So this is where the story diverges more from my writing.

In trying to motivate myself to write more, I reread this chapter and there were things I wanted to change. So, I'm just updating this one.

Chapter 26

The following day, after arriving in Chicago, Sara refused to move from the bed she'd slept in. They were the first ones there and she hadn't been able to sleep, so she crawled in with Niklaus, who seemed to be her new found best friend. He understood her.

Elijah and Kol arrived the next morning. No one told them anything, saying that it was up to Sara. However, Klaus did tell them she saved his and Rebekah's lives in the previous days.

Lunch came and went, without any sign that the witch would leave her bed. Klaus decided he was going to go see her, only to be stopped by Elijah. "Allow me, Niklaus?" Klaus nodded and returned to his seat in the living room.

Elijah climbed the stairs to his brothers room. He knocked gently on the door, but when no answer came he slowly opened it. What he saw broke his heart. Sara was curled up, with the blankets wrapped tightly around her. She was shaking and silent tears fell from her eyes. If you didn't see them, you would have never suspected she was crying.

Elijah ditched his suit jacket, and crawled into the bed behind her. He placed his hand on her shoulder. Every muscle in the small woman tensed and for a moment he thought she'd push him away. She didn't. She turned to him and wrapped herself around him. Her face was buried in his shoulder.

After some time comforting her, Elijah felt her calm. She raised her head, and locked her eyes with his. "I'm sorry."

He was taken aback. "You have nothing to apologize for." The Original couldn't understand why she thought she needed to apologize, least of all to him. He left, he didn't even know she died. She'd died to save his brother, and he had no idea, because he'd left her.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry for being hot and cold. I'm sorry for crying all over you." Sara couldn't meet his eyes. Her gaze was firmly locked on his chest.

"It is I, who should apologize to you. I left, I was not there." He was incredibly jealous of his brother. Klaus had gotten to hold her through her vulnerability, not only because Elijah himself was absent, but also because the woman he loved chose his brother. Now all the second eldest Original wanted was to be there to comfort her.

"I pushed you away. I forgive you." She leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"You need not apologize, however I forgive you." He kissed her softly. The kiss conveyed an apology and all the comfort that could possibly be given between two sets of lips. Elijah felt Sara smile into the kiss, it touched his heart. Again, he felt irrevocably tied to this young girl.

When the kiss deepened and passion reigned, Sara pulled away quickly looking down in shame. She didn't want to do this to him. She wouldn't take away his choice. She wouldn't link them without his consent. "We can't."

"I do not understand." Elijah tilted the girls face so their eyes met. He saw an incredible sadness, and to his surprise, fear.

"I will not take your choice away. I need to speak to your family and to you, before anything else happens." Every syllable she spoke was hesitant. Elijah simply nodded, and Sara moved to dress. She only had one pair of pants and her shirt was dirty, so she stole one of Klaus' knowing he wouldn't mind.

They found Klaus drawing in the parlour, while Kol watched some detective show. Sara couldn't help but find it ironic due to the fact that Kol had probably stumped many law enforcement personnel over the years. Their eyes snapped up when she walked in the room and they easily read the anxiety and sadness on her face. "I need to speak to you all."

Within an instant the other had joined them in the room and they were all seated patiently awaiting whatever she had to say. Klaus already knew what she needed to tell them. He sat beside her and took her hand in support.

"You all know about my coma-vision-thingy." They all nodded in response. "I figured out the telepathy. I can read most minds if I focus and it's supposed to get easier, but the reason I can talk to Klaus and Finn is a little more complicated." Kol and Elijah glanced between their two brothers and the girl. They hadn't known she could speak to Finn as well. They were curious and slightly worried.

"They're some kind of bonds. The bond with Finn is one that has never before been created. Both of our blood and that of his family was used to link us. We are also linked by shared death, and shared salvation. In other words, Finn can heal me when no other can and I can do the same for him. Our lives are tied. If Finn dies I will most likely feel it and be severely weakened, the same could be said in reverse." She hadn't discussed this with Finn and was intently watching his reaction. "They called him my Shadow." Finn appeared to be processing. "I am sorry Finn. I altered your life, I had no right." Sara was now looking away.

"Sarafina Salvatore. You saved my family, you saved my life, you saved my brother and you helped save my sister. I have no regrets. I shall protect you with my life as you have done for me." The vow that Finn spoke echoed nothing but truth. Sara was touched and tears of admiration sprang to her eyes.

