Summary: For over a 1,000 years, a promise of protection connected a powerful family of witches and the Originals. Neither would allow any harm to befall the other. After breaking his curse, Klaus snaps the bond between the two families. And now the Mason witch is the only one who can stop him.
Genre: Romance; Supernatural
Pairing: Elijah/OFC - Louisa
Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.
A crisp autumn breeze blew past her, mingling with the white curtains hanging over the open window. Louisa moved forward, pulling the curtains open a bit, intent on securing the glass pane. She paused a moment, her eyes catching sight of a black vehicle in the driveway. She frowned, knowing all to well what it meant. Another guest in the house. Her mother entertained too many these days.
Louisa shut the window and pushed the latch. The small click that sounded confirmed it locked properly. She climbed back into bed, sinking against the pillows. A light gasp escaped her lips as she began to recall the images that danced in her head.
She found herself alone in a room, engulfed in darkness. A laugh would vibrate on the walls, just before the room would ignite into flames. And then she burned.
The visions always came to her when she slept. The term 'sweet dreams' was an understatement. A nightmare is what she believed it to be at first, but it kept repeating each night. For the past month, the same vision played over and over in her head, showing no signs of stopping.
"Louisa," beckoned a voice from outside her bedroom door. "Are you awake?"She pulled the quilt over her head while replying, "No, go away." Louisa was not ready to face the outside world just yet.
"You have a visitor," they called again.
Louisa frowned, pulling away the covers. "Why must I be bothered today of all days," she whispered. "Mother," she yelled at the door, "I am in no condition to receive visitors. Tell them to go away."
A few seconds pasted and there was no reply given. And Louisa couldn't have been more content with it. But no sooner when she shifted in the bed to a more comfortable position, did some begin twisting the door knob. Louisa jumped from the bed ready to attack her mother for intruding. She was tired, upset, and confused with her subconscious. She needed time to think, to understand it all.
"Can I at least get the morning to my-" Louisa stopped instantly. Her eyes wide and mouth slightly opened. "Elijah…"
At the sound of his name, he inclined his head forward, a crooked smile on his lips. "Hello Louisa," he said, taking a single step forward. His eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail. Forty-two novels on the tallest bookcase, a hairline crack was visible just below the window seal, empty chocolate foil wrappers littered the nightstand, while a light sheen of dust began to accumulate on the dresser.
And then Elijah's eyes found her. Her current attire consisted of a white shirt, long sleeved, and a pair of shorts with a blue flannel pattern. Her cheeks still held the natural rosy hue he had always admired. But the black curls she once had, he noticed, were replaced with brown, a shade very similar to his own.
"You dyed your hair," he commented, inspecting the visible black roots on her head.
"Elijah, what are you doing here?" The bemused expression on her face made him smile once more.
He leaned against the door frame, placing his left hand in his pocket, revealing a small green box. He handed it to her while saying, "Happy Birthday, Louisa."
Gripping the rails until her knuckles turned white, Louisa descended the staircase slowly. Slower than she thought possible. A bad feeling was starting to settle in her stomach.
Louisa stopped when she reached the bottom, grasping her mother's arm. Misses Mason jumped at the sudden contact, but quickly recovered seeing it was her youngest child. Louisa pulled her mother along a bit further away from the drawing room, where Elijah waited.
"Why didn't you tell me," she whispered harshly towards her mother. Whispering wouldn't do much good, of course, with an Original in the house. "What is he doing here?"
"He surprised me, Louisa," her mother replied honestly. "I was on my way out," she said, "and when I opened the door, he was on the other side." Her mother paused, eyes focused behind her daughter. Louisa turned around and found Elijah standing there.
"Do you make this a habit now, arriving unannounced," she asked him quickly. Elijah shrugged casually, ignoring her completely.
"Jillian," began Elijah, "if you had plans prior to my intrusion, please don't let me stop you."
"Oh, no, Elijah," she began. "I wouldn't dream-"
"Nonsense," he interrupted. "I do not wish to keep you." Elijah's eyes flickered back towards Louisa. "I must confess, my intention today was to see your lovely daughter again. It has been a very long time, after all."
