Chapter 1
Apologises, old friend.
Alana sat in her office at the school when a knock sounded at the door. She rose from her seat, her black hair glistening in the autumn light, and opened it. She squealed as the figure behind the door was revealed, a tall man of a strong build with tousled brown hair, longer in length that he had previously worn it and with piercing hazel eyes in which she could see herself. The man laughed, a deep, throaty sound that reached her ears and made her think of home.
"Elijah. What are you doing here?" She said, her accent revealing her to be English with a hint of a French background. She laughed herself, and took the tall man by the hand and dragged him into her office, slamming the door shut behind them with a gentle kick. She had to stand on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck, his hands settling at her waist.
"Hello, my dear." He smiled against her cheek. "A pleasure to see you too." He pulled away from her and his face was composed into a sad smile. "The veil is gone. I am afraid I was not able to ascertain your brother from the other side before it collapsed. My apologises old friend."
She trembled in his arms but remained upright. "I see. Thank you for trying though, Elijah. But you're not just here to convey condolences are you?" Alana said simply, quirking a eyebrow up at him as I said the last sentence and he smiled.
"You know me well. No, that is not my only reason for calling upon you today. I have need of your powers, my dear. Rather urgently I fear." She shot him a puzzled look. He sighed before explaining. "Niklaus has lost his daughter. There are enemies in New Orleans who would have us dead, Alana, and we need your help to protect our family- well, what's left of it anyway."
"Of course I shall help. When do you need me?" Alana said quickly, realising the urgency in his voice. He smiled.
"When do I ever not need you dear? This evening would do."
"Well go now. I'll just swing by and grab a bag of things." Alana said as she flitted around her office gathering, bag, high heeled shoes which she hopped into as she moved, and then grabbed her coat off the hook behind the door.
"You would do that for me, Alana? Drop everything you have planned to assist me in restoring my family to its rightful place?" Elijah asked, voice choked with emotion and gratitude.
"I would do anything for you, Elijah. My old friend." Alana kissed his cheek and then they exchanged a smile before he took her arm and steered her out of the school's endless corridors and to his car.
Elijah wondered around Alana's sitting room as she flitted about in the next room gathering a few things, including her passport, grimoire and enough cash to last her several days- even though Elijah would insist on paying for everything- as he always did. When she returned she found him looking at a painting in a frame on her dresser. She stood and watched him for a moment before he noticed her presence. He replaced the frame and turned to her.
"You kept it?"
"Of course. You are my best friend Elijah. Why wouldn't I keep it?" She smiled as her eyes passed over the picture of herself an Elijah in Paris during the revolution years when they had first met. It was a miniature Klaus had painted for her, a gift for eternity he had said. Little did she know that he was right. Their friendship was a gift for eternity.
"Let us be going, Alana." Elijah said politely, taking her leather travel bag off her and carrying it for her, as he offered her his other arm. They left her flat together and Alana closed the door on her old life and walked out into her new.
