Chapter 19

2 days later

Lucien was standing in the corridor, unable to enter Fay's chamber. The door was slightly open and he looked at Tristan who was brushing Fay's hair. She was sitting on an armchair, staring in front of her with empty eyes. She hadn't moved or spoken a word after they had gotten their memories back. He couldn't bear seeing her like this.

"Here we go," Tristan murmured. "You look beautiful, my darling."

Lucien's eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to tell Tristan to get away from her, but he didn't. He couldn't. Right now, they needed to work together. For Fay.

"Let's get you to bed," Tristan said as he lifted her up. She didn't react in any way as he carried her to the bed and gently laid her across it.

"Are you comfortable?" he asked while tucking her in.

He didn't get any reply.

"Fay," he said as he sat next to her. "Could you please say something, sweetheart? Anything."

She didn't. He sighed and kissed her forehead.

"It's alright," he murmured. "I'm right here and I am not going anywhere. You just take as much time as you need."

Tristan looked up as Lucien walked in and touched Fay's cheek before kissing her forehead.

"I'm here too," he stated. "And I need you to come back to me. I know you can do that, my love."

Tristan was clearly annoyed, but he didn't say anything. Lucien sat on Fay's other side and touched her hair.

"I summoned Katalin here," he stated. "Just in case."

Tristan nodded.

"Good."

Lucien wasn't sure if the witch could do anything for Fay, but right now they needed all the help they could get.

"Should we tell her the truth?" Tristan asked.

"I'm not sure," Lucien admitted.

They had known Katalin for years, but she knew them as Elijah, Niklaus and Rebekah. Just like everyone else they had met during the last century. They had lived the lives of someone else for so long that it was difficult for Lucien to tell which parts of his personality actually belonged to him. Obviously, Tristan had similar problems.

They should have loathed each other, but after living as brothers for over a century, it was difficult for Lucien to define his feelings. They had built this life together, looked after each other, been a family… As confusing as the whole thing was, Lucien couldn't simply erase everything that had happened. Then there was Fay. Their Rebekah.

Both of them had been compelled to love her and protect her. They had certainly done that. Lucien pressed his lips together as he looked at Fay. Unfortunately, compulsions were a tricky thing. The person who had compelled them to love Fay had never defined the nature of that love. As brothers. Those two words would have changed everything.

"Do you still love her?" Lucien asked after a long silence.

"Yes," Tristan replied, keeping his eyes on Fay. "That is the only thing I am sure of."

"Hmm. How should we handle this then?"

Tristan looked up.

"If you think for a moment that I would let you take her…"

"You don't own her," Lucien snapped.

"Neither do you. She is all I have left, and I won't lose her."

"You think you are the only one who has lost something?" Lucien snorted.

Tristan's face was completely blank as he looked at Fay again.

"She was everything to me," Tristan stated. "My sister. I would have done anything for her. And then she betrayed me for a man she barely knew."

"Yes, not a nice feeling, is it?" Lucien huffed. "At least you weren't flogged and mutilated afterwards."

Tristan didn't reply to that, he kept his eyes on Fay.

"I wonder how it worked out for Aurora," Lucien hummed. "Did she get her happy ending with Niklaus."

Tristan still didn't say anything, but Lucien noticed how tense he was. Lucien had to admit that he had never thought that Aurora would choose someone else over her beloved brother. Obviously, Tristan had never thought that either.

"I suggest that right now we concentrate on Fay," Lucien continued. "After she is feeling better, we can make plans for future."

Tristan nodded.

"Fine."

But what if she wouldn't feel better? What if her mind was permanently broken? No, Lucien refused to even think about that. She would get through this; he knew that she would. Gently he touched her cheek with his thumb and looked into her eyes. He couldn't see anything. All the light was gone. Her mind was trying to protect her from the trauma she had experienced.

Fay hadn't deserved it. Why had Rebekah done this to her? Probably because of Aurora. She had likely convinced Rebekah that they needed to get rid of Fay. Why? Had she feared that Niklaus could still have feelings for Fay? It didn't matter.

Lucien had loved Fay for over a century and now when the compulsion was gone, he still loved her. Unfortunately, so did Tristan. That was something they would have to settle at some point, but right now taking care of Fay came first. After she would recover, they could start building a new life. A life that would belong to them.