A second chance

Princess Sarah / The Originals

Time passed and, over the years, Sarah grew up into a very happy young woman. She loved all of the Mickealsons, differently but dearly, and she was glad for the fact that they were immortal and couldn't die. They made her feel safe and protected.

Rebekah was like a mother to her, even though they now looked the same age, their relationship never changed. They were friends, but also mother and daughter when they needed it. Rebekah was happy to finally have another girl she could trust around and she told Sarah her deepest secrets, knowing that the young girl would keep them. They'd stay close forever and they knew that they could count on each other.

Klaus had stayed a second father to Sarah. She loved and respected him and had a great influence on him. Ever since she entered their lives, Klaus was nicer, less murderous. He was willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, to give them a chance to make up for their mistakes. He and Sarah spent a lot of time together and he was very protective of her. He loved their time together because it always reminded him that someone gave him a chance, that there was hope for him and for his family. Sarah was, to him, the symbol that they could be human and strong at the same time.

Marcel had naturally become an overprotective big brother to Sarah. He was the one who showed her the town, the one who watched over her when she had friends over and the one who made sure her letters to her friends in London left safely and that her replies arrived in her hands. He always watched over her when she went in town and always made sure she was safe, wherever she was.

Elijah and Kol also loved Sarah but they weren't as close to her as the others. Kol was the fun uncle Sarah laughed with, the one she could go to whenever she wanted to laugh and smile more but Elijah was the one she enjoyed the most because of their shared love of books. She had considered him a friend from the beginning and had never been able to bring herself into calling him "Uncle", knowing deep down that he was meant to be more.

For Sarah's 12th birthday, they surprised her by taking her back to London (they all went this time) for a visit, where she was able to spend some time with Peter, Becky and her other friends from the school. Peter had grown into a nice young man and had kept in touch with Sarah through letters, keeping her informed of everything and promising to come and visit her in New Orleans as soon as he could. His new dream had quickly become to move there and be closer to Sarah and her great family.

When Sarah turned 16, her friend Becky surprised her by coming to New Orleans. She had finally left her family and her job in London to try her luck in America. Of course Klaus and Marcel found her a great place rather quickly, as a hand maiden in their household. She was paid to spend time with Sarah and help her out whenever Sarah needed it and Becky loved it. She was happy and had even learned how to read and count with her friend. They had trusted her with the Mickealson's biggest family secret and she decided to trust them and kept their secret. 2 Years later, she left them to get married to a young marine officer she met at one of the Mickealson's parties, much to Kol's dismay.

Kol had developed feelings for Becky over time but had never said anything, trying his best to keep them hidden. he felt that she deserved a human life if that was what she wanted and so he stood back, watching her fall in love with a human he didn't think was worthy of her.

Shortly after Becky's wedding, Peter arrived in New Orleans.

He had expressed in a letter to Klaus his desire to try his luck in New Orleans and so Klaus sent him a ticket. He had decided to keep his coming arrival a surprise and so, when Klaus came back from his usual business with a surprise guest, Sarah was very happy. Peter had been told about the Mickealson's family secret during their last visit in London and he wasn't afraid. He accepted them the way they were and still considered them friends.

Sarah was a very pretty 18 years old and even though everyone was surprised that she wasn't married yet, she was grateful that her father, Klaus, allowed her to wait until she fell in love. She was even considering changing into a vampire so she'd be able to spend forever with her family. They had all assured her that the choice was all hers and that they's stay by her side, whatever she decided.

To occupy her time, Sarah took care of the town's orphanage. She volunteered there a lot of her time and made sure they had everything they needed and that the children were happy and not exploited like she had been. She hated seeing children work and did her best to make sure they didn't have to work hard to just survive. She read to them, taught them how to read and how to count. She believed strongly that a good education was the key to having a great future.

.

"Sarah, are you okay, Sweetheart?" Klaus asked his adoptive daughter when he saw her looking nostalgically out to the town from her spot on the balcony.

