Here's chapter 2! Still nervous about this story. Also, keep in mind that Elena's only sixteen, almost seventeen, so she's still pretty young and naive about a lot of things.

Chapter 2

"Lady Elena, would you care to join me for a walk about the gardens?" Lord Finn asked as he approached Elena's sitting form in the music room.

Her slender fingers stilled on the piano keys as she looked up, a smile coming across her face, "I would love to, my Lord."

She took his arm and allowed him to lead her from the palace, trying to keep her blush from breaking through. She felt the most comfortable around Lord Finn and she was thankful that he sought her out that day. She had been feeling most lonely in the palace since Lord Elijah had granted her freedom among the city. She had no reason to go into town alone and had decided to bury herself in books and music.

Lord Finn sensed her happiness and led her to a wall of roses, looking down at her with a smile on his lips, "What are you thinking about, my Lady?"

"How beautiful the roses are, my Lord," she said softly, reaching out and brushing the baby soft pink petals of the flower fondly, "We don't have roses like this in my homeland. It most peculiar to see such a color that seems so pure."

"What colors are you familiar in seeing, my Lady?"

Her brow scrunched adorably as she thought about it, "Yellow. We have many yellow roses in my country."

Lord Finn nodded before gesturing to the next row of roses, "And what do you think of these roses?"

Elena turned and cringed as she saw the roses in question. The crimson color of the flowers seemed to cause a sense of anxiety that she couldn't place. Her small hands began to shake as she looked away, turning her back to the flowers and gazing at the rest of the gardens instead. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steel her voice, "I do not care for the color, my Lord. It…it is not one I favor."

Hearing the shake in her voice, he wanted to smack himself as he realized what the color must've reminded her off. She may not have the full memory of witnessing Klaus feed, but he was sure that she was retaining some memory of it, however small it might be.

"Come, my dear," he said softly, taking her hand and leading her away from the bad memories plaguing her mind, "May haps there's a different part of the gardens you would enjoy more."

Elena nodded gratefully and was surprised when they stood in front of one of the many fountains on the property. Disentangling herself from him, she stepped closer and ran her fingertips along the water, delighting in the cool nip that graced her.

"Do you swim, my Lady?" Lord Finn asked, hovering behind her.

"Not very well," she admitted, before turning to face him, "I know enough to not drown, but surely there is more to know than just that."

He laughed, "If you'd like to practice, there's a pond against the north side of the palace. I would make sure that no one would bother you."

"And who would there be to possibly bother me?" She asked cheekily, a coquettish smile gracing her full lips as her doe eyes sparkled, "Lords Elijah and Niklaus hardly leave the palace. I think you'd rather have me all to yourself, my Lord."

"As appealing as that sounds, Lady Elena, I assure you that my other siblings will be arriving home eventually," he smiled, "And I'm quite sure that my brother wouldn't mind gazing upon your beauty."

Elena blushed, "I may have the title of Lady, my Lord, but underneath all of this I am still but a peasant. Your brother would rather associate with ladies of noble birth, I'm sure."

"Do not discredit yourself, my Lady," Finn said softly. Did this woman in front of him truly not see just how beautiful she was? She could use her looks to her advantage and try to gain favor with Klaus, yet she reserved herself to being nothing more than a peasant girl. Sighing, he shook his head as he gazed into her chocolate eyes, "You are just as beautiful as a woman who comes from noble birth. Any man would be considered foolish to look away from you."

She looked down for a moment before meeting his stare once more, "If I may be so bold, my Lord, you and your brothers are all of marrying age, yet you remain alone."

"Yes," Finn acknowledged, "I suppose you could say that we have yet to find a suitable woman to…tolerate us."

"You do not need to be tolerated, my Lord," she said honestly, reaching forward and grasping his large hand in her small one, " I cannot speak for your brothers, but I find your company most enjoyable. I know it must seem silly because I am still so young, but you are more than tolerable to me."

That weird sensation was back in his chest as soon as her speech left her lips. She was something else, that was certain, but what could she possibly mean to him? He was a vampire. An Original vampire. He had no business even considering a stirring for a human girl. Especially when Klaus was simply going to sacrifice her for the sake of his curse.

Pushing away his thoughts, he gathered his wits as he cleared his throat, "Come, my Lady. It will be dark soon. We should retire before it gets too late."

