"You're sure that you can do this?"

   Audrey crossed her arms as she watched Freya, who walked around the living room setting up her spell. With Kol and Rebekah back in New Orleans, they were working with Klaus to exterminate any of the weapons that could be used to kill them, while Audrey and Freya focused on fixing the pendant. But to do so, they needed to find which memory inside of his shattered mind Elijah was hiding in and pull him out. 

   "I don't know." Freya admitted, as she placed down candles around the salt circle she'd drawn on the floor. "I've never actually tried this before."

   "Freya." Audrey looked at her in disbelief. "You're going to have a thousand years of memories in there. How are you going to know which one is the right one?"

   "He'll recognize me." She told her confidently. "If I can find the core of his being or whatever memory he's clinging to, I'll pull him out." Audrey worry didn't fade, but the Mikaelson witch didn't wait any longer and laid down in the center of the circle, closing her eyes as she began to chant the spell. "Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz." And after a moment, Freya fell silent and her eyes remained closed, her body still as if she was in trance.

   The Gilbert vampire sighed and glanced toward the pendant on the table, before sitting down on the couch, now with nothing to do but wait. "Hope and Mira are distracted playing with Keelin." Hayley informed as she walked into the room, sitting down beside her. "How long has she been under?"

   "Just gone." Audrey told her. "You don't have to wait with me."

   "Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol are out hunting the rosebushes, the girls are being taken care of. So I'm going to be useful in the best way I can think of right now, which is sitting here with my sister to stop her from panicking." Hayley stated firmly, making it clear she wasn't going anywhere. "Freya will find him."

   "I hope so." She mumbled, running her hand through her hair. "The sooner we fix that pendant, the sooner we can find a way to bring him back."

   Hayley shuffled closer from where she sat, wrapping an around  her shoulders as she rubbed her shoulder. "Hey." She told her gently. "The second he's back, it's going to be as if none of this ever happened."

   "I hope so." She said honestly, letting out a breath as she gave her a small smile. "Thank you for trying to keep me sane."

   "You'd do the same for me." Hayley said knowingly, giving her a small smile back. "You were there for more as much as you could be when Jack died."

   Audrey rested her head against her shoulder, and Hayley carefully rested her head on top of hers, the two falling into a comfortable silence. They were always going to be there when they needed each other, even if the other didn't know or want to admit that they needed the company or the comfort. They would always just know, and Audrey was beyond grateful in that moment that Hayley just knew. For a moment, she opened her mouth as she debating telling her the secret she was keeping, but she stopped herself.

   She wanted Elijah to know first.

   Suddenly, Freya bolted upright on the floor with a sharp gasp, breathing heavily as she got her bearings. "Freya?" Hayley looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

   "I thought I found him, but then he just vanished right in front of me." She recounted as she got to her feet. "That's not our only problem. I can't search Elijah's mind and sustain a spell at the same time."

   "Then send me in." Audrey said without hesitation, as Freya moved to search through her grimoire. 

   "Rey." Hayley couldn't help but frown. "Is that safe? Or even possible?"

   "Yes." Freya nodded, looking at the Gilbert girl. "But sending you in would require more power."

   "You stay here and anchor the spell." Audrey told her. "Elijah is my soulmate, we know each other better than anyone else. He'll respond to me." She stressed knowingly. "I can find him and wake him up, I know I can."

   Freya slowly nodded as she walked toward her and Hayley. "To place you into the pendant, I would need to channel another witch. A powerful one. Born of my family's bloodline."

   Hayley's face fell. "You want to use Hope or Mira." Immediately, she shook her head in refusal. "No. They're too young for this."

   Audrey couldn't blame Hayley for refusing, looking back at the Mikaelson witch warily. "They're just kids, Freya. Donating a drop of blood is one thing, this is something else entirely."

   "They're young, but they're strong. Stronger than I was at their ages." Freya told them honestly. "Hayley, Audrey, I would never hurt my nieces, ever."

   Before either of the mothers could answer her, a small voice spoke up from the doorway behind them. "I'll do it." Audrey spun on her heel, seeing Mira stood there watching them. "I want to do it if helps daddy."

