A/N: I do not own the characters in T.V.D. Though I wish I did. :D Seriously though, who doesn't.
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Chapter One
"ARRRRR! ARRRRRGHHHHH! ARGH!"
"Roland!" Harper groaned loudly, rolling over onto her stomach while waving a hand lethargically behind her to shoo the fat Labrador - that no doubt was making quick work of getting up on her bed. For some reason Roland has always enjoyed suffocation as his primary method of waking her up in the morning. Harper turned again, this time resting on her back knowing she only had a few seconds of peace left before she got a face full of fur once the Labrador decided he'd like to plant himself on her head to see if she was still alive. The technique hasn't failed him yet. With eyes tightly shut she moved her legs hoping to relish in the superb feeling of her freshly shaven legs rubbing against the crisp clean sheets of her bed only to feel a rather itchy texture beneath her. In mild confusion she patted the ground beside her expecting to feel the fresh gentle caress of her sheets beneath her palm but they instead met a slightly ticklish substance that lightly brushed her face and tickled the lobe of her ear as she moved her head.
"ARRRR!ARGHHHHHH!" The dog barked again though this time he seemed closer to her person.
"Roland!" she grumbled again moving to throw her pillow at the overly energetic dog only to realise the absence of a pillow beneath her head. What the hell was going on! Now that Harper thought of it her face felt warm, she originally though it was because of small rays of sun poking through her curtain to announce its rise but after deciding this texture beneath her felt a lot like grass she began to realise that maybe she wasn't in her bed at all. But if she wasn't in her bed which is the last place she remembered being as of last night. Then where the hell was she?!
"Olive! Where are you taking me?!" Harper shot up. Hearing the voice of a strange man was the straw that broke the camel's back and convinced her she must finally open her eyes. The sight that greeted her was not at all what she expected. If she had been right and the rather itchy yet familiar texture beneath her was grass, worst case scenario was somehow she had sleep-walked her way to the backyard where she ended up spending the night, and was now probably in need of a serious shower. Best case scenario she had just rolled out of bed and the feathery texture of her shag rug was tickling her ear.
It turns out neither of her assumptions had been in the least bit correct. She was outside for sure, but where exactly Harper couldn't tell. All she knew from opening her eyes was that somehow she had wandered and fallen asleep in the middle of a large opening in some sort of forest-y area. The grass was vibrant and exceedingly long. A quick glance behind her revealed a grass-angle outline of where her slumbering body had laid.
"Okay…Now I'm officially confused. Where the hell am I?" she pondered aloud glancing uncertainty down at her pale blue pyjama shorts and loose singlet top; apparel that was inappropriate for any occasion other than going to bed in. Harper groaned out loud after realising how far she must have travelled in her unfit for public-inspection attire and how many people must have seen her. Please let none of the guys from school have seen me like this! She prayed moving to stand when a shot of black announced itself out of the corner of her eye.
"Olive!" the voice from a minute earlier called again. It belonged to a man who emerged from the forest floor in enough time to see his wolf friend tackle a girl to the floor. Harper felt a twinge of pain in her ankle as the unfamiliar dog knocked her to the floor. She caught sight of its frightfully large incisors lining up with her neck before its long tongue lolled out from beneath its clenched teeth and started licking her face. She would have been disgusted if she wasn't so use to similar treatment from her own fat dog as well as feeling a bit relieved it wasn't going to bite her face off. Yes, that part was a huge relief.
"Get off me!" she half grumbled unable to hold back her giggles as it licked just below her ear "Hey that tickles!"
"Remove yourself from her at once!" the man ordered from the sidelines as he ran to help the girl who had been tackled by his canine companion. He shouted a little more before finally successfully removing the dog from its dominate position above the girl. She smiled slightly dazed up at him as he leaned curiously over her.
"I must apologize," he informed the girl absently offering her his hand while inquisitively studying her appearance. Her chestnut brown hair fell in dishevelled waves just past her shoulders, its dark colour accentuating her pale skin and soot black lashes. "I have not had Olive long and she refuses to obey my commands," Harper couldn't properly see his face as the sun behind his head obstructed her vision, though his accent was a clear indicator he wasn't from around here. Though come to think of it, she didn't even know where here was.
"That's cool. I've had my dog, Roland for years and he still doesn't do a thing he's told," she reassured the man as he took her hand in his and raised her to her feet.
"You must have been rather lax with your training regime if after years he still does not obey you" The man commented earning him an eye roll.