"I think so." She replied with a smile.

"You think so? That usually means no. What's wrong?" He asked her as he went to stand by her side.

"I don't know what to feel."

"What do you mean? About what?" he was confused.

"I thought that Elijah was just my best friend but with time and my growing up, I realized that what I feel for him is more than that and now that Peter is here... I know that Peter has always had feelings for me and that he still does. I think I do too. So what am I supposed to do? How do I know which one I love the most? Does Elijah even see me this way?" Sarah asked him honestly.

She knew that she could always speak to him about these things.

"Wouldn't Rebekah be better to speak to about this?" He asked her back with a frown.

"Of course, but she and Marcel left this morning for their trip to Chicago, remember?"

"Right. I... As your father, I'd tell you to ignore the two of them and any feelings you might have for them and to remain my sweet and innocent little girl forever but that wouldn't be the wisest advise ever and if Rebekah heard that I told you that, she'd have my head." Klaus chuckled, making Sarah laugh.

"If you told me that, Rebekah would severely hurt you when she got back." She agreed with a nod.

"I guess you just have to listen to your heart, take the time to make sure what it is you feel for Elijah and Peter. Try to find out if they return your feelings, though if you ask me I'd say it's quite obvious they both do. Elijah might be hiding it better because he's afraid of my reaction but if you were to decide that he's the one for you, I'd make sure he knew I don't mind. You need to figure out what it is you want to do with your life and what each of them would bring you. You've expressed the desire to become a vampire, would Peter even want that?"

"You're right, I guess I have a lot to think about. I know that Peter wants to stay human, he told me so before." Sarah nodded.

"Don't rush things Sarah. That's all I ask of you. Make sure you're doing exactly what you want to do and not what you think we expect of you. All we want is for you to be happy and the one who loves you will want the same thing. Do what's best for you in the long run. If you want to have children, Peter would be the best option, because it's something Elijah can't give you but I also know that you love taking care of the orphanage and if the orphans are enough to fill your motherhood needs, then maybe Elijah would be best. Think about everything, look at every angle." he advised her.

"Thank you, it's actually great advise." She smiled.

"Anytime sweetheart." he smiled before he kissed her forehead and left her to her thoughts.

Klaus left the balcony only to find that Elijah was in the room and had obviously heard everything.

"Were you serious, brother?" Elijah asked Klaus in a low voice so Sarah wouldn't hear.

Klaus motioned for his brother to follow him away from Sarah.

"I am. All I want is for her to be happy. If you're the one for that, then so be it. I'm not an idiot, I've seen things evolve between the two of you ever since she arrived. You were never her uncle and she was never you niece. You were her friend, her best friend and ever since she turned 16 things have changed even more. I saw the way you looked at her at Becky's wedding when she caught the flowers and how you looked at her when Peter arrived. I can tell how you feel and I wouldn't want to stop this, whatever it will be." Klaus replied honestly.

"You surprise me, Niklaus, but thank you. Do you think I should court her or wait for her to figure out how she feels?" Elijah asked his brother.

"I think that you should start to court her now, it might help her figure out how she feels to give her a little push in the right direction, we all know that pressure can be beneficial but, Elijah?"

"Yes?"

"In case she was to chose a future with Peter..."

"Don't worry brother, I shall remain her friend above all. Her happiness is my priority. Always and forever." Elijah replied with a happy smile before he left the room.

.

Sarah was supposed to meet Becky at the market place so they could spend some time together as they bought a few things the orphanage needed but her friend was late, again.

Lately, Becky had been acting differently. She was often late and seemed closed up, more so than usual, and even paler than she was when they worked together as children. When she thought about it, Sarah realized that things had started to change since Becky came back from her honeymoon. She understood that being married could change a person but this was a bit extreme. She could feel that love wasn't behind this change. Something was wrong and she couldn't quite put her finger on it yet.