   "Mira--"

   "I'll do it too." Hope appeared at her side, grabbing hold of her cousins hand. "If we both help, aunt Freya's spell will be stronger. We want to help. Please let us."

   "Family fights for each other, always and forever." Mira recited wholeheartedly, looking at her mother with a determined expression. "I want to do that for my dad."

   Audrey felt her heart warm as her expression softened, glancing at Hayley who simply gave her a nod in confirmation. Nodding her head, she turned to Freya. "Then let's do this."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   As Freya prepared to start the spell over again, Audrey and Hayley bent down in front of their daughters, and neither of them had changed their minds. They were adamant they were going to help, and as they assured their moms that they weren't afraid, both of the women knew that was true. 

   "Ready?" Freya raised a brow toward Audrey, as took Mira and Hope's hands in hers.

   Audrey nodded and sat down in the middle of the circle. "He's hiding in one of his memories?"

   "The core of his being has retreated deep into his subconscious, but, yes, he's still in there." She nodded. 

   "So I search until I find him." She said, but Freya shook her head.

   "You don't have time. There are too many memories for you to randomly search." She told her. "You have to think, where would Elijah find refuge? It has to be somewhere that represents the fundamental basis of who he is. Hopefully, that's a good place. When you find it, draw him out and wake him up." She told her, but gave her a look. "But be careful, his mind is unstable."

   "Mom?" Mira spoke as Audrey went to lay down. "Be careful."

   "I will." She assured her softly. "I'll be right back."

   With that, she laid down and looked at the ceiling for a moment, closing her eyes as she heard Freya restart the spell. "Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz." She chanted, and after a moment, Hope and Mira both joined in, reciting the spell in sync with her. "Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz. Tillate ulaz."

   It didn't feel like anything had happened at all, but when Audrey opened her eyes, she found herself stood in a pristine white corridor. Doors ran down either wall, and she could hear faint voices coming from behind each other them, each of the doors white with a different iron doorknob marking the front of it. Slowly, she began to walk down the hall and glanced from door to door, trying to listen and figure out which memory was inside of which door. 

   She paused when she saw the next door, a lump forming in the back of her throat. Desperate screams and begs for mercy erupted from behind the red door, but she shook her head and ignored them, continuing to walk down the hall. "Where are you, Elijah?" She mumbled to herself.

   "Hey, Care, it's me." Audrey stopped once more when she heard her own voice from behind a door. She scanned it carefully, and noticed a familiar book mark was pinned to it compared to what the other doors had on them. It was just a simple line of pictures her and Caroline took in a fairground photo booth when they were fifteen, which she'd had laminated to use to mark her page in whatever book she was currently reading. Grabbing the handle, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, and found herself back in her old bedroom in the Gilbert house, the day Damon had Bonnie lock her and Elena inside. "I'm just checking in. I know you're helping Tyler with the full moon tonight, so please be careful. I know you're more than capable of handling it, but I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't worry. Call me tomorrow." 

   Past Audrey hung up and placed her phone down on the sink counter of her bathroom, before turning out the light and making her way into the bedroom. 

   "You have quiet the taste in books."

   She froze where she was stood, slowly looking around until her eyes found his, just staring for a moment. Elijah sat in the armchair she had in the corner, the book she was reading earlier in his hands, flicking through the pages. "How did you...?"

   "Jenna invited me inside." He answered. "Mrs Lockwood introduced us. Your aunt is a very welcoming woman."

   "She doesn't know who she's inviting inside, unlike some of us." Audrey slowly nodded. "Why are you here?"

   "I just had a interesting discussion with your sister." Elijah told her, placing the book down on the table beside him. "I thought it time the two of us should do the same."

   "Okay." She nodded once again, her wariness to her voice making him chuckle slightly.

   "There's no need to be frightened." He assured her. "As I told Elena, I mean your family no harm. Nor am I here to take you to Klaus, if that's what you're thinking."

   "I figured." She nodded, finally forcing herself to move from her bathroom doorway. "I mean, that's why you killed those vampires, isn't it? You don't want to take us to Klaus, you haven't from the start." She sat down on the edge of her bed, looking over at him in interest. "So what do you want with us?"

