Ready? - Ready When You Are

• There are friends that become family. There are friends that are fated souls. Hold on to them. •

".."

A few days after her fight with Tyler, Hayley sat crosslegged on her bed, her grimoire open and the hairpin that had attracted her in her left hand.

She didn't have a single clue as to why this hairpin attracted her so much and despite her reluctance to be stuck somewhere she didn't want to, Hayley brought the pin to her forehead.

"Phesmatos lux ostende. Mihi viam. Phesmatos sensati ablata proferet," Hayley chanted. "Phesmatos lux ostende. Mihi viam. Phesmatos sensati ablata proferet."

When Hayley opened her eyes again, she was no longer in her room. And it was no longer night. The day was bright, the sun shined in the sky and the magnificent and calm lake before her instantly eased Hayley's mind. She walked to the edge of the lake, turning around to admire the view.

The land, so alike Finn's, was empty. Only nature remained.

"Who the hell are you?"

At the feminine accented voice, Hayley turned around to see a blonde beauty dressed in intricate twentieth century ball gown. Hayley couldn't believe Rebekah Mikaelson was standing right in front of her. Just like she was wary when she first met Finn.

Maybe Rebekah would be more open than her brother, since she had lived outside a box for quite longer.

"I suggest you answer to me before I pull your tongue out," Rebekah spat when Hayley wasn't replying.

Hayley narrowed her eyes at the rude Original. "I'd like to see you try."

Rebekah sped towards Hayley, who lifted a hand and thrust it forward, breaking one of the blonde's legs. It didn't slow Rebekah one bit as she continued to advance. Before her eyes could see, Rebekah had already flung her several feet away with a well-placed kick in the gut.

" .. ugh," Hayley spat out blood, smiling like a mad woman. "I see you're a tenacious one." When Rebekah sped to her once again, she moved her hands before her, throwing them out with a spell. "Ventus," which made the blonde fly several feet away. "How about we talk this out, huh? Like grown ups?"

It appeared, however, that Rebekah wasn't in the mood to listen. The blonde sneered at Hayley. "I hope you are ready to be killed."

"Oh, ready when you are," Clenching her teeth, Hayley swept her hands towards the lake, chanting. "Phesmatos superous adurna." The large body of water lifted at her command, building itself into a wall behind Hayley. She had her hands lifted in the sky, ready to drop the water on Rebekah if the other wasn't over playing. She looked at the blonde Original. "Ready to talk now?"

Rebekah's eyes squinted at the water wall behind her, as if questioning if she should just swiftly kill Hayley and get on with her life but she ended up rolling her eyes, curious at what this witch was doing in her mind. "This is the last time I'll ask. Who are you?"

"Hayley Marshall," Hayley greeted before dropping her hands, the water returning to the lake. She then smirked at Rebekah. "Pleasure I'm sure."

".."

"What are you doing here?" Rebekah asked, standing a few feet away from Hayley.

The two had stopped fighting but it didn't mean they were instant friends. It was merely a truce.

"You know where we are?" Hayley answered the question with a question, mainly to get a rise out of the blonde.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Of course I know. If it's my mind, I will always know."

Hayley nodded, glad her spell had worked. She wanted to use it to reach Finn if they ever lost touch one day, but now that she looked at Rebekah, maybe it wasn't so bad. Even if the Original wanted to bite her as much as Hayley wanted to put a hoax on her.

"I happen to be in possession of a very pretty hairpin," Hayley explained. "Italian, flowery. Remind you of anything yet?"

For the first time since they'd seen each other, Rebekah exposed a genuine smile.

"Italy," Rebekah chuckled. "Such great memories. My brother gifted it to me and it's very precious to my heart," she looked at Hayley. "Where did you find it?"

"I didn't," Hayley said. "It was a present for my guardian and she gave it to me a few days ago. I wanted it."

"Why?" Rebekah frowned. "It was precious to me but it wasn't anything grand. It got lost at sea so many centuries ago."

"I don't know, blondie," Hayley leaned back in the sand, her eyes admiring the clear sky. "Maybe we were fated to meet, you and I."

"Such lovely words," Rebekah huffed. "One would think you were my wife."

Hayley arched a brow, looking down at the blonde. "Are you proposing to me?" She joked. "I don't even know your name."

"Do you want to die?" Rebekah asked with a straight face.

"Ow, I love you too, wifey," Hayley winked at the blonde, making Rebekah huff and plop herself on the ground as well, albeit far more elegantly than Hayley had done.

As the two young women looked at the blue sky, in a silence more comfortable than either would ever admit, the most precious friendship was born. Two souls connected forever.

Hayley had her eyes closed after a dozen minutes when the woman beside her decided to talk.

"Rebekah," Hayley opened her eyes to look at the blonde. "My name is Rebekah."

Their eyes were locked, the weight of the Original's step hanging between them. It was either Hayley accepted the tentative friendship offered by the vampire, or she could break her spell and go back to her room, never meeting the blonde like this ever again.

"Rebekah," Hayley repeated, glancing at the blonde before she closed her eyes again. "It's a beautiful name."

"I know."

"You're a bit conceited, Rebekah."

"And you, are arrogant, Hayley."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Hayley snorted.

"Do as you may with your flaws," Rebekah spat back.

Hayley laughed, loving the blonde's fire. "I think we'll be great friends, dear Rebekah."

The Original rolled her eyes. "Heavens help me, then."

Yep. The best of friends.

".."

After a few more word spats with Rebekah, Hayley broke the spell and woke back up in her room. Only three hours had gone by but it was already deep into the night and the house was asleep. Sheila and Bonnie in their own rooms.

Hayley's phone chimed on the nightstand, interrupting her own thoughts. She reached for the electronic, the light blinding her for several seconds before she adjusted her vision. What she read, however, made her smile bright and her eyes shine.

Slater: I have what you need, Hayls. Just make the call.