Elena giggled as she ran through the gardens, the wind blowing wildly through her long mahogany hair, a chuckling Finn on her heels.

She had begun to become more lax with her appearance, allowing herself to be in simpler dresses and not tying her hair up elegantly. Her nose was buried in books whenever she was alone and she saw no need to dress up for her literary company.

Lord Finn had called on her more often in the past week, always seeking her company even if it was just for afternoon tea. He suggested books for her to read and even taught her a few new pieces on the piano, always correcting her gently when she played the wrong key. He had even been more lax in her title that, in return, caused her to slip sometimes as well.

Coming to a stop in front of a large oak tree, she turned and grabbed her middle, nearly in a fit of giggles as she gasped out, "Why…why do you…never catch me?"

Lord Finn stopped a good five feet from her, taking in her flushed cheeks and inviting brown eyes, he couldn't help the smile that came over his face, "If I catch you, my dear Elena, then the game will be over. It's much more enjoyable to chase you until you tire."

"But once I tire, the game is over, is it not?" She asked cheekily, leaning her back against the tree. She loved when he chased her. She loved being something worthwhile that he would engage in, willingly wasting time.

He regarded her with interest, trying to decipher her angle before he finally said with certainty. "In a way, yes, but then the game restarts the next day and I have all day to chase you once more."

She laughed, "I quite enjoy this game, but I'd like it if you were to catch me at least once, my Lord."

He watched as she abruptly fell to the ground and spread her arms wide as she stared at the sky. His brow furrowed as he observed her, his curiosity piqued, "My dear, what on earth are you doing?"

"Do you believe in love, Lord Finn?" She asked so softly that his advanced hearing only barely picked it up.

He pursed his lips thoughtfully, "I must admit that I used to. But when one has been around for so long, it seems as if love is merely a fool's dream."

"You're not nearly old enough to discredit the thought of love, my Lord," she said wistfully before tilting her head up to look at him, "If one ceases to believe in love, then what is the point? How do we go on in our lives without a goal that we would fall in love?"

"That 'we would fall in love'?" Lord Finn sputtered slightly, his eyes wide at her words.

She blushed crimson as she averted her eyes from his form, "I merely meant in general, my Lord. Please, forgive me for my foolish words; sometimes I speak without thinking."

"Never apologize for your words, my sweet," he said softly, sitting down by her head and running a lazy hand through her dark locks that were splayed upon the grass, "I find that the most honest words are spoke when the mind isn't paying attention."

Elena closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his hand playing with her hair. Normally, she would shy away from such an intimate touch of a man, but she found herself enjoying it immensely. The warm daylight was beating down on her and she felt herself become alive with the gardens around her.

"What are you thinking about, my Lady?" He asked softly, his gaze never wavering from her angelic face.

"I'm thinking about how it would feel to fall in love," she said quietly, keeping her eyes closed, "Would it feel natural, as if being eased into it? Or would it feel as if you were falling with no destination?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, equally as quiet, "However, I'd like to think that it would feel like a bit of both," he paused his ministrations of stroking her hair as he became lost in thought, "It should feel natural to be that close to a person you're falling in love with, but it should also be an adventure. It should never be dull."

"Never dull," she repeated in a whisper, opening her eyes against the sunlight and seeking the comforting hazel eyes she'd been getting lost in for weeks, "I would think that I'd like something like that."

Lord Finn reached out a stroked her cheek softly, "You will have that, my dear. You'll get to experience love and all that it has to offer."

Elena lay in her bed, her mind going over the events of the day. What on earth was she doing with Lord Finn? She had never grown attached to a male before and the thought was beginning to frighten her. In her mind, she had all these romantic notions of how relationships were supposed be, but she wasn't sure. Her parents' marriage was a result of an arrangement and there had been no love there, but she had seen her friends fall head over heels for men in their village.

She wanted love, not practicality. She wanted passion and happiness and security. While she was young, her heart knew what it desired. Perhaps she was confusing a relationship with a mere friendship, but Lord Finn was unlike anyone she had met.