   "There was a time my interests aligned with the ones Klaus has." He began honestly. "Over the years, we have reached a...difference of opinion. My goal isn't to help him break the curse, my goal is to stop him and kill him."

   "That doesn't answer my question."

   Elijah lips twitched in amusement, nodding. "To use your sister as bait. Lure Klaus out of hiding, and once we have, I'll kill him like I said. I made a deal with your sister, as long as she keeps it, no one she cares about will come to any harm. I will make sure that they are kept safe."

   Audrey listened to his words carefully. "What about me?"

   "I assume, by now, the fact twin doppelgangers should be impossible has been pointed out to you?" He guessed, earning a nod of confirmation. "Upon meeting you both, I did some research into what this would mean for the sacrifice. Being the first born of you both, it is Elena nature intended to be the next doppelganger, which places the fate of the sacrifice upon her alone. If you were to take her place, there is no guarantee that your blood would work."

   "So, that makes me what?" Audrey asked, frustration in her voice. "The anomaly nature never intended to make? A useless one, at that."

   "I wouldn't say that." Elijah shook his head, rising to his feet. He moved closer to her, which didn't seem to phase Audrey in the slightest. Much like back at the abandoned house, any fear she had for him had disappeared. "There is something about you, Miss Gilbert. Something different. I just can't tell what yet."

   Audrey was silent as she watched the memory of this night play out in front of her. As she watched it happen now, it was hard to believe this was nine, almost ten years ago. Both of the had changed a lot since this night, but they'd grew significantly closer together. "Elijah." She called out, and for a second she saw his eyes glance around. "Elijah, it's me." But still the memory carried on as if she wasn't there watching, Elijah seeming to brush off whatever he thought he heard.

   There it was once again. That feeling the bubbled in the pit of stomach, only when she near him. The one she was sure took away her fear, that made her intrigued by the original before her. She didn't understand what it was, it was a feeling she couldn't place, but she knew it was a feeling. Her eyes locked with his, and she felt intensify greatly.

   The urge to talk about it rose, but she pushed it back down, deciding to change the subject from herself specifically. "You're going to keep everyone safe?"

   He nodded. "I have witches that will help. I always keep my word, and so long as your sister keeps hers, no one you love will come to any harm." He paused for a moment. "Do be sure to keep yourself safe, out of trouble. Just because you're different to your sister, it doesn't make your life worth any less than hers."

   She couldn't help but scoff. "Tell that to St-" But before she could finish, she felt a small gust of air hit, and he was gone from sight.

   The second Elijah vanished, her past self did too, and Audrey found herself back outside in the white hallway.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   Audrey knew she needed to think carefully about where he might be, and she was doing her best to decide upon a memory. Freya was right, she didn't have the time to search them all. As she walked the hall, she stopped when she saw Mira's name was written on one of the doors, in the same front the wooden letters on her old nursery door had been. She didn't hesitate to step inside, and she found herself standing inside her and Elijah's shared bedroom as Elijah himself walked inside. 

   He walked inside his and Audrey's bedroom, and paused at the sight that he saw. Audrey laid in their bed, still in her dress from dinner, but fast asleep. Mira laid beside her in the middle of the bed, pillows surrounding her to keep her safe, much more awake then her mother was. Elijah smiled softly as he looked at the two people he loved most in the world, feeling his worries disappear in that moment. Walking forward, he kissed Audrey on the forehead, pulling the covers over her before he tended to Mira. He hushed her quietly as he picked her up, cradling his daughter in his arms as he carried her toward her nursery.

   Audrey followed them into Mira's nursery, watching the memory play out for a moment in curiosity.

   "Let's leave your mother sleep, alright?" He kissed her forehead, and Mira just looked up at him with wide eyes, reaching her hands up to touch his face. His smile grew as her hand touched his mouth, and he playfully took her hand, pretending to nibble on it which made her giggle happily. He closed the door over behind him, and sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of Mira's room, setting her comfortably in his lap. As Mira snuggled against him like she normally did, he felt his heart warm with love intensely. "You have no idea how truly happy you make your mother and I, Mira." He whispered, watching as she let out a small yawn and closed her eyes.