When she finally arrived, Becky seemed to be trying to hide her exhaustion. Her dress and her entire outfit looked absolutely perfect, maybe too perfect, like it was supposed to distract the eye from looking at her too closely, like she tried to look perfect to blend in the best so people wouldn't look at her too much. Looking closer, Sarah realized that not only Becky was looking a bit sick, paler and with a slight fever maybe, but she walked in a way than hinted she might be trying to hide a pain.

"What's wrong Becky?" Sarah asked her, immediately noticing that something was wrong with her best friend.

She was tired of pretending everything was fine just because Becky didn't want to talk about it, she wanted answers, she wanted to help her friend. She wanted her to be happy. The children of the orphanage could wait a few hours, the few things Sarah wanted to buy today was for one of their parties and she'd be able to get it later.

"I don't know what you mean, Sarah, I'm fine. Shall we start?"

"Please Becky, you know that you can trust me. What's going on with you lately?" As she asked her question, Sarah placed her hand on her friend's arm.

Becky frowned, showing that she was in pain and Sarah knew that she had been right.

"Are you hurt? How did it happen? Why didn't you tell me?" Sarah asked her again.

"I can't, Sarah." Becky shook her head before, eventually, breaking under Sarah's insistence.

Becky told her best friend that her husband had started hitting her a few days after they came back from the honeymoon, that he was never satisfied with the way she did anything and that he told her that if she warned anyone, he'd kill her. He refused her medicine to heal her wounds and insisted that she did absolutely everything his way, even though he had never cooked or cleaned before and didn't know what he was talking about. Becky told her friend that her husband forced himself on her every time he felt like it, not asking her of she wanted it, if she was tired or too sick. She just had to take it and if he wasn't completely satisfied, he'd hurt her again.

Sarah didn't hesitate, she took Becky back to her house, knowing that her family would know how to solve this situation, how to free Becky from her abusive husband and how to get her some justice. She knew that her father would be angry because he hadn't noticed the true nature of Becky's husband but she also knew that he'd take care of everything, he always did.

While Becky hadn't been adopted by the family, Klaus and everyone cared about her and had made sure people knew that she counted as one of them. Kol would be furious though, he had been in love with Becky and had stood back to give her a shot at a human life, because he believed the human husband would be better for her, would make her happier.

Had Rebekah been around, Sarah knew that she'd take care of everything on her own. Her mother figure loved to defend women's rights and she hated seeing a woman be abused by men, even if it was their husband.

They quickly arrived at the house, even though Becky was hesitant and took her time walking there. Sarah almost had to drag her but they eventually made it and Sarah called out:

"Dad! Elijah! Kol!" As she called out to them, Sarah forced Becky to sit down on one of the most comfortable chairs in the yard.

"What's going on? What's wrong?" Elijah asked, being the first to arrive, followed closely by Klaus and Kol.

"Sweetheart? Are you injured?" Klaus asked her as soon as he arrived, immediately checking her out for injuries.

He could detect a faint smell of blood and he knew that his brothers did too.

"Not me, no." Sarah replied, shaking her head, before looking at Becky.

"Becky? Are you alright?" Kol asked.

Sarah knew that her uncle Kol had a thing for Becky but had never worked up the courage to tell her, believing that she'd be happier with a human who'd be able to give her children. She could see in his eyes that he'd take a big part in getting justice for her friend and she was grateful for it. As much as she hated violence, men who hit their wives deserved to be punished and her uncle Kol's wicked ways would be perfect.

"Tell them Becky. They can help and they will. I promise everything will be fine once you tell them everything." Sarah pleaded.

"I... I don't know... I don't think..." Becky shook her head.

"Becky, please. You know what they are, you know they can help. He won't be able to reach you here, you'll be safe. Tell them and he won't hurt you ever again." Sarah pleaded with her friend who eventually nodded.

"I... It's my fault really. I'm not good enough. I should cook faster and be better... I'm not a good enough wife..." Becky started to say before Sarah shook her head:

"It's not your fault Becky! It's his!"

"What's going on?" Elijah insisted.

