A/N: The Original family is so awesome! I wanted to show how Elijah and Rebekah could console Klaus when he was hurt and how they vowed their 'Always and forever''.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Always and forever

It was the night after Niklaus and Elijah had allegedly gotten into a sword fight and Mikael had intervened, humiliating Klaus before everyone that was watching.

It wasn't a real duel, he and his brother were just messing around, but their father had to get in between and take Elijah's place in the fight just because they were having some fun. Just because he wanted to show just how worthless his son was and how low he thought of him.

Klaus hated the way Mikael called him 'boy', there was such contempt in his voice and when he attacked him with the sword, Klaus wished he could actually strike a blow to him, just to show him in physical how much he wounded him verbally.

But Klaus was afraid of his father, there was no need to deny that, and there was such a menacing and full of hatred for him glint into his eyes that Mikael managed to take him off guard and harshly throw him with his back on the ground.

In his whole life, Klaus had never heard a word of pride or love from his father, nor had he ever managed to gain his mother's attention and acceptance.

All his father would say to him since he was a child was that Klaus was useless and couldn't achieve anything, that he was nothing more than a boy that fooled himself by pretending he wasn't all alone and everyone wouldn't leave him one day.

Klaus would never admit that Mikael was right, but at that moment, as he lied wide awake in bed while everyone had gone to sleep long ago, he felt his words echoing in his head.

Alone...That was exactly what Klaus felt like.

A single tear escaped from his eyes, and Klaus wiped it furiously with the back of his sleeve. He couldn't let himself cry, not now that he lied on the common bed he shared with his brothers and sister. He couldn't wake them up and let them see how hurt and pathetic he was, so he strove to keep his sobs as inaudible as possible.

He closed his eyes, a few stray tears slowly flowing on his cheeks and soaking on the pillow as he willed himself to fall asleep. Maybe if he did he would stop thinking about all these things that caused him so much pain, but it was more likely that he would nevertheless dream about them, so Klaus tried to stay awake for as long as his tiredness would allow him.

A few minutes passed and Klaus heaved a sigh and opened his eyes again, giving up on the idea of sleeping. He wasn't exactly surprised when he saw Rebekah bending above him in the darkness, her face as pale as one of a ghost and soft, fair hair dangling in long locks above him, tickling him.

His little sister knew him better than anyone. She knew when he was hurt or distressed and when he was hiding his tears. She knew when he was happy or when he concealed a smile of triumph as he winked at her and indicated that she stay quite about it.

Rebakah extended a hand and helped him to his feet, putting a finger on her lips to quite him as they sneaked out of the room, careful not to wake their sleeping siblings. Kol mumbled in his sleep as Klaus shifted his weight and made the mattress groan in protest, but then he rolled on his side and became quiet once again.

Kluas breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't deal with his little brother when he was at this state.

''Hush, Nik.'' she whispered as they passed outside Mikael and Esther's room, and then they were in the open air outside the hut, able to talk again.

A light breeze blew, tousling Niklaus' hair. He sat on the ground and Rebekah's dress rustled softly as she joined him and cuddled close to him. He let his head rest on his sister's shoulder as he turned his gaze towards the sky, admiring the hundred of stars visible against the canvas of the black sky.

''How are you feeling, Nik?'' Rebekah asked, and there was no point in feigning an answear or completely avoiding her question.

''I've been better'', he said and gave Rebekah a small, wry smile.

''Oh, Nik. Why does our family has to be like this?'' she asked and Klaus responded instantly, the pain and accusation in his voice barely covered ''This is my and nobody else' fault, Bekah, don't you see it? You shouldn't do this for me. I don't deserve your love or your concern because I am the one who has torn our family apart.''

A sob threatened to break through Klaus' neck, but he stifled it as he continued, his voice taking a desperate, almost hysterical tone ''There is no point in trying to fix me, because in the end this is all I will end up being: broken and beyond repair. Everyone will leave me alone, so you should stop caring for me.''

He let the tears run freely on his face, at the same time cursing himself for hurting and upsetting Rebekah like this, but he was only telling her the truth. This was the least he could do to her, prevent her from waiting for him when all she should do was relinquish him and go on with her life.

''Mikael was right. I am all alone.'' Klaus whispered and he was bewildered when a voice that didn't belong to Rebekah answear him '' You are not alone, Niklaus.''

Klaus lifted his head, for a crazy moment expecting to see his father standing in the doorway and telling him this, but it was only Elijah who must have woken up, seen they were not in bed and followed them.

Klaus thought that his brother would scold him for taking Rebekah outside so late int he night. Instead, Elijah sat down on the ground on the other side of Klaus and when he wrapped one arm around Niklaus' shoulders, the younger man felt like someone had shaken him viciously and dragged him out of the world of misery he was descending.

''You are our brother, Niklaus and we will not let you be alone.'' Elijah said, and Rebekah shifted so that both she and Klaus were into their older brother's embrace, his arms secured around them.

''He is right, Nik. We will stick together and never leave each other. Always and forever.'' Rebekah said in a soft voice, and those three words seemed to appease Klaus' very shredded wretch of a soul.

''Always and forever.'' Klaus repeated and he let his brother and sister hold him close to them.

At that moment, Klaus could believe it.