witch. Isn't there a thing called a Transfer Spell?"

"For the pregnancy? I don't know if that's possible. I don't know if I can even safely do magic within the Quarter— I haven't tried." She bit her lip. "I'll offer you a few options. One, I can try to break the hex on you and help you leave, if you want to keep the baby but just not raise it here. Two, I can... technically see if I can take it over. I just don't know how that works, so I'd need to do a lot of research. Obviously, you'd still be the biological mother. Three... we leave everything as is and I just try to support you the best that I can. No matter what you choose, I promise I will support you. You're the mother, this is your choice."

Hayley squirmed a bit. "Well, none of the options mentioned... getting rid of the baby permanently."

"Is that what you want? That's sort of why I offered to look into the Transfer Spell. If you genuinely don't want it..." she sighed. "Look, where I come from, abortions weren't a thing. I don't think I could bring myself to kill a baby if it was inside of me. But biologically, it's just a fetus, and therefore, you don't need to feel guilty if that's what you want. While I wouldn't abort, I completely respect if you choose to do it. It really depends on what's best for you. If I do the Transfer Spell, you wouldn't need to be responsible if you didn't want to.

"I just want you to know," continued Esmeray, "what you're getting yourself into, before you make your choice. I've known Klaus for a while already— over a year— and I know that this family has a lot of drama. This news is going to travel faster than you can even imagine. You're young and you have a choice, and you're entitled to doing whatever you think will help you most. The Mikaelsons have a lot of enemies. You need to ask yourself if that's what you want for your child. If you have this baby, you'll forever be tied to the Mikaelsons. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. Please, think about this and really consider what you want out of life, Hayley. Again, I'll help you in any way that I can. Just as long as you're sure what you want."

Hayley nodded slowly, half-smiling. "I guess I have a lot to think about."