Sighing, she rolled over and begged sleep to claim her so her mind would cease working. The thoughts running through her head her beginning to make her dizzy. Sudden small pains were digging into her abdomen and she gritted her teeth slightly. She had never experienced a pain as sharp as this and it worried her slightly. Closing her eyes tightly against the pain, she felt the sticky tendrils of sleep come over her and she submitted willingly.

Finn laid in bed, listening to her breathing even out. He had wondered why it had taken her so long to fall asleep, but he didn't dwell on it. His vampire hearing was both a blessing and a curse depending on the situation and being able to monitor what she was doing from so far away was a bit of both.

Five centuries was a long time to be without love, yet he had never found a woman worthy of such affection. Even when he was human, he had not come across a woman worth sharing his bed and he refused to lay with a woman he had no feelings for.

After his transition, his morals had become even more intense. Each of his siblings had abandoned their humanity and gave into the bloodlust, yet Finn couldn't. Perhaps it was because he was the oldest, but he simply couldn't let his vampirific nature win against his humanity.

Elena intrigued him, far more than he'd care to admit. Klaus had always said that love was a vampire's greatest weakness and he didn't dare admit his love for her, even if it was still just budding. He couldn't fathom for her to be used against him in any way; he would never allow anything bad to happen to her because of him.

Finn turned over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling when the coppery smell of blood hit his nostrils. Leaping from the bed, he was instantly alert as he followed the scent, his face draining of color when he was led to Elena's room. From inside, he could hear slight whimpers and soft moans and he wasted no time slipping inside to confront whatever was hurting her.

He was greeted by emptiness; Elena was in her bed, illuminated by the few candles that were still burning in her room, seemingly having a nightmare, but that didn't explain the smell of blood. He cautiously walked over to her, apprehension coloring his noble features until he stood by her bedside, watching her in confusion.

"No…please…" Elena whimpered, thrashing about amongst the feather comforters. Moisture sparkled on her brow and her hair was damp with sweat, her body only becoming more tangled in the bedding as she moved.

Finn reached out hesitantly, stroking his hand along her cheek as he cooed, "Elena? Elena, darling, wake up, please."

Her eyelids fluttered before she gasped and opened her eyes, "No! No, please…"

"It's all right, Elena," he said softly, trying not to spook her anymore than she already was, "You're safe, you were dreaming."

Her brown eyes looked up at him in confusion, betraying her own fear as she whispered, "Finn? What…what happened?"

He sat down beside her, taking her hand and rubbing reassuring circles along the back of it, "You're okay now. I could hear you…you were upset and I thought I should come check on you."

Before she could think any better of it, she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. She couldn't remember her dream, but she knew it had been horrible. She had felt alone and she had been in so much pain. Crying into his tunic, he could hear her muffled apologies.

Without a thought, he wrapped his arms around her as he stroked her hair. She needed comfort and he could give her that much at least. She deserved someone that cared about her for her in the forsaken castle and he was more than ready to accept that position. Placing a comforting kiss atop her head he murmured, "Everything's all right now. I won't let anything hurt you, I promise, darling."

"It hurts," she whimpered, clinging to him tighter. The pains in her stomach had increased tenfold and she was almost positive that was the cause of her nightmare to begin with.

Finn's brow furrowed as he caught the sense of blood once more. Taking her shoulders, he pulled her away so he could look at her as he asked, "What hurts, my dear?" He cradled her delicate face in his hands and thumbed away her tears, "Tell me so that I may help you."

"My s-stomach," she stuttered, looking down.

"Show me," he commanded softly, letting go of her face reluctantly.

Elena complied, sitting up more and untangling herself from the mess she had made. Throwing back the comforters, she gasped in horror seeing her nightdress stained with dark crimson. She reached out and drew her slip further up her legs to reveal more blood stained across her thighs. Looking up, her brown eyes were wide in confusion and alarm at what was happening.

As soon as he had seen where the blood was coming from, he knew what was happening. His Elena was merely becoming a woman and she had no idea how to handle it. To say she was innocent would be an understatement; she didn't seem to know much, if anything, about her own body yet. His vampire features were begging to come out and play, but the human side of him did not see her as a meal. No, his human side recognized her as a girl that he cared deeply about; he couldn't harm her no matter how tempting she may be.

"W-what's wrong w-w-with m-me?" She sobbed, her small fingers digging into the lace of her slip harshly. Tears were running down her cheeks in earnest as she looked to him for answers that she didn't have.

