Audrey wasn't sure how it all went wrong so quickly. Marcel didn't stick around for long, leaving shortly after he introduced himself to the pair. Neither of them had time to process or decide if they needed to do something, when both of their worlds were plunged into darkness. The ground felt hard beneath her, that was the first Audrey noticed as she woke up, along with a tight sensation around her wrists. Slowly, the Gilbert girl blinked opened her eyes, wincing as she adjusted to the sudden sunlight hitting them. 

   "Look who's awake." A familiar voice commented.

   Audrey looked around rapidly, freezing as she was met with a familiar face. "Tyler?"

   It had been months since Audrey had seen or even heard from Tyler Lockwood. Caroline had convinced Klaus to spare his life, but the boy had been left with no choice but to run if he wanted to stay alive. "Audrey." He nodded, bending down in front of her. "It's been a while."

   "Tyler, what's going on?" She asked, taking in the woods that was surrounding them. They were in a small clearing, the lake just off left, her body resting on the porch of an abandoned looking shack. She looked down at her wrists, the tight sensation making sense as she saw the cable tie fastened around them. "Where's Hayley?"

   "I'm here." Hayley answered from beside her, not in a much better state than the Gilbert girl. She had ties around her wrists and ankles, looking at Tyler. "Where are we?"

   "The armpit of Louisiana." He answered, pulling a knife out of his pocket.

   Hayley's eyes widened in worry. "What are you gonna do with that?"

   "Depends on you." He pointed the tip of the blade between them, before he cut off the ties around their ankles.

   "Hey, you attacked us, remember?" Hayley shot back at him. "You ambushed us, in our own home."

   Tyler scoffed. "It's not your home, it's Klaus'. You're shacked up in that mansion with that psycho." He spat in disgust. "A long way from the girl I've met in the Appalachians, helping other werewolves." His eyes flickered over to Audrey, shaking his head. "I don't know why I expected any better from you."

   "We've already had this conversation before, Tyler." Audrey shook her head, refusing to get drawn into it. "I don't have to defend myself to you."

   "Tyler, I'm sorry." Hayley cut in calmly, pushing to her feet. "But a lot has happened since the last time I saw you."

   The Lockwood boy looked at her blankly. "You mean that you're pregnant?" He questioned. "A hybrid baby, yeah, I know all about it. I've been roaming around the Bayou, asking questions. Let me tell you what I learned." He pulls down Hayley's sweater-sleeve, revealing the moon shaped birthmark on her shoulder. "This crescent birthmark means you come from a big-shot family. Some kind of royalty for the werewolves of this region. And right here--" He gestures around him. "-- this is all that's left of them."

   The clearing truly looked like a ghost town, with burnt out campfires and abandoned tents, ruined trailers dotted around the surrounding area. "Hey!" Hayley shouts, her eyes spotting a blonde woman hiding in the brush. "Help us!" 

   The blonde's eyes widen, turning around and running away from sight, leaving Tyler shaking his head. "They can't help you. They're in the woods, hiding, because they were persecuted for decades by vampires."

   Before either girl could say anything, as a strange man walked up behind Tyler, eyeing them before he focused on the Lockwood hybrid. "Is that them?"

   Tyler nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, Dwayne. Get them inside." He ordered, before walking away.

   "Tyler?!" Hayley called fearfully, as Dwayne pulled them both toward the entrance to the shack. "Tyler?!"

   "Tyler!" Audrey yelled, thrashing in the man's grip to no avail. 

   If this was Tyler's plan to get revenge on Klaus, she knew it wasn't going to end well. After everything Klaus had done to him, Tyler would take whatever he could from him. At any means necessary. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   After securing the girls against a stove inside the shack, Dwayne left them alone inside. Despite their attempts, neither of them were able to break out of the ties around their wrists, leaving them stuck. Audrey's mind drifted to Caroline, knowing this was something she wouldn't forgive Tyler for. After everything they went through during the hunt for the cure, she would of tried to make him give up his hunt for revenge. It was because of they ended up spending so much time apart, she wouldn't want him to risk his life to finally get what he wanted.

   Hayley warily looked at Tyler when he walked inside, a thoughtful look on her face. "Tyler, there's been a wolf watching me lately. Protecting me, like it instinctively knows that I'm part of it's pack. You're a hybrid, you can turn into a wolf whenever you want... Was it you?"

