Klayley

"Perhaps, you're right. Perhaps... It's time to start living not by my decisions, not by yours, but by what we together decide. Partners. For Hope."

- Klaus and Hayley's Pact

Klayley is the het ship between Niklaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall from The Vampire Diaries fandom.

The Vampire Diaries
The pair first met in Season 4 of The Vampire Diaries, when Hayley visited Mystic Falls as Tyler's friend. Klaus originally tried to create tension between Hayley, Tyler, and Caroline as he thought Hayley had an affair with Tyler. In truth, Hayley was actually helping Tyler and the other hybrids to break their sire-bond to Klaus. The trio encouraged Klaus' theory in order to cover-up their true plans, and Hayley betrayed Tyler and the other hybrids when she was revealed to have been working with Shane. Hayley manipulated Klaus into murdering all of his hybrids in return for key information about her biological family. Hayley then left Mystic Falls to give time for her treachery to blow over.

However, when she did return, Klaus tried to obtain information from her about Katherine Pierce. In return for her help, he offered her protection from Katherine's loyal vampires and even killed a vampire to protect her. The two heavily flirted with one another, and they eventually bonded over his art and the fact that she could see how twisted it really was - and she related to it. This eventually lead to them having sex together. The next morning, Klaus stopped Hayley before she could sneak away.

He recognized her birthmark and traced it with his fingers, and revealed to her that he'd seen this birthmark before. But only on a handful of other people who descended from the same bloodline - a werewolf clan that once thrived through what is now known as Louisiana. Hayley was shown to be intrigued by this information and demanded to know if he was serious, as finding a connection to her biological family was not a joke to her. However, Klaus insisted that he wouldn't dare to lie about it, as matters of family are sacred to him.

Season 1
Hayley left Mystic Falls once again and went to New Orleans, where she was kidnapped by Sophie and Jane-Anne Deveraux. Meanwhile, in Mystic Falls, Katherine lured Klaus to New Orleans by telling him that a group of witches was plotting against him. Klaus fled to New Orleans, followed by his brother Elijah. His information then leads him to Jane-Anne and Sophie, who brought out Hayley much to Klaus' shock. Sophie revealed to him that she had a gift for sensing when a woman was pregnant and that Hayley was carrying his child as a product of a loophole in the supernatural world. Klaus originally rejected the child as his, but once he realized that it was his, he was shocked.

Jane-Anne and Sophie revealed that Hayley was now linked to Sophie and that if Sophie died so would Hayley and the baby. Sophie threatened to kill herself if he didn't help the witches overthrow Marcel, a deal that Klaus hated as he didn't want to be manipulated. He then rejected both Hayley and the child and coldly told the witches to kill both Hayley and the baby as he didn't care. Eventually, Elijah convinced him to accept Hayley and his child, and Klaus seemingly came on board with the idea.

Klaus moved Hayley into his family mansion, and this caused clashes to exist between Hayley and Klaus. After Rebekah arrived in New Orleans, she warned Hayley about Klaus' history of putting his siblings and family members in coffins. She stated that Klaus would have a coffin ready for Hayley after the baby was born and that she should have left town as soon as she found out about her pregnancy. Hayley later headed into the quarter in order to buy wolfsbane which would abort their child, knowing that she couldn't leave town while she was still pregnant due to the spell Jane-Anne cast on her. However, before she could take the poison, she was attacked by Marcel's vampires. After returning to their home, Klaus berated Hayley over her leaving the house and heading into the Quarter (which was off-limits to werewolves) and demanded to know what she was doing there in the first place. Hayley snapped that she was going to put the child out of its misery, which infuriated Klaus. He stepped forward and began to choke her, but Rebekah managed to pull him off of her.