"Training Regime" she mimicked, dusting off her elbows. "Are you kidding! He's a dog not a solider" she commented dryly while bending over to brush the muddy patches off her knees. The man beside her recoiled in embarrassment as he was presented with a rather unrestricted outline of her curves. He quickly offered her his back to save her her dignity.
"What has happened here?" he questioned alarmed, running a hand through his sleek brown locks.
"Huh?" she grunted rather ungracefully turning to face him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what has happened that has left you clothless?" the damnation in his voice left her feeling awkward. She already knew that her smallest pyjamas were hardly going-out appropriate but in her defence they were the only ones that weren't in the wash and originally she didn't actually plan on leaving the house in them.
"I don't know," she replied truthfully, "the last thing I remember is going to sleep in my bed, though for some unknown reason I woke up here…" she trailed off as she finally got a good look at her 'saviour' of sorts – though the name doesn't probably apply considering it was his dog she had to be saved from. The first thing Harper noticed was his very angular features, high prominent cheekbones, a strong jawline and a defined straight nose that complimented the symmetry of his face. He also had a slight cleft in his chin which oddly she didn't find unattractive as it suited his defined features. His dark eyes matched the colour his shoulder length copious locks. Not bad… she commented internally glancing down to see if the rest of his body was as pleasing as his face.
"Hey!" she snapped, folding her arms over chest indignantly. "You have the nerve to comment on my clothes! What about yours?! We are not living in the middle ages you know!" she comment harshly, her eyes following the cotton pants that were held up by a thick band of rope at one end and tucked in to thick leather boots at the other. His muscled arms prominently stuck out of his sleeveless vest that was made with many latches to keep from revealing his possibly well-muscled chest – if his arms were anything to go by. The man took an almost involuntary step back. He had never been spoken to with such brazenness before, well at least not by a woman that wasn't his sister.
"I believe this is the correct attire for the time period in which I live," he assured her not able to stop himself from running his eyes over her petite but curvy figure. He was at least a head taller than her but her impetuous attitude made her seem like a larger force than she was. She furrowed her eye brows at him and took a step away thinking him insane.
The more she looked at him though, the more familiar his face seemed to her. "Do I know you?" she asked loudly fixing him with a dissecting stare.
"Believe me, I would never forget a personality such as yours" she shot him a blank look as she decided whether to take that as an insult or a compliment. Before she could decide he extended a hand to her. "You must excuse my manners; this whole situation has caught me off guard. I am Elijah Mikaelson. First born to Mikael and Esther,"
"Right," she mumbled at the strange introduction, though that name…why does it sound so familiar! "I am Harper McAllister, only child to…Bradley and Jane" she added in slight mockery though he didn't seem to notice.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elijah murmured formally, waiting for her to curtsey in response; she didn't.
"So Elijah," Harper started, trying the name on her tongue hoping she would remember where she knew if from if she repeated it out loud. No such luck. "Do you know where the nearest telephone is? My mum's probably worried sick," she offered as a way of explanation once she saw his bemused expression.
"Telephone…" he tried the foreign word out, drawing out the sound of each syllable. "What is that?"
Harper rubbed her temples in frustration "Did I stumble into an Amish community or something, cause that would explain a lot" she exclaimed giving him the once over" though something inside told her he wasn't Amish. There was a certain quality or intelligence about him that was so familiar to her, and definitely not Amish.
"I apologize for what you must see as ignorance but you speak in words I have not ever heard," he told her, accurately reading her expression "Amish and this Telephone you speak of, what are they?" she gave him a pointed look once she realised he wasn't kidding.
"It's a long story,"
"We have plenty of time as my village is a good hours walk away from here,"
"What?! I can't go back with you, I need to get home," she protested.
"Do you know where you are?"
"Well no," she said shuffling awkwardly from foot to foot, noticing a vague sting when she was to lean on her right foot.
"Then I am sorry Ms McAllister but I cannot leave a clueless woman to fend for herself out in the woods. It would not be right," he began to walk off, Olive playfully jumping around him.
"Hey! Who are you calling clueless!" she yelled storming after him only to feel the vague sting in her ankle to become more intense. So intense she fell to her knees to remove the pressure from her foot. Elijah turned when he heard a small yelp. Quickly moving to her side as he saw her chestnut waves cloak her face as her head bowed in pain.
"What is wrong? Are you hurt?" he questioned, checking her over with his eyes. Blushing slightly at how much bare skin he saw.