"He... Sometimes he gets impatient with me... I mean, at first it was not that often, and he always apologized, and now it's more and more often... He... He..." Becky tried to say before she burst into tears and was hugged by Sarah who decided to show them her friend's arm to help them understand.

"He beats you?" Kol exclaimed at the same time as Klaus said:

"He dare abuse you? I won't let this pass! I made it clear when you got married that you were a member of our family and should be treated as such. Elijah, stay here with Becky and Sarah, Kol and I will take care of this." Klaus decided.

"Please, don't get in trouble for me. I'm not worth it." Becky pleaded.

"Of course you are! And we both know that they won't get in any trouble if they don't want to. After everything he's done to you, he deserves the worst. He's lucky mom isn't here. Rebekah would drag his punishment for weeks and make him beg for his life if she was here." Sarah replied, helping her friend inside while Elijah rushed to make some tea to calm down the young woman before he gave her his blood to heal her.

Sarah knew that everything would be fixed quickly. The man who had hurt Becky wouldn't survive their visit, and worst than that, he'd be completely forgotten, he wouldn't leave anything behind. They'd compel everyone around to forget he ever existed.

"Come on Becky, everything will be fine now." Sarah told her friend softly.

"I hope so." Becky whispered before she let Sarah guide her to a bedroom where she'd be able to clean up and rest.

.

Klaus and Kol quickly sorted the problem. Klaus had grown to consider Becky as part of their family and he knew that his little brother had a soft spot for her. The only reason he never told her of his feelings was because he wanted her to have a chance at a normal human life.

"Maybe now you should think about telling Becky how you feel, brother." Klaus advised his younger brother on their way back home.

"She deserves better." He shook his head.

"Don't think so shortly of yourself, brother. I'm sure you'd make her very happy." Klaus replied, shaking his head.

"Even if that were true, she's not ready for that yet. Given what she's just been through... She needs time."

"Don't wait too long, make sure she knows you're here for her and that you're willing to wait however long it takes. Given what she's been through, she'll need to know that she's still lovable. That she can still get a man to love her and respect her. Make sure she knows that you loved her even before that and that you'll love her long after that." Klaus replied, repeating what he had heard Rebekah talk about so many times before.

"You really think that I should court her? Now?"

"Yes. Start slowly, take your time and make sure she knows you'll go at her pace, but court her, let her know how you feel."

"What if she doesn't love me back?" Kol asked.

"Then be her friend, because she'll need a friend more than anything now. And maybe eventually her feelings will change." Klaus replied.

"Adopting Sarah has made you wiser, brother." Kol complimented with a smile before he stopped to get a bouquet of flowers for Becky while Klaus carried a bag they had quickly packed with a few of her things.

They'd sort through the rest with her later, once she was ready to face it.

When they arrived back at the house, Becky was nowhere to be seen and Sarah was sitting at the table, drinking tea with Elijah.

"Where's she?" Kol asked immediately, worried.

"In her old bedroom, resting. I don't think she's asleep yet. Elijah gave her some of his blood so she'd heal quicker." Sarah replied.

"I'll drop this bag and these flowers with her then." Kol declared before he rushed to try and make Becky feel better.

"You talked to him, didn't you?" Sarah asked her father with a knowing smile.

"Me? Is that the kind of thing I'd do?" Klaus joked.

"Thank you." Sarah told Klaus before she kissed his cheek, grabbed her cup of tea and walked outside to drink it in the sun.

"If you'll excuse me, I think it's well time I followed your advise as well." Elijah told Klaus before he followed Sarah out.

"Sarah? Can I speak with you for a minute?" Elijah asked the young woman who nodded with a smile.

"Of course Elijah. Is something wrong?"

"No, don't worry. I... I was just wondering if you'd be interested in taking a walk outside of town with me, tomorrow?"

"A walk?" She asked him.

"Yes, maybe we could take something with us and eat there too." He added.

"Is... Is this... Are you..." She tried to ask him.

