No one loved Rebekah as fiercely as her brothers did. Always and forever they had promised. Niklaus, Elijah and Rebekah. The unity, the close siblings who balanced each other out. Elijah, with his moral and his patience, sometimes the only one who could calm Rebekah's temper. Niklaus, with his ever-lasting love and desperation for closeness with those whom he thought ought to always love him. Rebekah, with her larger than life moods and unexpected swings, who could laugh the merriest and cry the hardest. They were family. Kol was gone, running around; flirting and feeding and turning every young woman he came across. The trio, the band of misfits that happened to balance each other out, were in France. It was 1272.
Niklaus was still suffering from the effects of killing the hunters, tormented by visions of Alexander and his brothers, the men who had tried to hurt his family. Who had wanted to harm his little sister, his precious and sweet and trusting sister Rebekah. He had been angry, his temper overshadowing hers for once. Ever since they'd been turned, his temper had begun to become more dominant. Niklaus was becoming angry, aggressive and relentless. All he wanted was to protect his little sister. Surely that was not too much to ask? Yet the visions remained. The hunter would walk through the door, though when Niklaus tried it he could not budge it. Behind him, pulled by her beautiful blonde hair, would be Niklaus' beautiful sister. Her chest would have a hole in it. Right where her heart ought to sit.
"You did this. To her. Your sister is dead, because of you. How dare you be alive when she is not? She, whom you promised to always protect? What would you mother say, could she see what you have done to her only daughter. You vowed to protect her, always and forever." Alexander would go on and on, but Niklaus' teary eyes would be only upon the lifeless form of his younger sister. He was beginning to ignore the hunter. The words meant nothing, there was nothing Niklaus could do to end his misery. Alexander visited his mind in vain.
Eventually though, Niklaus would begin to cry. He would scream and yell nonsense at the figures that no one else could see, for they did not exist. Then one of his siblings, Elijah or Rebekah, would enter. If Rebekah entered, she would speak soothing words and hold him tightly against her chest, stroking his hair the way he should. She would be the older sibling for a while, hush him and rock him gently, telling him that she had forgiven him and that she loved him and that she was fine. Niklaus believed her easier, now.
Then it ceased. First a day went by without a visit, then a week, a month, three months, a year. Niklaus got a better room, Rebekah smiled again, Elijah's brow ceased to furrow with worry whenever Niklaus stepped into the room. The curse was gone, they had their brother back. Together, they could feed and live. Still, the peace could not last. Mikael. Their father would never stop looking for them. Luckily for the siblings, word of their father's approach to France reached them before he did. In a day they had packed up, compelled their existence from the memories of everyone and left, Rebekah and Niklaus with their hands clasped in the carriage as they headed north, to unknown areas where they might live in peace for a few years before once more being uprooted by their father's never-ceasing search for them.
"Nik, come with me," Rebekah begged, standing in the doorway. Niklaus was on his bed, with his back towards her. He had fought with Elijah, their brother wanting different things, claiming that all Niklaus wanted was to hold them together, whatever the cost. All because Niklaus had killed a man who expressed an interest in Rebekah. But did Elijah not know that their sister was a perfect creature whom Niklaus could not bear to lose? That she was the only woman he truly loved? That Bekah's smile was enough to melt his heart and make him smile in return? That seeing Rebekah cry was as painful to Niklaus as if someone had ripped his still beating heart from his chest?
Yet he could not turn to face her, for he knew his expression would betray him. Elijah was right, it ought to have been Rebekah's choice. If she wanted the mortal man or not. Rebekah wore her heart on her sleeve, she always had. When the girl whos heart was constantly exposed to the elements did not hear a reply from her overly jealous brother, the brother whos craving for blood was only matched by his craving for familiar closeness, Rebekah stepped into his room. Avoiding his shoes, which he had thrown away when he had laid down on his bed, Rebekah stepped up to the bed and sat, reaching for Niklaus' hand.
"Don't," he croaked, when her hand met his shoulder. He felt bad for his rash actions, though Niklaus would not admit so to anyone. Besides, all he had wanted was to protect his little sister. To keep her safe. He loved her, more than anyone. And, he was certain, she loved him with equal measure. They had always been close, closer than the rest of their family. Even as a little girl growing up, Rebekah would rather run to Niklaus with a bruised knee than to their mother or any of their other brothers. It had always been the two of them. When their father had turned them, Niklaus had been there to comfort Rebekah. When their mother died, Niklaus had stayed behind to help with the burial. Through all the centuries they had lived, turning into twisted versions of themselves, that had never changed. Niklaus would always love Rebekah, no matter the idiotic things she sometimes did. Rebekah knew that. So it was no surprise that she ignored his plea for her to leave, and instead laid down next to him, hugging him from behind.
"I'll always be here, Nik. You know that. Always and forever, as I promised. As we promised. You cannot go back on that promise, Nik, you can't. I won't let you," she muttered, and she could practically feel him smile. The easing of the tension in his shoulders and back, the way he gripped her hand and pressed it to his chest, clasped underneat his own warm hand. "Thank you, Bekah," he whispered, almost to himself more than to her.
They laid that way for hours, until Elijah's voice, carried through the house and picked up by their overly sensitive hearing, roused them. Niklaus released his little sister's hand, allowing her to sit up. As they walked out of his room, they clasped hands. Together, always and forever. No matter what he did, Rebekah would forgive him. She had forgiven him for killing Alexander, though it had been reluctant. Niklaus would always be forgiven by Rebekah.
"What do you think, brothers?" Rebekah called out, twirling in her new dress. Silk, blue to match her eyes. Sparsely but beautifully decorated with silver details. A fine dress, but one she could wear without looking out of place. Her smile was wide and geniune, as it always was when Rebekah was excited about something. Elijah was nipping to a glass of wine, the dark red almost the color of wine to match Niklaus' glass of blood from a young girl from town.
"You look beautiful, sister," Elijah declared in his even, composed tone. Niklaus was more warm than the ever-careful oldest son of Mikael and Esther. Niklaus rose, setting his glass on the table so that he could grasp Rebekah's hands and get a proper look at her. "Exquisite, Bekah." It was a hushed statement, but the sparkle in his eyes and the smile on his lips said more than his words ever could. "Thank you, Nik," she replied, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before rushing past him to steal his glass. "And thank you for the drink." With that, she took a sip, the chrimson of the blood coloring her lips vibrantly until she licked them clean. "She's lovely, Nik. You do have such excellent taste." A wink to him as she moved towards Elijah.
Stopping in front of him, she pouted. "Have you changed your mind about coming with us tonight, 'Lijah? It won't be the same without both my brothers." Rebekah refrained from mentioning Kol, who at last mention had been with a band of witches in Egypt. Nor did she mention Finn, rotting in a coffin in their basement, a dagger firmly imbedded in his chest.
Elijah looked at her, a thin smile upon his lips. "I'm afraid not, Bekah. I have business to attend to. You must go and have a wonderful time, but not enough to make Niklaus jealous." At the last comment, Rebekah laughed. Niklaus on the other hand, was very unamused. He refrained from speaking, however, instead merely grasping Rebekah's hand. "Come sister, we have a party to attend."