The next morning, Klaus found an empty bottle of wolfsbane in her bag. Hayley woke up and assured him she didn't use it. When Klaus asked her why, as she could have been free from him and their situation, Hayley confessed that because of her past background she never had a real family. It was when her baby was threatened that she finally knew that she wouldn't let anybody hurt it. Klaus commented that they were alike, as they both are "cast-offs" who have learned to fight when backed into a corner. Klaus moved forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder before informing her that it was time to fight, affectionately referring to her as, "little wolf."

Weeks later, after the masquerade gala, Hayley told Klaus that she learned something about their child that day. That a witch told her that she thought that the baby is a girl, something that made Klaus smile happily. After Hayley went to a witch doctor in the bayou and went missing, Klaus grew severely concerned as both Rebekah and Hayley had been attacked by witches. Klaus saw Hayley stumbling towards them, dazed and exhausted looking with her clothes tattered and dirty. Klaus and Rebekah rushed toward her, with Klaus checking her over for wounds, seeming shocked that she doesn't have any. Rebekah stated that their child must have healed her, as the baby has vampire blood in her system from her father. Klaus vowed to kill whoever was behind the attack, and when Hayley stood up she grew increasingly dizzy and almost collapsed. Luckily, Klaus caught her in time and held her in his arms telling that he's got her now.

Hayley was later kidnapped by a vengeful Tyler Lockwood, who wanted revenge on Klaus for keeping him away from Caroline. In the woods, Klaus and Elijah have an argument over Elijah looking determined to find, "the little wolf". In an argument between Klaus and Elijah, in order to annoy him, Klaus claimed that he had "sampled" what Hayley "had to offer" and called her "exquisite." After Hayley escaped Tyler, she and Elijah accused Klaus of only wanting the child to create hybrids, an accusation which was both false and hurt Klaus deeply, as he had never thought of that even once. In a moment of anger, he bit Elijah and moments before fleeing, shared a meaningful look with Hayley.

After Hayley returned from the bayou, Klaus demanded that Hayley enter the car so they could go to a new home without Elijah and Rebekah. Hayley willingly entered the car, even though she knew that if she didn't Klaus would force her. Now at the Abattoir, the pair clash over how to deal with the wolves, witches, and vampires, as the werewolves are her people. She was angered when she learned that Klaus ordered an attack on the wolves, and threatened to pay him back for trying to murder the wolves. She also asked Klaus what would happen to her once the baby was born, which surprised him. Hayley told him that she had a little while until she found out and that she will pay him back for what he's done. She added that as long as she's pregnant, he can't do anything about it.

The pair continued to clash over the wolves, particularly the treatment of them, as well as other clashes and arguments. However, they share intense and intimate moments as well, moments where they both seem ready to be partners to raise their daughter, and moments where their guards are down outside of the wars. Eventually, tensions between them became too high, and Hayley moved out to the bayou to be with her newly discovered relatives and werewolf pack. Klaus then spent the weeks that followed trying to convince Hayley to return home and Elijah to help him accomplish this. Hayley is then forced to return to the Abattoir after she is cursed by Monique and had to be cured by Genevieve. In the meantime, Klaus fed her his blood to keep her strengths up. She was almost killed by Mikael who attacked her and her daughter in the astral plane. Luckily, Genevieve was able to save Hayley just in time, which relieved Klaus deeply. When Mikael degraded his son in front of Hayley in the astral plane and called him a "monster", Klaus questioned Hayley with a saddened look on what his father had said to her. Hayley looked at him and replied “Nothing true.” showing that she believed in his redemption.

After the witches acquired the moonstones needed to help the wolves no longer need to transform, the next full moon, Klaus was deeply weakened due to his strength being spread out amongst the moonstones. This led to everyone being vulnerable and Hayley was kidnapped by the witches and dragged to the church. They forced her to give birth and enter labor early. Klaus staggered into the streets to try and save her and heard her scream from the church, and he released an emotional yell in response.

