◤ 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞: ❛ matter
of time ❜ ◢

✧

          ELIJAH'S RETURN CAUSED MARISOL TO HAVE DREAMS OF THEIR LIFE BEFORE. They felt like daydreams, everything she could ever want wrapped in a bow with the passion that she used to feel, the longing she had and the desire she concealed because they weren't meant to be, but when she awoke in a cold sweat they turned to nightmares. Those were feelings from a long time ago, when she was so naively young and innocent, believing that his simple affections were truly only simple affections and nothing more.

But now, in the context of what happened in the end, how they left things and the revelation that it wasn't as simple as she once thought they were, those were nightmares sent to torture her and the old misguided feelings she once had for him. Yet, even though Marisol did not want Elijah, he was still a plague infecting every thought.

It was as if she was hyperaware of his every move in the house, her ears heading straight to him and where he was. The sound of his voice, his feet pressing to the ground as he walked, the breathes he took in even though he didn't need it to survive. Marisol could hear everything, and it consumed her being. Elijah Mikaelson – the man who once controlled her soul and her dreams, the being of her desires – was there in flesh again and she didn't know what to do.

She felt like same helpless girl she had been before. She didn't know what to do, what to say, how to act. She pushed him out of her mind so much she didn't know how to react to his presence in her life, and it corroded her.

His presence made it unbearable to be in the mansion, driving her out into the French Quarter to escape him. Of course, she knew evasion would only work for so long before they would actually have to sit down, because there was still tension and unresolved words and feelings, but she wanted to put it off for as long as humanly possible. Thankfully, she had people to occupy her time and Elijah was busy with the witches and family business since he had declared the night of his arrival home that their contract with Sophie Deveraux was void.

Apparently, she left some parts about the Harvest and Davina out of their deal beforehand and Elijah wasn't happy. It didn't surprise Marisol, witches were always such tricky little things – traits she carried even though she was too old for a normal witch's lifespan and had long since lost her magic – and Sophie was no exception. She was determined, Marisol would give her that.

Her phone buzzed, and Marisol picked it up to see a text from Marcel asking her to lunch. Guilt immediately pooled in her gut because it had been a while since she had a good, long conversation with her friend. He was busy dealing with Klaus evading on his territory and she was busy ignoring him because seeing him made her feel guilty because she was helping Klaus take him down.

God, she really was a terrible person.

But she missed her friend, because Marcel was her friend no matter what, and she hoped that on the other side he would see that too. Betrayals always seemed so white and black, but they weren't. They were grey and confusing and Marisol lived in the grey area when it came to these matters all the time. Living forever did that to you.

Texting him that she would be there, she started walking to the café they usually ate at, a complete one-eighty from where Amelia's shop was. That would have to wait until later, it had been too long since she had seen Marcel and she needed her friend.

It was selfish, of course, and she knew that. Here she was helping the man who he warned her against because of their convoluted history and lying to him about it while still being friendly because she had to. She didn't have a choice but she also didn't want to lose her friend. They were a rarity in her life. True friends, anyway.

She pushed open the door to the diner, seeing Marcel sitting at their usual booth. Her lips twitched up for a smile but she stopped herself, feeling undeserving of that joy when she deceived him now. But there was no turning back now, he had obviously heard her enter and it would be suspicious if she walked away.

So, instead, she moved forward and took the seat opposite of him, giving him a friendly smile as she sat down. "Long time no see," she teased, lighthearted even though her heart was anything but light at the moment.

Marcel sent her a kind smile as well. "Sorry about that," he apologized, "I've had my hands tied with some business lately and I don't see it blowing away any time soon."

"Oh?" Marisol raised an eyebrow, acting as if she knew nothing of the business he talked about even though she was heavily involved in it, "Anything you can talk about?"

He sighed, shrugging after a moment which Marisol thought was a good thing. She didn't want to know his side when she was working for Klaus because that would make her heart more, but if he needed that she would give him the support. She was still his friend, after all.

"I don't know. I don't want you to get involved in any of this," Marcel told her, and her heart wept for how he wanted her to stay out of this mess even though she had been a part of it for five hundred years. "It's about that guy I told you about – Klaus. He's – I don't want you messing with him."

Her lips pursed, because she was already involved in his business. Klaus had been engrained in her life since she was a young girl raising her nephew, naïve enough to think his brother actually loved her but not naïve enough to think they would last forever.

"Alright," she nodded, "Then I won't. But I'm always here if you need anything."

He sent her an appreciative look, and she hoped he could see how genuine she was being. She truly did want to help him, wanted to stand by his side without anything else standing in their way, but that just wasn't a possibility now.