"I think I hurt my ankle when your dog knocked me over," she replied as the dog came over to sniff her. She reached out her hand and stroked its face gently, "Why'd you have to do that you silly dog?" she murmured grumpily while still affectionately stroking its ears. Olive lay down before her, offering Harper her belly to rub. Harper did as she was told.
Elijah watched silently as her angry words conflicted with her gentle and sweet movements towards his dog. He was surprised by her reaction; knowing not many of the villagers he lived with would treat his pet with kindness if she been the reason for their suffering.
"Can you walk?" he asked concern etched over his features.
"If I could walk I wouldn't be sitting in the mud would I Einstein!" she muttered, and the concern disappeared. He did not know who this Einstein was but he was intelligent enough to realise that she was insulting him.
"Do you want me to just leave you here?" he had no reason to treat her with respect if she did not show the same kind of etiquette in return.
"…No" she finally answered after a while. She didn't know where she was, so maybe going to his village was the best way of find her way back home.
"Well then I would appreciate it if you would behave as if kind of propriety had been instilled in you,"
"Whatever," she grumbled earning her a sharp lock. I guess it won't hurt me to play along…at least until I can find a way back home. After finally reading the look on her face as submission he knelt beside her.
"Hold onto my neck and I shall carry you back," he commanded, already reaching over to put a steading hand behind her back when she flinched away.
"Ah…no thanks. I appreciate your help and all, but no. I'm not going to let a strange man who dresses like that" she gestured to his apparel "carry me. Talk about embarrassing!" he cringed, his frustration growing with this strange girl who talked in a manner he was not familiar with.
"How do you suppose you'll make it back to the village without my help?" he asked knowing she had no other way of getting home, and when she realised that too he'd make her apologize. She sat silently for a little while, contemplating what her next plan of action would be. He watched her nose screw up in concentration as he patiently waited for her to reach the same conclusion as he did.
"I know!" she exclaimed beaming triumphantly at him. She glanced quickly around her; her yellows irises lighting up as she spied what she needed. Before Elijah could question what the plan was that she had come up with she had already began rolling down the hill.
"Wait!" he called, running after Harper as she picked up more speed. She reached her hands out above her head to slow herself down the nearer she got to the trees. She came to a safe stop, giggling as the world spun around her. "What did you do that for?!" Elijah exclaimed angrily though she paid him no attention.
"Cause it's fun," she answered simply smiling at him. He met her cheerful stare for a moment in wonderment before she looked away, reaching out at the objects around her. "That should do perfectly," she proclaimed gabbing at a long stick that had suited her needs. "Be a Gentleman and give a girl a hand will you," she motioned for him to help her up, her hand raised in the air. Reluctantly he helped her, his sense of honour getting the better of him.
"All that for a stick?" he asked as she played around with the stick to see where her hand felt most comfortable.
"Not just any stick, a walking stick!"
"A walking stick?" he asked bemused, earning him an eye roll.
"Do you live under a rock?" Elijah look affronted not understanding the expression. He took it as a knock against his wealth and status rather than a comment on his general knowledge.
"I'll have you know the Mikaelsons are a wealthy family of nobility. We would never be found living under a rock," he snapped at her his brows narrowed as he grew protective of his family. Realising she had offended him she motioned passively towards him.
"Calm down tiger." She tried, though she started to feel uncomfortable from the intensity of his gaze. "I'm sorry, okay. I didn't mean to insult you." she apologized holding the stick up in her hand, before walking in the direction he had started in before. She looked back at him over her shoulder where he stood stoically.
"A walking stick is like a third leg," she explained "you put most of your weight onto the stick when it comes time to walk on the sore ankle." Begrudgingly he came to stand beside her, looking at the ordinary stick in her hand with mild fascination.
"It helps to alleviate the pain?"
"You could say that, yes." She nodded as he began walking beside her, slowing himself to her pace. He didn't like how her features twitched with pain after she took a couple of steps but she had flatly refused his help. He could do nothing more to help her unless she asked.
"So you said your village is an hour away?" he nodded, looking at the sky, loving the feel of the sun on his face.
"Though at this pace, we probably won't get their till noon,"
"Well I hope you didn't have any plans today then" she grinned at him. His lips quirked with slight amusement at this strange girl though he stayed silent, refusing to comment.
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Maybe half an hour had passed at this point, since they first started off from the clearing. He couldn't help but notice out of the corner of his eye how she was constantly staring at him.
"Have I something on my face?" he asked, finally acknowledging that he knew she had been looking at him. He noticed her cheeks became tinged with pink at his words.
"No. Sorry. You-" she stopped herself, scrutinizing him again. "I can't put my finger on it, but you just seem so familiar…Are you sure we haven't met?"