"Thank you, Finn Mikaelson." She nodded at him. The others were absorbing the information causing silence to fill the room. It was not uncomfortable or awkward, but full of emotion. They were all eternally grateful for the things this young witch had done for them, but wary of the new discoveries and the things yet untold.

Klaus squeezed her hand and she took a deep calming breath. "Niklaus is different. He is in simple terms, my familiar. Like a witch's cat." Kol burst into laughter. He knew the most about witches and knew familiars were rarely what everyone thought. He couldn't stop himself from imagining his brother as a little white cat following his best friend around.

Sara's had tightened on Klaus' to keep him from reacting. She simply waved her hand so Kol was mute and still. Rebekah looked on happy, and somewhat jealous. There had been many a time where she wished she could silence her brothers, especially Kol, so easily. "I wish I could do that."

"Sorry, Bex." The raven haired witch had to shake her head to bring herself back to the matter at hand. "So Nik, is very tightly bound to me. I can draw strength from him directly. We can speak as one, with Finn it's more like talking through a tunnel, but with Nik it's as if he's speaking directly to me. Familiars are said to be guardians and protectors, in the vaguest sense. I can probably tell you where he is at any point and time, he could do the same." She looked at Niklaus for confirmation. He nodded. "Even if our link is closed, I have a general sense of his emotions. We can tune it out easily enough."

Nik added to her statement. "Whereas Finn will feel her death, I experience it." His eyes glazed over with pain and sadness. "I felt her desiccate and my skin turned grey. She was stabbed and I bled. It was rather uncomfortable." He was trying to lighten the subject or blow it off like it was no big deal.

Sara smacked his arm indignantly. "Ass! You didn't tell me that!" Some of the others chuckled.

Kol, now unbound, interrupted what would probably become a bit of an argument. "So my best friend managed to wrap my brothers around her." Kol chuckled a little before he caught the guilt flash across Sarafina's face. "There's more." He didn't ask it, he stated.

"Yes. This is why I wanted the rest of you here. You all have a slight link to me, through the blood of your family and for Sage through Finn. You two have shared blood before obviously; you're linked to Finn which links you to me." She said to the red head. "The longer we are together, the more it will grow. I won't force it on any of you. I feel bad enough doing it to Finn and Klaus. I will walk away if it's what you all want." She hung her head in shame. No one said anything, so Sara go up and very quickly left the room. Her heart was slowly, excruciatingly breaking, but she planned to follow through and obey their wishes.

Sarafina was packing when Nik entered his bedroom. The hybrid moved to her side and wrapped his arm around her. "If you're leaving I will come with you."

Sara shook her head violently and swallowed before speaking. "I won't take you from your family. It's best if I leave alone. That way none of them will come looking for you. Especially Elijah."

Sara hadn't noticed the company now standing in the room by the door. She turned abruptly when someone spoke. "Why especially me?" Elijah's voice carried his hurt.

Sara gaped. Her mind seemed to halt. Like a traffic jam thoughts clogged her mind, yet none moved, frozen.

Klaus decided to help her out. "Let's give them a moment."

Elijah barely noticed that the rest of his family had left. He was focused solely on the young woman before him, who still hadn't answered him. Elijah sped in front of her; anger and heartbreak played out on his face. "Why am I the one you want least chasing you?"

Sara's voice wouldn't carry her words. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly. Her eyes were down cast in fear and shame.

"Why?!" Elijah screamed in her face.

"No." Sara's voice was small and pleading. She didn't want him to know.

"Sarafina why?!" Elijah was now even more frustrated.

The damn finally broke. "Because you're my soulmate!" She yelled back at him. He tried to understand what she'd meant. Her eyes fell away from his and a tear fell down her cheek. "You'd be worse off than Nik." Her voice broke at the admission.

Elijah grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely, unable to resist. The kiss sent licks of fire through her veins. It ignited the room with a white glow. They tumbled on to the bed shredding their clothes as they went. His lips moved down her neck; kissing, suckling and nipping. She tried to clear her head. "If-f… we do this… there is no… back-backing out." She wanted to be sure he wanted this and he wasn't just acting on lust.

Elijah moved so he was supported by his forearms on either side of her head. His face was directly over hers. "Sarafina Lilian Salvatore, I have loved you since I laid eyes on you. I may not comprehend it, however I know one thing absolutely." He kissed her with so much need it made her quiver beneath him. "You." He kissed her forehead. "Are." He kissed her nose. "Mine." His mouth found hers, and with those words they sank into each other.

Hey, so this chapter was updated, hopefully I can pop out another today.

Fingers crossed,

Nicole