In a flashback, Hayley was writing a letter to her daughter, and Klaus joked about it being to one of her many suiters - Elijah or Jackson. He jokingly mentioned himself surprised as he thought he was out of the running ages ago, and she teased him about his ego. They then share an intimate moment regarding their daughter kicking in the womb. Hayley asked if he wanted to feel it, and he smiled and kneeled in front of her, his hand placed over her stomach. When the baby kicked his face lit up, and they shared a happy expression and bonded.

In the present, Klaus arrived at the church and attempted to fight off the witches but was stopped by their magic. Hayley was on the altar and was forced to give birth in the church, and as he was watching her in pain, Klaus vowed that he would hunt every single one of them and he wouldn't stop until he killed them all. When the baby arrived and was stated to be a girl, the new parents exchanged loving gazes. Hayley asked to hold her daughter, which Genevieve allowed, however, Monique viciously slit Hayley's throat. Klaus screamed in absolute horror and was rendered unconscious by the witches. Later in the evening, a distraught Elijah arrived at the church to find a saddened and crying Klaus on the floor holding Hayley's dead body.

At the cemetery, Hayley arrived and confronted the brothers. Klaus was surprised and relieved when he realized that she was in transition to becoming a hybrid and that their daughter had sired her. Together, they charged toward the witches and attempted to rescue her once and for all. Back at the Abattoir that evening, Hayley held her daughter while Klaus and Elijah talked about the best way to proceed. Hayley tearfully mentioned sending their daughter away in order to protect her, while they cleaned up the mess that they had created in the city. Klaus suggested that they tell the world that she was killed in the war, that way no one would go looking for her. Both parents are heartbroken and share a knowing and heartbroken look with one another.

Moments
THE RAGER
 * They meet for the first time, and Hayley immediately recognizes him as an Original vampire, and correctly assumes he is Klaus Mikaelson.
 * She stood up to him and told him that if he wanted to kill someone to kill her, as she'd prefer that over being sired to him. He told her not to tempt him.
 * He calls her, "Little Wolf" for the first time, a theme that would recur throughout their relationship.

BRING IT ON
 * Klaus saves Hayley from a rogue vampire.
 * Their secret pact was revealed: Hayley would feed him information about Katherine in exchange for his protection from Katherine's minions.
 * He gave her protection in his home and showed her his paintings.
 * They slept together.
 * When she was changing at the edge of the bed after they had sex, he asked her if she was running away, and called her, "Little Wolf".
 * He told her about a pack of wolves in Louisiana with the same birthmark as her (a crescent moon), and thus, helped her find her way to her family.

THE ORIGINALS
 * Klaus learned that Hayley was carrying his child, and originally told the witches to kill Hayley and the baby out of denial and anger.
 * Hayley was hurt by his lack of desire to see her and, consequently, their baby live.
 * Klaus listens to his baby's heartbeat when he sees Hayley again.
 * Hayley, at first, resented Klaus, but overtime, she realized his efforts and believed in him.
 * Before long Klaus grew fond of Hayley and his child, and decided to do everything he could to protect them.
 * When the witches took Hayley, Klaus heard her screaming and came to save her no matter how hurt he was.
 * After Mikael degraded Klaus and called him an abomination in front of Hayley, Klaus later asks her what his father had said to her. Hayley gives him a meaningful look and says “Nothing true.”
 * Klaus is known as the “The Big Bad Wolf” Hayley “Little Wolf” and Hope “Littlest Wolf”.
 * Hayley let Klaus feel their baby kick in a flashback scene.
 * Elijah told Hayley that no woman in a thousand years could have offered Klaus what she offered him, and he cared deeply about her.

LEGACIES
 * Hayley and Klaus are often mentioned by Hope.

Hope Andrea Mikaelson
Hope Mikaelson is the biological daughter of Klaus and Hayley.

Behind the Scenes
"They obviously have a chemistry and an attraction, but it wasn't romantic. So now I think Klaus probably resents Hayley a little bit because he's been put in this position and whatever. I think it's going to be really nice to see them challenge each other and support and protect each other as the series goes on."

