Chapter 2
April 1912
Elijah raced to the docks in New York, his brother Niklaus and his sister Rebekah were still in New Orleans, but he had to be sure they had lived. After the HMS Titanic, which carried his goddaughter and the woman he loved had sank, he had to be sure they were alive. He had made a vow to protect them and he had to uphold that vow.
He reached the docks just as the Carpathia was unloading its Titanic survivors. He listened carefully with vampiric hearing for the odd heartbeat of his goddaughter, a slower beat than the average human. He found it and rushed to the dockside where he found two women huddled together, a young girl in their arms.
"Amelie!" Elijah called and she lifted her head gingerly and gasped before standing and racing to hug him tightly, her daughter pressed between them on the dockside.
"Elijah. You found us." She cried, handing their daughter to him.
"I will always find you. Hello, Mikaela." He hugged the girl who cried too and nuzzled her head into his neck. No doubt terrified of the events she had witnessed the night before. "You are safe. I have you."
Amelie turned to the older woman and helped her to her feet.
"You remember my mother, Elijah. Mama, c'est Elijah Mikaelson." The elderly woman hugged him too and Elijah smiled.
"Bonjour, Madam Pierre." He kissed the elderly woman's cheeks in a friendly greeting before returning Mikaela to her feet and linking both of Amelie and her mother's arms as they left down the dockside to get them signed off and back into his care. Mikaela took her mothers hand tightly in her own. In her mothers coat pocket was the sole piece of their life in England- a silver photograph frame which Amelie treasured dearly.
Elijah couldn't pretend that he wasn't pleased that his friend was safe and finally free from that low life, Nathaniel who was presumed dead, but for his goddaughter's sake he pretended to be sad- she had lost the only father she had truly known. When they got to the survivors check in desk Elijah was stunned to discover Amelie had told the sailors her surname was Mikaelson and that it was the surname of her daughter too. Her mother remained Pierre.
He gave her an inquisitive gaze. "In case he lived. I do not wish him to find us." She explained and he hugged her tightly. Elijah knew she was referring to the fact he had been a violent man to her during their marriage.
"Come along then, Mrs Mikaelson. I found you an apartment in New York itself." He teased as he led the two women and the ten year old off to the subway and into New York.
He made sure they were settled before he left them and headed back to New Orleans. Amelie saw him to the door and hugged him.
"Thank you, Elijah." She kissed his cheek.
"I am glad you are safe. As I said, I will always protect you." He smiled, Amelie still in his arms.
"My protector." Amelie laughed and kissed him full on the mouth. Elijah responded and held her close before pulling away.
"Always. Now I must go, dearest Amelie. Niklaus needs me." Elijah released her, stood back and ran down the steps.
"See you next week!" Amelie called, not knowing that next week would be the last time she saw him.