   He gave her a confused look, shaking his head. "No, but you're right-- only hybrids can control when they change. And I'm the only one left, besides Klaus. Which is why we're here."

   "Whatever you think you're doing, you know that whole Original family has made some sort of pact, or something, to keep me and the baby safe. So, if you hurt me, they'll kill you." The Marshall girl warned him knowingly.

   Tyler's expression remained cold. "What makes you think I'm afraid to die?"

   "What about Caroline?" Audrey piped up, making him freeze. "You might not be afraid to die, but losing you will kill her, Tyler. She loves you." She stressed. "Are you really willing to put her through that? To risk her hating you? Because you know she will if you kill me."

   "We broke up, Audrey." Tyler stated, making her blink in surprise. "Yeah, you miss a lot when you abandon your friends and family for the Mikaelsons."

   "I didn't--" Audrey took a deep breath, stopping herself from snapping. "You know that's not what happened."

   Tyler gave a dry laugh. "Yeah it is. You left, Rey." He said, shaking his head. "You left, and you didn't look back. You chose all of them over the rest of us." Dwayne walked back in at that moment, and Tyler glanced at him. "You ready for this?"

   Dwayne nodded confidently. "Let's do it."

   Digging around inside a bag, the Lockwood pulls out a large syringe, that made Hayley shuffle in fear. "What are you doing?" Neither answer as Dwayne walks over and holds her in place, making the terror in her eyes grow, especially as Tyler bends down in front of her. "Tyler, please! NO! Tyler!"

   "Klaus destroyed everything good in my life." Tyler spat coldly. "So, I'm gonna take away the thing he wants most."

   "Tyler, don't!" Audrey yelled, yanking desperately at her restraints. "TYLER!" 

   "NO, PLEASE! TYLER, PLE--" Hayley's words were cut off, as he jammed the syringe into her stomach, making her gasp and cry in pain. 

   Once the syringe was filled with her blood, he pulled it out and rose to his feet, turning to look at Dwayne. Placing the needle in his neck, he injected the blood into his system, before snapping his and letting his body drop to the floor. He stared at the body for a moment, before his eyes glanced between Hayley and Audrey, who were silent in horror. "Don't get all judgy." He snarled. "Dwayne knew what he was getting into. He volunteered."

   "For you to kill him?" Hayley asked skeptically.

   "Dwayne is a werewolf who died with your blood in his system." He told her. "The same blood you share with your hybrid baby."

   A look of realization hit the Gilbert girl, and she quickly started shaking her head. "You can't make him into a hybrid, Tyler. That's not possible."

   "I've been running with wolf packs all over the country. One of them was tight with a witch." He explained as he looked at Hayley again. "She had nightmare visions about your baby and how Klaus could use its blood to make an army of hybrid slaves." His eyes then fell back on Audrey. "And it was never impossible. Elena might be a vampire now, but you're still human. A human doppelganger, with blood he can use to create hybrids, just like he can use this child."

   "He wouldn't." The Gilbert girl denied. "H-he wouldn't do that."

   "Wouldn't he?" Tyler challenged. "He's said a lot of things, you know that. Even said he wouldn't kill you." He raised a brow at her. "How many times has he broken that promise now?"

   The pregnant werewolf glared at him furiously. "I am sick of these witches are their premonitions about my baby! It's just a baby!"

   "Maybe. Maybe not." He shrugged. "That's where Dwayne comes in. You see, he was happy to be the test case. If you haven't noticed, these people don't have much to live for. They'd all welcome the chance to become the superior species. Trouble is, all hybrids are sired to Klaus. They follow his every move." He grabs knife from his bag and sets it on the table. "No way I let that happen."

   "How can you be so sure Klaus knows what the baby's blood will do?" Hayley challenged. "How can you be so sure he'd start using Audrey like that?"

   "What do you think? Klaus Mikaelson, killer of men, women and puppies, all of a sudden wants to be a daddy?" Tyler shook his head at the thought. "Or, he's got an ulterior motive. Hybrids can walk in the sun. Their bite is lethal to vampires. They'll take over New Orleans by the end of the week. And you know what's going to stop Klaus then? Nothing."

   Suddenly, Dwayne bolted upright with a gasp, breathing heavily as he looked around frantically. Tyler glances at Audrey before looking to Dwayne. "You're gonna have to feed on her." 