- Phoebe Tonkin (Hayley) talks about Klayley in Season 1. "It’s quite heartbreaking for Klaus to see Hayley in this normal family environment with her husband and her baby in her apartment. That hurts Klaus, not because he wants to be there with Hayley but because he knows that he’ll probably never have that lifestyle with anyone. This is his one shot to have a kid and he’s created this terrible relationship with the kid’s mother and it’s irreparable. I think he resents the fact that Hayley has some tiny smidge of a normal life and he will never have that."

- Phoebe Tonkin on Klaus. "He's become rather protective of her (Hayley) I think. He's gonna be pretty concerned about her- I'm sure he's going to be looking for her. I feel like the Mikaelson protection has been extended over her as well, you know? And I kinda like that. I like the relationship they're giving her and I. You know, this sort of protective thing and then that kind of "we are united"."

- Joseph Morgan. "I think it’s a very adult relationship. Obviously they have a child together – they’re parents, they’ve both gone through a lot together. You know, they just kind of cling to each other in a really sweet way. They’re the only two that really understand the gravity of what’s happening, and the weights of knowing the danger that their child is in. So right now, I don’t think that that’s either of the characters’ plan, but that’s not to say I don’t think- I think they love each other almost as family right now because they have a really deep respect for each other, which is really nice."

- Phoebe Tonkin on Klayley being romantic. "Then I remember hearing about the pregnancy and being like: Well that makes sense why Klaus and Hayley had a little bit of a romantic tryst on a dining room table. That serves that purpose."

- Phoebe Tonkin (Hayley) on working with Joseph Morgan.

"You know, he'd rather grown to like her. I think they, in the beginning, were certainly at odds. They were two people who shared a night together and had a child because of it and would not be in each others' lives if it weren't for that child. And they've learned to live together to the point where they have become a family — a sort of dysfunctional, strange family, but a family nonetheless, and so losing her was definitely a blow. I think that it's losing a family member. So yeah, it was very upsetting and made him rather angry I think."

- Joseph Morgan (Klaus) on the loss of Hayley. "They have to work together. For the good of their daughter and their family as well. Cause she is a part of the family as well. I think just as Klaus has that tension with Elijah- certainly with Rebekah, he has it with Hayley. But there's a begrudging respect there and.. you know.. possibly even sort of affection in terms of her having proved herself time and time again."

- Joseph Morgan discussing Klaus and Hayley.

Official
Control | Garbage

I've Got You

A Mother's Love Letter

Fanon
Klayley is a semi popular ship in The Originals fandom. It's rival ships are Klaroline and Haylijah. Fans love the deep relationship they had, brought forth by their shared love of their daughter. The great chemistry between the actors also helped the ship gain traction. They are often referred to as an Old Married Couple amongst fans. In fan fiction taking place in a modern time, Hayley often shows up as Klaus' wife or his ex-wife. Joseph Morgan and Phoebe Tonkin also like the relationship between the two. In Legacies fan fiction with their daughter Hope, Klaus and Hayley are often a background pairing in Hizzie and Handon fan fiction.

On AO3, Klayley is the second most written ship for Hayley and the third most written for Klaus. It is also the ninth most written ship in the The Originals (TV) tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Hayley/Klaus tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Klaus/Hayley tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Hayley/Klaus tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Hayley/Klaus tag on FanFiction.Net

TUMBLR

WIKIS
 * on

Trivia

 * Klaus nicknamed Hayley "Little Wolf", a name he has called her on several special occasions.
 * Klaus carved her name into her family's memorial tree in the woods after her death.
 * Davina claimed that Hayley was the one Klaus truly feared.
 * Lucien refers to Klaus and Hayley as "The King and Queen" of New Orleans.
 * Joshua Butler, one of the directors of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, ships Klaus and Hayley.
 * In Rebirth, Elijah says that only Klaus can understand Hayley's feelings.
 * Klaus and Hayley won the Official Relationship Poll on The Originals website, voted as Favorite Couple of The Originals Series.