Louisa rolled her eyes in response. She moved past him, walking into the drawing room. It had been a very long time since Elijah had paid the family a visit. A decade to be precise. It wasn't like Elijah to just "appear" out of nowhere, to show up so spontaneously. Louisa expected such antics from another Original.
Elijah entered the drawing room shortly after Louisa seated herself on the sofa. He took the chair across from her and simply stared.
A lot can happen in ten years. Especially, when you're human. Elijah had not seen Louisa since she was 14 years old. Due to unfortunate circumstances, he was unable to visit the Mason Household as promised. And now, Louisa was in her early twenties and stunningly beautiful. Her once ebony hair, now brunette, was pulled back in a messy bun, twisted to fit snuggly in place. All her years in the sunlight gave her once pale skin a most appealing completion. A natural pinkish hue tinged her cheeks and lips, making make-up unnecessary. But those hazel eyes were his favorite.
Brown centers rimmed in olive green stared at him from across the room patiently. Elijah broke the silence between them. "You're not wearing my present," he commented, noticing her neck was bare.
"It doesn't go with my outfit," she replied bluntly. Blue jeans and a yellow sweater. The pearls would have matched perfectly.
Elijah seemed almost hurt by her words. "I have to admit," he began, "this wasn't exactly the type of greeting I was hoping for."
"I'm sorry. What were you expecting," she asked him. "A parade?" Elijah laughed softly. "That wasn't meant to be funny."
"Are you angry with me, Louisa," he asked, smiling.
"Of course I'm angry with you," she replied, lightly tapping her fingers on the arm of the sofa. "What are you doing here, Elijah? What do you want?"
"I wanted to see you."
"Why," she pressed him further.
The Original hesitated for a moment, then answered, leaving particular emphasis on the last word. "To make sure you were well."
Louisa lifted an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Elijah stood suddenly, moving towards the window. "Has Niklaus contacted you?" he asked her, looking through the glass.
"Why on earth would your brother be contacting me? He happens to dislike my family. I didn't expect you to forget that." She crossed her arms about her chest. "Don't change the subject, Elijah," she said impatiently.
"On the contrary, Louisa," he began, "Niklaus is the man of the hour. He is on the prowl. And so I will ask you again," he turned toward her, "has he contacted you?" The unwavering look in his eyes showed the importance of his question.
"No," answered Louisa. "Should I be expecting him?"
"Yes, unfortunately the impending arrival of my brother draws near."
"And why is that?"
Niklaus was probably Louisa's least favorite being in the world. She found him to be very arrogant, rude, and untrustworthy. His very presence was disturbing to her. It was especially so when she was younger. Louisa often flocked to Elijah's side to escape him. Thank goodness the Mason family was immune to vampire compulsion tricks.
But why Niklaus hated her family so much, Louisa wasn't entirely sure…
The nobler of the two Originals just looked onward out the window. Growing a bit frustrated, Louisa rose from her seat and stopped at his side. "Well, Elijah," she said.
"He broke the curse last night."
Louisa's eyes grew like saucers, unsure if she heard him correctly. "What," she asked him.
"Klaus broke the curse," Elijah repeated.
Louisa shook her head. "I don't understand. How did this happen? How did you let this happen?"
Elijah raised his brow. "It wasn't exactly how I planned it-"
"How did you plan it then," she interrupted him. "How was it suppose to end, Elijah?"
"With his death," stated Elijah simply. "But due to unforeseen complications, I must now reevaluate my initial plan."
"Wonderful," she said sarcastically.
"Klaus will require a witch to make sure his tactics go accordingly." Elijah approached her. "A witch with generations on top of generations of magic under her belt."
"Alright, I get it," she said quickly. "You came to warn me. You plan to protect me too," she asked him. Elijah smiled a bit, but said nothing. "So, what's the big bad wolf agenda now that he's out of the cage?"
"As you know, by breaking the curse," began Elijah, "Klaus has released his werewolf bloodline, becoming the most powerful creature in the supernatural world. It has always been his wish for there to be others like him."
"Hybrids," Louisa confirmed.
Elijah nodded. "The fusion of vampire and werewolf bloodlines will be very lethal and very dangerous."
"With an army like that Niklaus would be unstoppable," of that she was positive.
"That's the idea." Both Louisa and Elijah turned quickly at the voice that sounded behind them. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. "And please Louisa, call me Klaus."