"Yes, Sarah, I'm courting you. Though I assure you that shall you not be interested, I'll remain your friend and nothing will be weird between us." Elijah replied with a smile, that same smile she had grown to love.

"I think that I'd love to go with you." She nodded, feeling butterflies dancing around in her stomach as she did.

"Great! I'll make sure everything is ready so that we can leave around 10 am. This should give you enough time to do whatever you need to do at the orphanage." He smiled before he left.

.

The next morning, Sarah decided not to go to the orphanage. Becky was going to go there with Kol anyway so everything would be just fine. That gave her more time to get ready, which wasn't very easy and it allowed her uncle to spend some alone time with the woman he loved.

"Urgh! I miss mom!" She exclaimed in front of her mirror.

"Are you decent, Sweetheart?" Klaus asked her from the other side of her door.

"Yes, you can come in." She replied, her eyes back to her wardrobe.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked her, willing to help her but not knowing how.

"I don't know what to wear for my day with Elijah!" Sarah replied.

"What's wrong with the dress you're wearing now?" he asked her.

"I don't know but something is." She replied, sounding desperate.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"Because it's not just any outing, it's Elijah courting me. He likes me that way, and I can't mess up."

"Would you be as nervous if you had to spend the day with Peter?" Klaus asked her, curiously.

"Of course not."

"Why?"

"I don't know, because I want Elijah to think I'm the prettiest girl around, because I don't want him to stop liking me like he does. I want Peter to be just my friend." Sarah replied, realizing her true feelings as she did.

"Well, that's one thing you don't have to worry about anymore." He smiled.

"It doesn't solve my present problem, dad. I still have no idea what to wear today." She sighted.

"You know, Elijah will think you're the prettiest in town, no matter what you wear. I'm sure he'd find you pretty even if you wore rags." Klaus insisted before he took two outfits out of her wardrobe and added "I think either one of those will do."

"Thanks dad. I love you." She replied, calmer and smiling.

"I know, sweetheart. I love you too." he nodded, kissed her forehead and left her bedroom so she could get ready.

.

Nervous but happy, Sarah was ready right on time and met with Elijah outside their house, where he had a ride ready to take her outside of town. As soon as she arrived, he had a bright smile on his face and she loved that she was the one making him this happy. He looked at her in a way that made her feel like a woman, like the most beautiful woman in his world.

Elijah took Sarah in a beautiful meadow he had found a way back, about an hour and a half away from town. On the way, they spoke of everything and anything that crossed their minds. Sarah had been afraid that things might be tense or awkward between them but they weren't. They talked as though they had gone on thousand rides together on their own before.

When they arrived, they settled down on a blanket and ate the food he had brought. After that, they went on a walk, they laughed and, when it was time to drive back home, they had both had a great time and were ready to give their couple a chance, though Sarah knew that she'd have to talk to Peter first. She couldn't let him hope for something that would never happen. She needed to let him know that they'd always be just friends and that he should start looking for someone else.

"Sarah, I... I was hoping you'd let me accompany you to the market tomorrow." Elijah asked her as he helped her off the carriage.

"I'd love that Elijah, but I think that, tomorrow, I should take the time to speak with Peter and explain... You know, everything, to him." Sarah replied.

"You're right, of course. Maybe we could do something in the afternoon then?" He asked her with a smile.

"I'd love that." She nodded, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it a bit.

"We should head inside, I'm sure Klaus is getting worried. We should have been back over an hour ago." Elijah smiled, placing his hand at the small of Sarah's back to guide her inside.

"It's my fault really. I'll tell him." She smiled.

Indeed, on the way back, Sarah saw something on the side of the road that caught her eye: a child, all alone and crying. She told Elijah to stop the horse and they went to see what was wrong. The child was crying but managed to explain that his father was digging a well and fell inside. The father wasn't responding and the child didn't know how to go back home. Elijah got the father out, healed him and compelled him to forget their presence and to be more careful in the future. It took them over an hour because they had taken a while to get something intelligible from the boy.

