Chapter Song: Hurts Like Hell by Fleurie

Disclaimer: One of the scenes here is inspired by the webtoon "I tamed a tyrant and ran away". And I do not own The Vampire Diaries or The Originals. This is purely a work of Fanfiction.

~Recap from Chapter 19~

Love wasn't meant to be easy. She had chosen Elijah and damn it all, she wasn't just going to give up. She couldn't just accept the destiny written out in the show! Faith was going to keep fighting for him. She was going to keep choosing him. Even when it's hard, she was going to choose him.

"Hello? Earth to Faith." Noticing that Faith had gone still, Katherine waved her hand in Faith's face in an attempt to draw her out from her thoughts.

Without warning, Faith stood up, startling Katherine. Faith grabbed her bag and notebook from her then started racing back to the house.

True love is not true unless it has been tested.

She couldn't give up. She couldn't give up on her Elijah.

~TGITW~

Chapter 20: Memories

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

Faith's POV

It was one of the rare moments when he smiled.

When he smiled truly.

The other times his face would show indifference or pain, but this time he smiled.

And I loved that I was the reason for it.

That's when the dream ended and I woke up in the middle of the night. I dreamt about Elijah again. A different Elijah. A clean-shaven man dressed in a suit. Not only did he looked different, he felt different. He was more stoic and serious with a heaviness to him. This man was different from my Elijah but was also the same.

The Elijah I had come to know was happier. He smiled more. He was more playful and had less worries. My Elijah was a free-spirit. But there were times that I also sense an uncertainty coming from him. He was an adolescent with the responsibility of being an older brother. It was natural that he would feel insecure in his role, wondering if he could live up to the expectations of his family.

It was very much like the Elijah in my dreams. A man who was so fixated on his family. A man who was trying to live up to the expectations that had been placed on him.

My heart ached at the thought.

I still had a hard time deciphering my dreams. I couldn't quite distinguish what was real and what was not. Often, the two would interlap.

But knowing what awaits the Mikaelsons was a heavy burden.

I had already decided to help the Mikaelsons but random thoughts still plagued me. Things like: This world wasn't real. This was stupid. I won't be able to change anything.

When those thoughts overwhelm me, I would find myself wallowing in self-pity. And I would often cry myself to sleep.

Tonight was different. It seems that I was not the only one awake in the middle of the night. Elijah had come inside with a worried expression.

Seeing him was like an invitation. I allowed myself to be vulnerable and burst into tears.

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

Elijah's POV

She was crying.

All I wanted to do in that moment was to hold her in my arms and so I did. I rushed to her side and drew her close to me. I embraced her tightly as if she would disappear any second.

She sobbed into my arms and started mumbling words I could barely understand. I didn't know what was making her cry. In fact, I couldn't care less. I hated whatever it was that was causing her such pain.

When she finally stopped crying, we sat in the silence for a while. I wanted to say all sorts of things to comfort her but couldn't find the right words. In the end, I said nothing, hoping that my presence beside her was enough to communicate what I felt. That I was there for her. That I would listen to her and protect her. That it hurt me to see her like this.

As the minutes passed by, I could feel her heartbeat steady and her body relax. I glanced down at her and saw that she was fast asleep. Slowly, I settled her into the cot and left the hut.

As Niklaus and I walked into the night, he stopped me and asked, "What did you say to her?"

I smiled then shrugged.

I didn't say anything. Not a word. She didn't even tell me what it was all about. But sometimes being present was simply enough. Sometimes actions spoke much more powerfully than words.

I kept on walking into the night.

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

Niklaus' POV

Ever since I saw Faith dancing in the moonlight, things have changed.

That night, I made a decision. I was going to give her up. I couldn't be selfish with her, not when I knew she would be happier with Elijah. And as much as I loved her, family came first. My brother deserved her more than me.

It just hurt to be around her knowing that I could never have her, so I had been avoided her.

Tonight was a night of dancing and drinking sorrows away. I danced with Tatia in an attempt to forget everything. But even when I kissed the girl, my heart still ached. I just could not ignore my feelings.

Finally, I hid myself in the woods, away from the party. A bottle of drink my only companion.

As I drank, I heard a twig snap. Looking up, I saw Faith approach me with an awkward smile.

"Can we talk?"

When I didn't answer, she sat on the log beside me.

"Niklaus, please." She pleaded. "Talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about." I answered her solemnly.

"Something's wrong, something's bothering you."

"Whatever it is, I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help." I growled silently back.

