AN: Sorry for the long wait! Life is hard and being an adult means having to work stupid hours in order to live and then sleeping during your time off because you're so knackered. I apologise, but here is another update. :) Let me know how you feel about me attempting to re-write this fic!
Again, here's my idea for their ages at this part of time: Finn (25), Elijah (23), Niklaus and Pia (21), Kol (19), Rebekah (18) and Henrik (12). Does that sound about right for everyone? I used the wikia page to help me decipher roughly how old they would all be. I'd say this is about 6 months before they all become vampires.
Song(s) for this chapter: How Long Will I Love You by Ellie Goulding.
Warning(s): None. Just a little heartache at the end.
Although the season of summer usually had the girls wearing light coloured wool and flowers intertwined in their hair, the girl in red was a sight to behold. The deep, blood red dress was in sharp contrast to her pale skin and light hair. Her hands gently tickled the long grass as she walked through the green field.
Pia wasn't going in any particular direction; she merely wished for some quiet away from the busy sounds of the market day within the small town. She had kindly asked Esther if she could walk out by the grass and used an excuse of pains in her head as a reason as to why. Esther had nodded and told her not to stray too far as Pia had a history of wandering off when left to her own devices. Her guardians had brought them all to the market to see what deals could be made that morning. Pia secretly hoped for that white fish that they had had a little while ago in a stew. Esther always knew how to make the tastiest meals from the smallest of ingredients.
The warm breeze made goose pimples rise on her flesh as she basked in the bright rays of the sun. The familiar scent of wildflowers filled her nose as she inhaled deeply. She spread her arms out in a circle and span a little whilst giggling lightly. Oh, she loved the summer. It was bright and beautiful all the time. The days would last longer meaning she could stay up later and the fresh flowers popped up anywhere they could. There was also the surprise birth of a foal in one of the stables nearby the Mikaelson home to add to the joy. It was a wonderful time to be alive. Everything seemed so new and beautiful after breaking free of the dark, cold winter weather.
"AH!" A loud squeak left her mouth as arms wrapped around her waist and picked her up, spinning her even faster in a circle. "Stop!" She laughed as she recognised the hands that held her. A deep chuckle echoed from behind her as Pia was carefully set down amongst the nature she adored so dearly. The soft ground cushioned her back and little strands of grass tickled her neck. Niklaus hovered above her with a smile on his face.
"Did I surprise you?" He gently moved a stray curl out of her face that had fallen from her rushed plait. As usual she had protested about coming to market so Rebekah had had to do the best she could to neaten the wild mane of hair in a short amount of time. Nik found himself adoring the little things that set Pia apart from the rest; her untameable hair was one of his favourites. He loved to run his fingers through it and watch as the curls tangled themselves around his hand as though they did not wish for him to ever stop.
"Yes!" She hit him on the shoulder with a similar toothy grin. "You should be gentler with ladies, Niko." Pia chastised him gently as she traced his jawline with her hands like she was memorising every inch of his face.
"Should I?" He asked softly before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. "Was that gentle enough?"
"There is much room for improvement but it was fine." Pia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her and into a much deeper kiss. She adored moments like this. It felt like they were the only ones that mattered. The long grass hid them from sight and gave them the privacy they needed. It was just the two of them.
"Dear heart, you are a temptress." Nik muttered against her lips as he wanted nothing more than to claim her under the glare of the sun. Alas, he knew better when they were so close to the market. All it would take was for one of the children to wander from their parents. There would be Hell to pay if they were caught. "Come, let us go back." Nik carefully stood and then offered a hand to help Pia from the ground. She took it with a smile and then curtseyed when she righted herself.
"Thank you, sir." She teased as she linked arms with her love. All too soon they were back in the hustle and bustle of the market and wandered over to where the family stood. Her forehead crinkled as the loud noises reached her ears. She hated crowds. Pia immediately thought of running back to the field to get away from the shouts and bellows of people haggling for a cheaper price.
"PIA!" Short arms were thrown around her waist as Henrik greeted her with his usual grin.
"Hello, little one." She teased him as his head only came to her chest, and she knew that he despised being the shortest one within the household. Of course, it didn't help that Niklaus and Kol enjoyed annoying him by placing his belongings on shelves that he couldn't reach and throwing his toys between one another whilst Henrik jumped in the middle trying to catch them.