   His eyes caught sight of the silver chain bracelet on her wrist, the anti-magic bracelet she continued to wear, just to be on the safe side. Carefully, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Audrey's necklace, which he'd kept on him since that day he thought he lost her. Now she was a vampire, she didn't need it like she once did, and thought it had been lost in the madness that happened that day. But Elijah couldn't bring himself to part with it. While it was a reminder of what he nearly lost that day, it also reminded him just how lucky he was that she was still there, that he and Mira still had her in their lives. Undoing the necklace, he slipped the charm off it and carefully removed Mira's bracelet, unfastening it so he could slip the charm onto it.

   Once it was securely on, he put the bracelet back on his daughters wrist like it was never removed, and gently laid her down into her crib. 

   Audrey didn't hesitate any longer and stopped closer to him as he watched Mira sleep. "Elijah." She called out, and this time he reacted. His head lifted up, his brow furrowing in confusion as he glanced around the nursery. "Elijah, it's okay. It's me." She called to him, stepping so she stood right in front of him. "Look at me. I'm here to help you."

   Elijah continued to look around the room in pure confusion, until he stopped, his head turning so his eyes met directly with hers. Any sense of success Audrey felt quickly vanished as Elijah then faded from sight, and she once again ended up back outside in the hallway. He was in there, she knew he was, and then he was just gone. 

   Freya told her to search for somewhere that represented the fundamental basis of who Elijah was. Her feet led her to the door before she even allowed the answer into her mind, and she found her eyes staring at the red door. The things Elijah loved more than anything were the people in his life. Her, Mira, his siblings. That was a feeling that made him who he was, and it also made it up the other part of him. All the things he'd done in order to protect his family, the people he'd killed, mixed in with the moments he had lost control just like all his siblings had over the thousand years of their existence.

   But this wasn't him, he wasn't the monster behind the red door Esther tried to lead him to believe, Audrey knew that. But she knew deep down this is where he was. This was the place he'd hidden when the pendant breaking had shattered his mind. 

   "I'm coming, Elijah." She whispered and took a deep breath as she pushed the door open, stepping inside. 

   She looked around to see she was inside a dimly lit cottage, and blood covered bodies were scattered around the room. All she could hear was the fire crackling throughout the room at first, until she saw the shadow of a figure hunched over in the corner, clutching the body of a woman to them. That was when she heard the sound of him feeding, and quietly stepped closer to see Elijah's teeth sunk viciously into a woman's neck. 

   "Elijah." She called out calmly, not allowing herself to feel any fear. She had never been afraid of him in the past, and this wasn't going to change that. His body stiffened at the sound of her voice and he pulled away, breathing heavily as he dropped the lifeless body in his arms carelessly to the ground. "Elijah, it's me. It's Audrey." She took small steps closer. "I'm here to help." 

   Silently, he rose to his feet and stared ahead of him, out of the thatched window he'd been sat in front of her. Audrey moved to step closer once again, but he disappeared from sight, making her frown in confusion. As she turned back in the direction of the door, she froze as she Elijah now stood directly in front of her. Mouth was coated around his mouth, the veins appearing hungrily underneath his eyes, those holding no light or recognition as he looked at her. 

   But she still didn't allow herself to be afraid. She knew Elijah Mikaelson. He was the father of their child, the love of her life. Her soulmate. She wasn't some soulless monster, a beast. As he started to step toward her, she stepped back and slowly held her hands up and out to him. "Elijah, it's me. You don't want to do this, you don't want to hurt me. I know you don't." She shook her head. "This isn't you, okay? You're lost in old memories, I'm here to get you out."