"You can't do this on your own," Faith replied. "No one can. There are people around you who care about you, who will strengthen you. No one achieves great things on their own, much less life."

"Well, I will prove you wrong." I replied stubbornly. "I will achieve it all. I will prove Father and you wrong."

"Don't," She whispered back. "Don't push people away."

"What do you know? You don't even know where you came from." I snapped at her.

I regretted it immediately. The hurt expression on her face sobered me up instantly.

"Wait, Faith, that's not what I meant…" I tried to grab her hand as she stood up.

"No, I know exactly what you mean…" Faith pushed my hand away and started to head back to the village.

She stopped after a few steps and turned back to face me. The look of disappointment was clear on her face.

"What was the point of having everything if there was no one to share it with?"

I knew it then. I had crossed some sort of line with her. It had been the night I had lost her.

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 1000 A.D.

Faith's POV

I had caught a glimpse of who he would become.

The angry man who pushes people away. Someone who was so consumed by his own pain.

When I first met Niklaus, he had been different from what I expected. I never imagined that he could be such a gentle soul. I couldn't reconcile the man I saw in the future with the youth before me. The older Niklaus was angry, selfish, and violent. The younger man was gentle, kind, and empathetic.

There was something about that conversation that rubbed me the wrong way. I wasn't sure if it was the tone he used with me or the way he refused to accept any help. Either way, I saw a different side of him tonight.

As I marched back home, I let myself calm down. I guess I might have let my temper get away from me as well. Just like Niklaus, I could be just as stubborn and determined. I know I can be quick-tempered as well. On the upside, I was also quick to cool down and let bygones be bygones. After a fight though, I would usually feel bad. I should have been more patient with Niklaus.

We are only reflections of what we have seen. If people have been good to us, it's natural for us to show good. If we've been hurt by people, we tend to hurt those around us as well.

And Niklaus has seen a lot of hurt. Whether he wanted it or not, the hurt had become part of who he was.

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 1001 A.D.

Elijah's POV

Everything she did was endearing to me.

I treasured the moments we were together.

But now it feels like I've broken it all.

Faith has always believed in me. She has always seen the best of me, even when I couldn't. she saw me as honorable. She saw me as a good brother. She saw me as someone who loved family above all. Somewhere along the road, I realized I wanted to be that person she believed in. I wanted to become the person that she sees me to be. Someone who would fight for family, who would sacrifice for family.

But now I feel ashamed to look at her.

I had let my brother down. I had let Niklaus down.

The moment our father put his hand on him, I should have stepped up. I should have protected him.

But I didn't. I failed.

I couldn't bear to face her. I was afraid of what she would say.

Instead, she surprised me.

Later that night, when I came across her, there was no condemnation on her face. Rather, she embraced me the moment she saw me.

"People do irrational things when they are grieving," She explained in defense of Mikael. "When they are sad or angry, they lash out at others. Hurt people end up hurting others."

She didn't hold my failure against me. Somehow, she still saw hope in me.

It hardened my resolve. I would be a better man, a man deserving of her.

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 1001 A.D.

Niklaus' POV

What have you done mother?

I asked without really expecting an answer. My siblings were asleep around me, but I couldn't fall asleep. Out mother had set us down on a path of no return.

I stared at the ashes coming out of the fire. Although my siblings promised to be with me, I still felt alone. I had lost the one thing I treasured the most.

Faith's smiling face flashed through my mind.

She only ever smiled at him like that. Never at me. A smile that expressed true happiness. I recalled the first time she smiled at Elijah like that. I thought to myself, what was the smile she showed me the entire time then?

It was as if the gods were laughing at me, or perhaps punishing me. Here I was in love with my brother's girl. Elijah even got me to carve a necklace for Faith. I had been reluctant to do so but ended up doing it at Elijah's insistence. He had pleaded with me to help him to confess to Faith.

And like the fool, I was, I helped him. I remember watching them together and trying to look happy for them and all I could manage was to look coldly at them.

In the end, what did being selfless get me? Nothing.

I can't stop thinking about how I could have saved Faith.

Never again.

I don't care if people see me as selfish. I was going to think about me first! I will never let things I love slip away again!

~TGITW~

MYSTIC FALLS. 1001 A.D.

Elijah's POV

Faithful and true.

These words held little meaning for me now. It might be best if we forgot it altogether.

The woman who promised to be faithful and true was gone. All that was left was my family.

And no matter what, I would never leave them. I will put them before anything else. Family above all.

Always and forever.

Faith might have broken her promise, but I would never break my word.