"I'm growing and soon I'll be bigger than you!" Pia agreed in her head; after suffering from bouts of sickness as a child it seemed as though she was always going to be quite tiny compared to most others, even Rebekah was taller than her now!
"Most men are bigger than ladies, so that will come as no surprise." Henrik moved to her right side and grasped her hand for the walk back to the house. Esther's eyes twinkled as she watched her children follow behind her. Yes, she had made the right decision to have Pia returned to the family… if only she could tell them the truth.
"-and then Kol tripped him so that he fell into the water trough for the horses." Pia shook her head and grinned as Henrik became hysterical whilst recalling how his older brother had gotten revenge on a boy that had pushed Henrik down a few days past. "He looked so silly."
"I'm sure he did, Henrik, but you do know that two wrongs do not make a right, don't you?" She couldn't help but let the mother in her slip out. She adored how Kol protected the youngest Mikaelson but she also recognised how she would need to ensure Henrik did not turn into a careless boy. She would not allow that after helping Esther raise him from a babe.
"I know, Pea. He deserved it though." Pia smiled as Henrik gave her a cheeky grin before he ran ahead to his mother and father. She watched him smile up at his mother fondly.
"He loves you so much, Pia." Niklaus said softly.
"I adore him also. He is going to grow to be a special young man." She could just picture him now with little dark-haired children of his own. "I just hope he finds a lovely girl to settle with when he's of age. He deserves such happiness."
"If he continues to follow your teachings then any girl would be lucky to have him b"- Pia frowned as Niklaus stopped midsentence. She followed his gaze to where he was staring and sighed deeply.
"Leave her be, Niko." Pia said quietly as they stopped in place. Tatia stood over to the side juggling some vegetables whilst her son threw a tantrum and refused to allow his mother to take him back home. "She can handle it. She is a grown woman."
"I could-"
"Niklaus, leave her be. We need to get home with the family." Pia sharpened her tone causing Nik to look down at her frowning.
"I would just be helping her to get the boy home. She is on her own after all."
"She does not need your help, nor do you want to wind up Elijah again." As though on cue the second eldest Mikaelson sibling strayed from the family and began to walk towards the girl that had captured his attention.
"I will just lend a hand." Niklaus brushed past Pia and jogged to catch up with his brother; the both of them immediately bickered over why Tatia needed help from the two of them. Pia watched silently as they assisted Tatia with carrying the vegetables in her arms and exhaled deeply. It would always be a competition until that girl decided to break the heart of one of the brothers. Pia hoped for her own sanity that Nik would come to abandon the girl, but it seemed the almond-shaped eyes of Tatia were too inviting for him. There was something about her that most men in the village could not ignore. It was infuriating.
"Come along, Pea." A voice appeared from behind her. She turned to see Kol extending his arm to her with a small smile on his face. "Do not despair over him. He is making a stupid decision over a silly girl." Pia knew that the siblings had gathered that she and Niklaus had a deeper bond than anyone else knew. It hadn't taken long for them to put the puzzle pieces together and see that the pair was in love. They were always happier when in each other's company, and so for that reason, the siblings had sworn a promise that they would keep the secret. Kol, at that very moment, wished he had not agreed. He watched another piece of the girl in front of him breakaway as his foolish brother chased after another that would more than likely cast him aside when faced with making a choice.
"I'm coming." Pia whispered and accepted Kol's arm. She rested her head on him as they walked and sniffled quietly. It hurt her to see two people she loved fight over someone that basked in the attention. It hurt her even more as she pondered on the fact that Nik may not love just her. "He will see that she is not worth it."
"Will he? Perhaps he does not deserve your patience or willingness to give him time to see that he is making a mistake."
"I love your brother, Kol. I will always give him time to see the error of his ways."
"Even if he continues to break your heart with his poor decisions?"
"He is the air that I breathe every day.
"He is the blood that flows through me.
"He is my soulmate and I am his.
"Sometimes little things are sent to try us, and then that gives us an opportunity to show what really matters."
"You are prepared for him to hurt you?"
"I am prepared to fight for something I need until my last breath. I will always be his, and he will always be mine… no matter what trials may come our way."
How long will I love you
As long as stars are above you
And longer if I can
How long will I need you
As long as the seasons need to
Follow their plan
How long will I be with you
As long as the sea is bound to
Wash up on the sand
-How Long Will I Love You by Ellie Goulding-