   Picking up the knife, he walks over and slices a cut on Audrey's neck, making her hiss in pain. "No! Tyler, no!" She shouted, kicking her legs at him angrily. Tyler catches her legs easily, and leans closer, pulling her necklace from around her neck. "What are you doing?" Her face paled as she saw him slip it into his pocket. "No, Tyler. Tyler, I need that. Tyler!"

   "Do it." He orders Dwayne.

   Not needing to be told twice, Dwayne walks toward her, sinking his teeth into the cut on her neck. Audrey lets out a sharp gasp of pain, crying slightly at the more blood that he drank. After a moment, he pulls away and Tyler grabs him, pulling him outside as the new hybrid began to freak out. As they disappeared, Audrey rested her head back against the wall beside her, the bloody wound on her neck stinging. 

   "Audrey." Hayley called out worriedly. "Audrey, are you okay?"

   "Yeah." Audrey mumbled with a small nod, wincing. "Yeah, I'm okay."

   "Okay." The Marshal girl nodded, keeping herself calm as she looked around. Her gaze narrowed on the knife left on the ground, and reaches out to grab, her frustration growing as it remains just out of her reach. "Dammit!"

   Noticing what she was trying to do, Audrey slid forward as far as she could, kicking a broken chair leg to Hayley with her foot. The two exchanged a look and a silent nod, knowing exactly what they needed to do. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   When Tyler walked back inside, it wasn't hard to see the grim look on his face, confirming what the girls thought had happened. "It worked, didn't it?" Hayley spoke up. "He's a hybrid."

   Tyler nodded. "If Klaus gets a hold of you, if Audrey remains with that family, if he gets that kid? He wins."

   "Then help me hide the baby from him." Hayley offered, as Tyler walks closer, picking up the knife from the ground. "Help me run! Help us both run!"

   "He'll find you, he'll take your kid away, and he'll make more hybrid monsters. Slaves who do everything he says." Tyler shook his head. "And Audrey will never willingly leave. She won't give up Elijah."

   "You're better than this." Audrey reasoned with him calmly. "Come on, Tyler. I've known you most of my life. You're better than this, okay? You're good. It's one of the reasons Caroline loves you. Don't do this." She softened her look slightly. "You don't have to agree with my choices. You can hate me for them, I don't care. But you don't kill innocent children. You don't kill a girl you've known since you were a kid."

   Hayley nodded her head in agreement. "There has to be another way. You're not like this."

   For a brief moment, he pauses, before he shakes his head and continues to walk toward them. Quickly, Hayley stabs the broken chair leg into his stomach, grabbing the knife as he dropped it in shock. "That was stupid!" He glared as he yanked it out, allowing himself to heal.

   Before he could move toward them again, Dwayne walks in, giving Tyler a glare of his own. "Get away from them!"

   "What do you care?" Tyler scoffed.

   "I said get away!"

   Tyler looked at him in annoyance. "You got what you wanted, now get lost!"

   An idea forming her head, Hayley looked at the new hybrid desperately. "Dwayne, he's gonna kill me! He's going to kill us! And he's gonna kill you, too! He said that hybrids are too dangerous to live! You need to stop him!"

   "SHUT UP!" Tyler yells, and Dwayne rushes at him furiously, throwing him back against the wall. 

   Taking their fight as their chance, Hayley used the knife and cut off her cable ties, before running to Audrey and cutting her free. Scrambling to her feet, Audrey pushes Hayley ahead of the door, and the pair run as fast as they can out into the bayou. Somewhere along the way, Hayley disappeared from sight, causing Audrey to slow to a stop. She breathes heavily to catch her breath, leaning back against a tree as she heard footsteps approaching. Reaching down, she grabbed the first rock that she could find, closing her eyes as she swallowed the lump in her throat. 

   Hearing them get closer, Audrey opened her eyes and nodded to herself, before pushing off the tree to attack. A hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her from swinging the rock, and her eyes locked with a pair of familiar brown ones. 

   "Forgive me." Elijah said with a small smile. "I thought you were in danger. It appears I was mistaken."

   Audrey let the rock drop to the ground, flinging her arms around him and closing her eyes, clinging onto him tightly. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now." She mumbled into the crook of his neck.