   He continued to step closer until her back hit a wall, leaving her with nowhere else to go. Suddenly, his hand thrust forward to wrap around her neck, but Audrey quickly ducked down and kicked him back. "Elijah!" She shouted, grabbing his fist in her hand as he swung out for her again. "Stop, this isn't you!" She yelled, quickly wrapping her hands around his wrist as he pushed her back against a wall, his hand managed to wrap around her throat. "It's me, it's Audrey!" She cried as she did her best to push him off. "Think!" She pleaded, thrashing desperately. "I love you, Elijah. I love you, and I know you. This isn't you. You have done things you're not proud of, I know that, but that doesn't make you a monster. You are so far from a monster." She let out as she pushed forward, and he pushed her back until she was pinned against a table. "You are the man who protected me when I needed you the most! You are the most amazing father to our little girl! Mira, who is out there, waiting for you to come home. Who doesn't see a monster, just like I don't!"

   "Mom?" Mira's faint voice shouted out in the hallway. "Mom, where are you? I'm here!"

   "Mira." Her eyes widened and she continued to struggle against Elijah's grip. "Mira, stay there! I'm coming!" She looked up at Elijah, and she saw it at the sound of Mira's voice, the hint of recognition breaking through as he looked at her. "It's me." She whispered and dropped her grip around his wrist, reaching up and cupping his face in her hands. His hand fell from around her throat, not pushing away her touch. "I'm here, Mira's just out there. We have missed you so much." 

   "Mommy!" Mira's voice shouted louder from outside the door. "Mommy? Daddy?"

   "You aren't the monster, especially not in our story. For me, for Mira..." She trailed off and took his hand, pressing it flat against her stomach. "For this baby, you're the exact opposite." And she saw it click in his eyes.

   But before either could speak a word, everything began to shake as Mira's voice echoed throughout the memory, filled with worry and panic. "MOMMY!"

   "Mommy's coming, baby!" Audrey shouted and she ran past Elijah, out of the door and bent down, pulling her daughter into her arms. "It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay, I'm here." She soothed, pushing strands of her hair from her face.

   "Are you okay?" Mira looked at her worriedly. "You were shaking, we thought there was something wrong."

   "No, no, I'm fine. I'm okay." She assured her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But you are such a brave girl for coming to help me."

   "Where's daddy?" Mira then asked as her worry faded.

   "I'm right here." 

   Audrey quickly pulled Mira into her chest so her eyes were covered, just in case he stepped out looking how he did inside the door. She never wanted Mira to see him in bad light. But as he stepped out, the blood around his mouth was nowhere to be seen, and he wore one of his usual suits. 

   "Daddy!" Mira cried and shot out of Audrey's arms, barreling into his open eyes as he bent down to her level. Elijah hugged her tightly and pressed multiple kisses on top of her head, as Mira clung onto him like she never wanted to let go. "You're okay."

   "I'm okay." He nodded as he smiled at her, kissing her forehead once more.

   "Go home, Mira." Audrey instructed gently. "Tell aunt Freya it's safe to fix the pendant."

   Mira didn't need to be told twice, and reluctantly pulled away from her father, closing her eyes and raising her hands up before she disappeared from the hallway. The moment she was gone, Elijah rose to his feet, and looked toward Audrey with tears of guilt clouding his eyes. "Please...forgive me."

   "You did nothing wrong." She breathed out, walking over and into his arms. Elijah held her tightly to his chest, silent tears falling down his cheeks she brushed away with her thumbs. "I'm okay, we're both okay."

   "Are..." His eyes ventured down to her stomach. "Are you really...?"

   A smile pulled at her lips as she placed his hand against her stomach. "Listen." She told him. Elijah did exactly that, and he heard it. A small, strong heartbeat beating away inside her. Their child's heartbeat. "I don't know how it's possible, I think it's our bond but...it's real. This is happening." She told him emotionally, tears now appearing in her own eyes. "We're having another baby."

   And even as the spell faded and Audrey disappeared from his mind, a joy and hope filled smile remained on Elijah's face. 

I know a lot of you have been nervous about this chapter, and how things would end up between Audrey and Elijah when she went through the red door. Audrey is not Hayley. They are two different people, with two different sets of thoughts and feelings. She wasn't scared, she had faith that he wouldn't truly hurt her because she knows him. He isn't a monster, and he never will be to her. He will never have to feel ashamed about any part of himself. 

We have three episodes of season four left, but there is still a lot more to come. 

I hope you all enjoyed!