"Thank you," he told her, "Now, what about you? I don't want this all to be about me. Anything interesting happen?"

Marisol sighed. "Well, I saw my ex for the first time in years yesterday."

"Your ex?" Marcel asked, cocking his head to the side, "Is that a good or bad thing."

"Bad. It was my first love actually, and it didn't end great. We lied to each other a lot and kept secrets and eventually it all fell apart," Marisol explained in the simplest terms, vague because it wasn't like she could say that her ex was Elijah Mikaelson – and it wasn't like he was exactly her ex either. They didn't date, they courted a little, but it was a friendship bound for something else if it could only get there.

Marcel whistled in understanding. "I know how you feel. My first love is also back in town," he told her and her mind went automatically to Rebekah, "Anything I can do? Rough him up a bit or anything?"

A laugh bubbled out of her as she shook her head. "No, I don't think so," she told her, eyes shining, "Thanks for the offer, though. I appreciate it."

"Anytime. And, hey, I'm sure Diego would be more than happy to get your mind off of the guy if you want it," Marcel offered.

"Marcel Gerard, are you really offering your friend up as a distraction for me?" she asked in shock, because while she knew that Diego was forward with his advances she didn't think Marcel would also urge her in his direction.

"Hey, I'm just saying," Marcel held his hands up as if to show his innocence, "He's willing, and he's a good guy. You should give him a chance."

Marisol bit the inside of her lip. "It's complicated," she eventually told him, "Diego wouldn't like me if he saw the real me. I don't think you would either."

"Nonsense," Marcel immediately waved the thought away, "I could never hate you."

And he seemed so genuine, like he truly believed his words. Like the thought of him turning against her and hating her was unfathomable, but Marisol knew it wasn't. She was the opposite of his kind – one bite in wolf form and he's dead – and even more than that she was a liar. She lied about everything.

No, he wouldn't like her when he found out the truth, because it was only a matter of time before her did.

✧

ELIJAH STOOD IN front of her now, and she knew that the long awaited conversation they needed to have, even though she fought her to push it back, was here. The time she ran from, avoided with all her might, was here because she couldn't run forever when she was still stuck in the city.

It hurt to see him, like someone had stabbed her gut with a dagger, because when she did she was flooded everything that once occurred between them. She remembered seeing him for the first time, the necklace he bought her, the invitation, their first dance, their last dance, and the way it all ended. Everything between them, how much she wanted to kiss him...it was all there when she looked at him because she was staring at the man she used to love.

He was still an open wound in her heart. Even though it had been such a long time, and she had plenty of lovers after him, he still affected her and made her hurt this much. Maybe it's because he's her first love, and that means something to her heart, or maybe it's because there was never a fitting conclusion for them. Everything just ended, and there was no closure.

"Marisol," and the way he said her name, it brought her back to their first and last kiss, "Can we talk?"

She swallowed down the memories, the feelings in her heart, the open wound bleeding again, and nodded at him. "It's not like we can go on avoiding each other," she said, "So sure."

He looked at her, wondrous curiosity as if he was piecing together the woman she used to be with the woman she was now, and stitching them together to make her whole in his mind. Because she wasn't that woman anymore, she was a completely different entity and the only thing they shared was a past and a name, but she was different. Time and the world had changed her just as it changed him.

"I never thought I would see you again," Elijah said in a faint voice, like he hadn't meant for it to escape his mind.

"Well, I hoped that I would never see you again," Marisol jabbed back at him, and it was rude and far too petty, but she couldn't help herself. It was how she felt.

His eyes flashed with pain before he nodded, accepting her old desire that wasn't being fulfilled anymore. He turned away from her, as if it was hard to see her when she didn't fawn over him. "Right, I understand," he nodded, "But whatever deal you made with Klaus and my promise to Hayley has made that impossible. The most we can do is try and move on."

She wanted to yell at him. Move on? How could she possibility move on? Her heart was broken by him, torn into pieces like it didn't even matter. He wanted her dead, and she kept secrets, and they were so beautifully doomed from the start. And her relationship with him killed Magnus, got her cursed, so that she could stand here and face him again because of all this cruel tricks of fate.

This wasn't something she could possibly move on from or forget. It was engrained in her life, molding her into the woman that stood before him today, and she couldn't exactly ignore that...but she also couldn't keep on hating him. They did need to move on, at least temporarily, for Hayley.

"And what does that mean exactly?" she asked, trying to keep the heat out of her voice, though it was still low and aggravated.

His eyes flickered to her, and she remembered the warmth and comfort they used to bring her, like she was safe with him. Now, she felt cold.