   Elijah let out a sigh of relief, returning the warm and tight embrace, before cupping her face and kissing her softly. "Oh, I think I have an idea." He mumbled against her lips. "You were just gone when I returned. I thought Marcel had taken you."

   Their foreheads rested together as he pulled away, gently stroking some hair behind her ear as he checked her over. "What happened?" His gaze narrowed on thee blood on her neck, noticing her necklace was missing too. "Who did this to you?"

   "Tyler." She said quietly. "Elijah...there's something you need to know." 

   "Go on." He encouraged, tilting her chin to their eyes locked again. "You can tell me anything. You know that."

   "Tyler took us to test a theory." She began, running a hand through her hair. "The baby's blood can turn hybrids, he turned one in front of us. He thinks Klaus knew that from the start, that he plans to use the the bloody of the baby and me, to create a new army of hybrids." She swallowed hard. "He was going to kill us to stop that happening. H-he took my necklace. Hayley was with me, but we got split up when we ran."

   "Look at me." Elijah said softly yet firmly, cupping her face in his hands. "You're okay. I am not going to let anything happen to you." The pad of his thumb stroked across her cheek, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I give you my word." 

   Audrey nodded as she closed her eyes, feeling content and safe for the first time that day. "We should go find Hayley."

   "In a moment." He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her, allowing her to hide her face in his chest. Elijah rested his chin on top of her head, the strong scent of her shampoo only making him smile, closing his own eyes. "I think we both need this right now."

   And it really was. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

   "There you are." Klaus nods as he sees Elijah and Audrey approach the shack, Hayley already stood waiting with her arms crossed. "I see you've found our wandering strays." He nodded to his brother, raising a brow at Hayley and Audrey. "This--" He kicks Dwayne's desiccated body to the ground. "Appears to be the body of a hybrid."

   "His name was Dwayne." Hayley corrected him.

   "Well, whoever it was, I didn't sire him. Any idea how that's possible?" He asked, before pulling something from his pocket and tossing it to Audrey, who caught it with ease. She looked relieved as she looked to see her necklace was now in her hands. "I thought you might want that back." 

   "Thank you." She mumbled, latching it back around her neck.

   "As if you don't know!" Hayley snaps, stomping toward him. 

   Elijah quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back, causing Klaus to look at the three, unamused. "Ah, well, aren't you three fast friends? Oh, come on, then. What kind of horrible accusation have you conspired to levy against me?"

   The noble Original stepped in front of the two girls protectively. "Tyler Lockwood brought Hayley here to test a theory." Klaus gives him a nod to continue. "That the blood of her child could be used to sire hybrids. He claims that you knew that. Furthermore, that you intended to use not only this knowledge, but also Audrey's blood to build an army."

   Hurt filled Klaus's eyes, alongside 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!" He points at Hayley with a sneer. "How quickly you believe the worst, especially when it comes from her."

   "Oh, spare me your indignation." Elijah rolled his eyes at him, shaking his head. "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!"" He said mockingly toward 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." Klaus spoke coldly as he walked closer, making a conflicted look fall on Elijah's face at his words. "That's all I am to you, isn't it? And Rebekah. No doubt, Audrey too. And, judging by the way Hayley hangs on every word from you and your beloved, it's clear she feels the same way." The hurt in his eyes grows more prominent. "No doubt my child will as well."

   Elijah's face softened as he took that in. "Brother, if--"

   The Original hybrid cuts him off. "You've said all that needs to be said, brother." He steps back a few steps, holding out his arms 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 rushes over to Elijah before biting him savagely on the neck. 

   "NIK!" Audrey yelled as Hayley jumped back in horror. "KLAUS, STOP IT!" She ran forward, forcefully pushing between the two, forcing Klaus to step back.

   Klaus looks at her blankly, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Audrey sent him a glare as she bent down beside Elijah, who fell to the ground weakly, holding his hand over the bite now on his neck. "You three 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 all." He then turns and walks away, leaving the three alone in the bayou. 

Yikes...well that was eventful.

Tyler was a complete dick in this episode, but thankfully, we don't see him again after this. He's back to Mystic Falls, were I assure everyone, Caroline will be waiting to kick his ass for Audrey. Next episode, Audrey helps Elijah through the effects of the hybrid bite, while Hayley is off trying to learn about her family. Audrey also learns about Celeste...

The less said about her, the better.

I hope you all enjoyed!