Taking a deep breath, Finn carefully took her hands in his, staring into her eyes to help calm her, "Everything is fine, Elena. When…when a girl reaches a certain point in her life, she becomes a young lady and that results in…what you're experiencing now. I can call your handmaiden in here if you'd like. It's, ah, not exactly appropriate for me to be having this conversation with you. It's normally a woman to woman matter."

She nodded, looking down with embarrassment. Her voice was so small when she spoke that he almost felt his heart break, "Can you help me clean up? I…I would just like to go back to sleep…"

Placing a kiss to her forehead, he got up and disappeared, returning with a bowl of water and a few towels. Sitting once more on the bed, he dipped one of the towels in the water and wrung it out before lifting her slip slightly. He rubbed away the crimson that was staining her thighs, always careful to remain modest about his actions. He focused on the small sobs that were still escaping her chest and felt pity for her. She needed to be home with her family, not hidden away in some palace waiting to be sacrificed.

When Finn was satisfied with his work, he picked her up, setting her on one of the chairs in her room. Turning his attention back to the bed, he methodically stripped the blankets and comforters before replacing them with fresh ones. He went to her wardrobe and pulled out a clean nightdress and handed it to her, turning around as he spoke, "Change into that, my Lady. I won't look until you've finished."

Elena took off her ruined nightdress and quickly slipped the new one on, making a noise of completion when she was finished. When he turned to face her again, his face was full of concern as he scooped her up once more and set her atop the fluffy blankets, making sure that she as comfortable.

Laying her back, he pulled the blankets around her, making her cozy inside. Giving her a gentle smile, he whispered, "If you need anything, come get me, my darling. I'll be sure to send your handmaiden in first thing tomorrow."

She looked up at him gratefully, "Thank you, Finn. I don't know what I would've done if I was alone…"

"You're safe as long as I'm around," he said softly, bending down and kissing her forehead lovingly, "I promise."

Weeks had gone by since Elena had discovered Klaus feeding. She and Finn had begun to create a sort of friendship, which greatly please Klaus.

"You've seemed to befriend the doppelganger, brother," Klaus observed as he sat across from Finn at the breakfast table, "It's probably a good thing that you've been preoccupying her time; we wouldn't want her to grow suspicious, would we?"

Finn gritted his teeth, "Of course not. She's no trouble at all."

"It would seem as if you care for this girl," Klaus observed, a cruel smile forming on his lips, "You realize that once the moonstone is found, she will meet her end, correct? There's no reason to form an attachment to her."

The sharp retort died on his lips as Elijah strode in, a parchment letter in his hand. He cleared his throat before handing it to Klaus and smiling, "Kol will be returning by nightfall tomorrow; Rebekah will be staying behind and following up a lead. She seems to think that this particular informant will pan out. She practically guaranteed we'd have the moonstone by the next full moon."

"Finally," Klaus whispered, his eyes glinting maliciously, "I've been waiting for centuries and to have the knowledge that the curse will be broken is a relief and an excitement all in one."

"The full moon is still almost a month away," Finn observed, distaste coloring his tone.

Elijah looked at his elder brother with confusion, "Finn, are you no longer wanting to help our brother with his endeavors?"

"Why should I help him murder an innocent girl?" The eldest stood, his lip curling in anger, "What has she done to deserve such a fate? She's merely sixteen years old! Couldn't she be allowed to live the rest of her natural life before you take it from her?" He looked at Klaus, his eyes beseeching him to see reason, "You've waited this long, Niklaus, what's a few more decades? You don't have to cut her life short for your own gain."

"You'd side against your own brother for a girl?" Klaus asked in disbelief. None of his brothers had ever dared to defy him, what was so different now? Standing up, he rounded on Finn, the veins beneath his eyes darkening slightly, "Do you forget where your loyalty lies? It should lie with your family, not a simple peasant girl! We promised always and forever. And, besides, she is nearly seventeen. Her birthday falls on the summer solstice; seventeen is still a long life in this country."

Finn sighed exasperatedly, "Perhaps I'm tired of always and forever."

Awful? Horrible? Or did you actually like it? Rebekah and Elena bonding will be in the next chapter!

Leave a review, pretty please!

~Grace