"Forgive and forget. I think it would be best if we forgot our past and acted as friends with the same goal in mind; for Hayley and the baby to live," he walked towards her, and power exuded from him.

He had changed, because the Elijah she knew back then, even with all the wealth and untouchable nature, was humble. This one was determined, powerful, and filled up the entire room clogging her senses. He wasn't the same man either.

"Fine," she said, because it wasn't like she could argue. This was for Hayley and the baby, "Friends."

He gave her an appreciative look and she pretended not to notice. "Friends," he agreed, sealing her fate, but it felt more like a deal with the devil.

Their eyes met, interlocking and she couldn't look away from him, and it felt just like before when she was so enthralled with his eyes. When he was her soul, and she loved everything about him.

✧

HAYLEY WAS BLEEDING like a needle had been stuck in her skin, but there hadn't, which meant only one thing; Sophie. Marisol hadn't even hesitated when she and Elijah found Hayley to grab his hand and let him lead her to Rousseau's where they met Klaus to interrogate that witch.

Yet, when they arrived, there was no Sophie to be found in the kitchen, only Sabine on the ground. Marisol crossed her arms, waiting for the woman to wake up from whoever knocked her out. Eventually, a groan came from her and she opened up her eyes, and Elijah didn't waste a second before helping her up and asking, "What happened?"

"It was Agnes," Sabine rubbed her head, groaning in the after effects of pain, before looking around at the trashed kitchen, "Her men took Sophie."

Klaus sighed, looking to his brother, "Day one with you in charge, brother, and already the witch linked to Hayley has been abducted by zealots."

Marisol frowned, looking to Elijah herself. "You're in charge now? When did that happen?" she asked, though she didn't get an answer as Elijah was aggravated by Klaus' comment and was determined to ignore him.

"Where is she?" he asked Sabine.

Sabine took a step back. "If I tell you where Agnes is, you'll just kill her," she disagreed.

"Is it that obvious?" Klaus asked.

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to get anywhere with Klaus, Sabine turned to Elijah, seemingly thinking he was the route to saving Agnes' life. Probably the best call because Marisol didn't have any pull of power with them, first of all, and second she didn't really care whether or not Agnes died.

"Look, I know she's a little...coo-coo, but she's our last living Elder," Sabine told him, eyes bleeding for him to understand, which Marisol did, "That might not mean a lot to you, but it means plenty to us. The Elders are the only ones who can do important spells."

"Like completing the Harvest ritual?" Elijah asked her, eyes hard. Whatever happened when he was with Davina made him hostile to the witches, Marisol didn't know if she liked it.

Sabine blinked, stunned. "You know about that?"

"Oh, you'd be astounded by the things I know," Elijah said gravely with a little bit. Marisol was a little impressed, not that she would ever admit it.

"We're not here to talk about the Harvest ritual," Marisol interrupted, "We're here to find out where Sophie is. That's all."

"Allow me to entertain you with today's list of priorities," Klaus walked forward into the kitchen, "One, unlink your friend Sophie so she no longer controls the fate of the woman carrying my child. Two, convince my brother to accept my heartfelt apologies for some recently dodgy behavior. Three...there is no three."

Elijah didn't even spare a look at Klaus. "I believe what my brother is attempting to communicate here is that neither the life of this Elder, nor the Harvest ritual, nor your coven's connection to magic are of any relevance to him whatever. Now talk."

Sabine gave an apprehensive glance at the three of them before sighing and telling them the most probable location for Sophie, and before she could even react, Elijah grabbed her arm and sped her towards the graveyard.

Even though she was used to vamp speeding with Magnus, it still never sat right in her stomach. After he let her go, she stumbled around for a second, forcing her herself to stay calm and not throw anything up because that would be disgusting. A moment passed and she felt ready to move again.

In the mausoleum, she could see Elijah and Klaus breaking the chains around Sophie's hands. "Agnes stuck me with a needle," she groaned, "Cursed objects were created a long time ago. We use them so we don't get busted by Marcel for doing magic. The one she used is called Needle of Sorrows. It was cursed in 1860 when –"

"Jump ahead a few decades and tell us what it does, love," Klaus cut her off, impatient with her long backstory for it.

Sophie became stoic before revealing, "It has only one purpose: to kill a child in utero by raising her blood temperature."

Marisol traded looks with the two brothers. "You're kidding, right?" she asked Sophie, because this could not be how Hayley lost her child. Marisol wouldn't have it. Sophie shook her head.

"It's for a miscarriage," Elijah assumed and Sophie nodded, "So, how much time to we have to fix this?"