"I am positive. I told you before I don't think I could forget a personality such as yours. Not even if I tried."
"That wasn't a compliment was it?" she asked an amused smile on her lips.
"It was not an insult if that's what you're implying,"
"You think I'm strange," she admitted for him, he turned to look at her, his brown eyes giving away nothing of his emotions.
"And you think I'm strange,"
"Touché" she admitted defeated, only earning her a peculiar look.
"Touché? Is that French?" he asked earning him another eye roll. It was beginning to annoy him how that was how she responded to his curiosity.
"I think so. And before you ask it means, to have like a clever or witty reply," he nodded testing it out on his tongue. "And it is not to be used out of context" she warned him.
"I was merely testing out the pronunciation of the word" he defended himself.
"I can't believe you've never heard of it before. I though everyone knew what touché meant"
"I am not French,"
"Neither am I" she retorted causing him to smile softly.
"touché" she smiled at him this time, freely laughing at his quick wit.
"Though I must say you do learn quickly,"
He nodded tearing his gaze away from her and towards the forest path, looking out for any obstacles that could cause his acquaintance to trip herself up.
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The sun was falling fast now, and Elijah interrupted her explanation about Amish communities to inform her of the short distance there was left to travel.
"I understand the way in which you speak, yet the terms you use are unfamiliar to me. I feel as though you come from a different time," he confessed to her thinking of the communication device she called the telephone. They had been talking about various things the whole way back to his village that was beginning to make her believe they were from different times as well. Though she didn't truly believe what she was hearing, it was impossible they were from different times. Things like magic and time machines don't exist so there is no way on earth her suspicions were real. Though that didn't stop her from asking him what the date was,
"You don't know?"
"No, I do know. I just want to see if you know." She replied quickly.
"Why wouldn't I know?" he asked puzzled at the reasoning behind her question.
"I just want to see if were on the same page okay. Okay we'll say the date at the same time okay." He nodded in agreement though he didn't see the point.
"The seventh of April…"
"The seventh of April…" the said in unison that made her breathe a sigh of relief.
"957"
"2013" the both stopped to look at each other. Harpers eyes grew as wide as saucers while Elijah's narrowed in confusion.
"You are wrong. The year cannot possibly be 2013," he told her without a quiver of uncertainty.
"But it has to be." She whispered finally starting to feel a bit antsy. "Prove to me that it's not," he did not tear his eyes away from her face as he gestured ahead of them.
"We are here," Harper winced as she moved forward, her hand rough and sore from the stick she held. Her gazed followed the direction of Elijah's hand and what she saw amazed her. There was a myriad of torches set up along the small dusty street where she spied at least fifteen different huts, most hidden in the darkness of the early night. She couldn't see much as the sun had completely set but the large fire pit was hard to miss, surrounding it were many people. They were all sitting down to eat, and a few of the younger children were dancing around the light of the fire. The absence of power lines, cars, proper tar roads did not elude her. Nor did the medieval garments the villagers wore.
"This…t-this is impossible," Harper stuttered stumbling back away wanting nothing more than to go and lie down in the field she woke up in.
"No, this is home," he corrected, his gaze lost in the flames of the pit.
"No this is wrong!" she yelped, turning around and running. She only made it a few steps before she fell, her ankle unable to hold up her weight.
"Harper!" Elijah yelled running to her side. Unfortunately her head had already collided with a rock that had been waiting for her on the forest floor. Her vision went blurry first, everything around her becoming a rainbow pallet of unarticulated smudges. She couldn't even make out the features on Elijah's face as he bent over her.
The peculiar sensation of warmth trickling down her face and over her eye was the last acute feeling she had before everything downed out around her.
Leaving her in an abyss of darkness.
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I rather hope you enjoyed the start of my new story. I decided on making this one quite long to satisfy those readers who enjoy reading a lot at once.
This is basically a Time fic, as you can see Harper – the main character – as arrived at a time before they became vampires. Though you don't know yet why she was sent to the past, I will confess that the do eventually become vampires throughout the story.
I would love to see some support for this, in the shape of reviews, just telling me if you like the Idea or not. Hopefully you do.
And if you really really like it! Make sure to leave a review as I promise they make me write faster! After I finish of my assignment I plan on writing the second chapter so if I get support I'll post it sooner!
OKAY thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate it!
Now go forth and read many more Klaus/Elijah stories! Cause they be the best :D 3 Klaroline!
Happy Reading!
Xoxo
Wisteria Clove