"Aren't the two of you a little late?" Klaus asked them as soon as they arrived.

Of course he was waiting outside, and Sarah was ready to bet that he was about ready to get a horse and look for them.

"It's my fault, dad. I caused the delay." Sarah replied with a smile before Elijah explained what had caused them to be late.

"Well, I guess it can be excused then. Sarah, sweetheart, Peter came by earlier. He wanted to speak with you. He said he'd visit you at the orphanage tomorrow morning." Klaus told her.

"He came here?" She asked him with a little frown, reminded by that that she'd have to talk to him seriously.

"Yes, he did." Klaus smiled, amused by Sarah's concern.

"I should go and see how Becky is feeling today." Sara excused herself with a smile to Elijah before she rushed inside.

"Did everything go well?" Klaus asked his brother.

"Very well, yes. Thank you." Elijah replied.

"You don't seem concerned about Peter."

"Why should I be? I know how she feels. She told me that she was going to talk to him tomorrow anyway."

"Good. I'm happy for you, brother. Just don't break her heart, you'd have the rest of the family to face, not just me." Klaus warned him.

"I know. Speaking of broken hearts, how is Becky doing?"

"She seems to be getting better. Kol spent the entire day with her. He made her smile and kept her busy. I think he even told her how he felt and that he'd wait for her to be ready." Klaus explained.

"Good, I think Becky is just who he needs in his life." Elijah smiled.

"I agree. He should have told her how he felt much sooner but maybe it was meant to happen this way, in this order." Klaus shrugged his shoulders.

"We'll see how it all turns out I guess. but we both know that she'll need a lot more time before she can truly get over it all." Elijah replied.

"True, but she won't be alone."

.

The next morning, Sarah went to the orphanage as usual and, on her way out, she crossed Peter. It was time. She could see by his face that he was about to speak about his feelings and she figured it would be best to just tell him right away that she was now with Elijah, that she wanted a future with Elijah, as a vampire, by her family's side forever.

"Sarah! I was looking for you! Did Klaus tell you that I came by yesterday?" Peter greeted her very enthusiastically.

"Hello Peter! Yes, he did tell me. Did he tell you why I wasn't there?" She asked him.

"He just said that you were out at the moment, why?" Peter asked, frowning.

"I was out with Elijah. He's courting me." She replied with a smile, informing him this way that he shouldn't confess his feelings.

"Elijah. Really? And... How do you feel about him courting you?" Peter asked her nervously.

"Oh, I'm very happy, Peter. I always had a thing for him and I know that I want to be a vampire, to be with my family forever. Elijah... he just gets me, you know?"

"I... Yes, I can see it I guess." He replied, trying to hide his frown.

"What about you, Peter, have you met someone yet?" She asked him, trying to let him know that he needed to move on.

"Not really... I... Maybe I should try to court one of those witches who keep on smiling at me." He smiled.

"Yes, you should. They're all nice girls and since you already know of the supernatural world, they feel safe with you. They know you won't try to burn them at the stake." Sarah smiled, making Peter giggle.

Sarah and Peter walked back to the Mikealson home together, talking like the friends they were.

"Sarah, I do wish you to be happy, with Elijah." He told her before they parted ways.

"I'm sure I will be. "She smiled before waving him goodbye.

On her way back inside, she could see Becky on the side. She was sitting on the ground in front of a candle, outside, and trying to mediate. Kol must have advised her to do it, to help her heal her mind and it made Sarah smile.

"Did everything go well with Peter, sweetheart?" Klaus asked Sarah when he saw her walking back inside.

"Yes, very well. He understands." She replied.

"Good. Now, why don't you and I have lunch together before you run off with Elijah." Klaus suggested and it made Sarah blush, because she knew that there was a truth to it.

She did want to run off with Elijah, to be with him, in his arms.

He was her future.

It's not much, but I've had it half finished for a while and I thought I'd just finish it and put it here. I might rework it later, who knows.

Review please?

Lorelei Candice Black