"It will do what it's meant to do by tonight's high tide. And believe me, it will work," Sophie told them with strong conviction, "I saw her use a similar object on a kid who went mad and killed a bunch of priests."

"I'd like to have a chat with Agnes. Where can I find her?" Klaus asked, though it had an underlying that it wasn't a question at all but a command.

"You won't," Sophie shook her head as she continued to rub her sore wrists, "There are a thousand places she could hole up to wait it out."

"That's precisely why we need to unlink you from Hayley," Elijah stared at her, "No more danger toward her or the child."

"No, what?" Sophie shook her head again, immediately rejecting the idea, "If I am not linked to Hayley, I lose my leverage on you. We had a deal!"

"I really don't do see how you losing her leverage is very important to us," Marisol snapped at her, "If anything, that sounds like a great bonus."

Elijah, who had a dark look on his face, walked towards her. "We are not on the same side, Sophie Deveraux. Our deal no longer stands."

✧

ALLOWING SOPHIE INTO the mansion to help was not met well by Rebekah or Hayley herself, but it was the only option they had. Thankfully, Sophie was helping, so Marisol didn't claw her throat out, because Lord knows she would.

But the fever kept burning Hayley, and Elijah had to carry her into the pool and hold her while Sophie drowned her in herbs to help. Marisol stood by the side, feeling completely useless because it wasn't like there was much she could do.

Rebekah was loud in her protests that it wouldn't work, but Elijah was still sure that Davina would break the link between Sophie and Hayley before it was too late. Marisol herself was leaning more on Rebekah's side honestly, because a little witchy girl wasn't the best thing to bet on ever.

Hayley groaned in pain, gasping for air as if she had none, and Marisol dug her nails into her skin out of fear that something bad would happen. "Okay, long deep breaths, Hayley! Look at me. Long deep breaths, just focus on the sound of my voice," Elijah urged her, trying to remain calm even though it was a highly stressful situation.

Marisol wasn't even calm and this wasn't happening her, but it reminded her of her own past. She remembered the tears in his eyes, the tears in her own, and the snap that came when he fell to the ground. No, this wouldn't happen again. It couldn't.

"You'll be okay," Elijah whispered to Hayley, and Marisol let it flood into her ears as if it was meant for her, because she needed that comfort. She needed everything to be alright, because she couldn't handle it if something happened to Hayley and the baby. Not after she vowed to protect them.

A gasp came from Sophie, and Marisol's eyes immediately turned to her. "I just felt it lift," she said disappointedly, staring at the sky, and Marisol sighed in relief. Thank God, or anything in the universe really.

Hayley began to calm down, able to catch her breath again, and Elijah urged her to get out of the pool as he made his way out as well.

"Elijah," Sophie said, stopping him, "as soon as your brother finds out that the link is broken, he'll kill Agnes. I know you don't owe me anything, but please, don't let him kill her."

He didn't answer her, speeding out of the pool, and Marisol turned her attention to Hayley. She gave the girl a hug, even though she was soaking wet, before fetching her a towel and asking her if she was alright.

Hayley nodded, but Marisol didn't believe her. She wouldn't be alright if she was so close to losing her child, because she remembered the pain of losing Magnus. Her eyes closed for a second and she could see Kol snapping his neck before it changed to Ophelia doing the same thing just so Magnus could live forever.

"I won't let my brother kill Agnes," Elijah promised to Sophie, the last thing he said before speeding away to find them. Marisol turned away, because she knew if she didn't she would be filled with rage and the urge to follow Elijah and kill that woman herself.

No one was going to kill this child. This baby wasn't going to end up like Magnus, she was going to make sure of it.

Hayley moved to speak with Sophie, and Marisol thought it best to let her have that moment. Every fiber in her body wanted to move and break Sophie's neck, but she refrained. She wasn't a monster, especially not now.

Instead, Marisol moved inside, and for a moment her mind fluttered to Marcel and his words from before. She needed a distraction, needed to forget that this day ever existed, and she needed to get her anger out.

She brought out her phone, calling Diego, then got in her car to meet with him.

He looked surprised to see her there, but he still gave her the same cocky grin. "I see you're finally giving me a chance? What won you over? Our dance, my smoking hot bod?"

"I need a distraction," Marisol corrected her, "I had a bad day today and I want to forget it. Wanna help me or should I go find someone else?"

Diego smirked at her kissing her roughly and speeding her to the bedroom, and Marisol let her mind wander away until it was gone and nothing came to haunt her. Right now, it was just her and Diego, and nothing else existed.