Thank you for all of the reviews, favs and alerts, I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Eva is 8 and physically she will stay like that, but of course mentally she won't stay as a child forever. I hope that answered your question, please ask more if it didn't :)

Cry, little sister - Thou shall not fall
Come to your brother - Thou shall not die
Unchain me, sister - Thou shall not fear
Love is with your brother - Thou shall not kill

Gerard McMann – Cry Little Sister

Chapter 7

Mind of a child

4 weeks later

"Eva!"

I heard papa calling me, but I was too excited to stop, I loved to hunt in the woods. Now because of the pretty bracelet papa had given to me, I could go out when ever I wanted. The sun didn't burn me anymore, but I had to be careful for not to lose the bracelet. I was moving fast like the wind and I spotted my prey ahead. With one long leap I caught it, and sank my fangs in its neck.

"Eva!"

I looked up; there was probably blood all over my face. The deer was dead so I dropped in on the ground. Papa was waiting for me in the meadow next to his horse; he raised his eyebrows when I appeared from the woods.

"Eva," he scolded. "Look at your dress; you have got bloodstains all over it. I do not think Rebekah will be happy."

"I am sorry, papa," I muttered.

He smiled and took a handkerchief from his pocket.

"Let's clean you up."

I jumped in his arms and let him to wipe the blood off my face.

"You remember that tomorrow is an important day," he said.

I nodded.

"Yes, I have to be good."

He smiled.

"That's right. And how will you be good?"

I tilted my head and thought about it.

"I cannot bite anyone, growl or show my fangs."

"Very good," he said and touched my cheek. "Everything will go well."

I hoped so, but I was a little nervous, I had never attended in any kind of dinner party. The guests would be humans; papa had said that it was important to learn how to interact with them. It had been a long time since I had spent time with humans, except the servants who I fed on. Papa had thought that I should learn more about the new me first, I hadn't really spent time with anyone except him, Rebekah and sometimes with Klaus and Kol, but they were mostly busy with their own things.

"Alright, we should go back," papa said and positioned me on top of the horse and mounted himself to sit behind me. I loved riding and papa had promised that he would get me my very own pony; he was concerned that a horse would be too big for me. Kol had said that papa spoiled me rotten and taught me wrong things; he could show how I should be trained. Papa had replied to that by suggesting him to get himself a dog. I yawned and leaned my back against papa's chest; it was still strange to be awake in the middle of the day. I was almost asleep when we arrived at the courtyard, I barely noticed all the people who bowed at papa.

"My lord."

Papa dismounted and lifted me into his arms.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," he said smiling.

"I am tired," I complained.

"I know, sweetheart, but we talked about this, it is important for you to learn how to stay awake also in the daytime."

I pouted my lips, wanting to protest, but I knew papa wouldn't ask me to do this unless it wouldn't be important, so I nodded and rubbed my eyes. Papa waited until I was ready before placing me on the ground. I yawned and took his hand when he headed inside and pumped into Kol.

"Midget," he greeted me grinning and ruffled my hair.

"Stop it," I demanded sleepily and slapped his hand.

He chuckled and looked at the bloodstains on my dress.

"Well, well, have you finally taken her hunting?"

"Yes," papa replied. "She caught a deer."

Kol snorted and rolled his eyes.

"A deer? Why not a squirrel or a rat? What a waste…"

Papa walked past him, ignoring his words. I couldn't really understand what he had meant, what was a waste? I considered about asking that, but I didn't have time when I heard Rebekah's voice.

"Elijah! What have happened to her dress?"

Papa tensed a little when Rebekah marched in front of us looking at him furiously.

"She wanted to hunt…"

"And you could not say no?" Rebekah snapped. "That is one of her better dresses; you should have made her to get changed before taking her in the woods!"

"I told her that, but she did not want to…" papa started tensely.

Rebekah crossed her arms and glared at him.

"She did not want to? Am I the only one here who is trying to raise her properly? Children need boundaries!"

"Yes, I am aware of that…"

"Apparently not," Rebekah snapped. "You are too soft, giving in to her every whim."

Papa frowned.

"Me? I believe it is you who have filled her chamber with toys."

"That is not the same thing, of course a child needs toys, but she also needs rules…"

I really didn't like when they fought, especially about me, so I let go of papa's hand and sneaked away, they didn't seem to notice that. I should have got changed when papa had told me to, but I had been too excited to go riding. I felt bad for ruining the dress and I hoped I could somehow get it clean. Silently I zoomed across the long hallways, wondering how I could fix this, when I passed the library and noticed Klaus sitting on the sofa, reading some papers. He looked up when I entered the room.

"Well, how is the little monster today?" he asked grinning.

Then something very strange happened, my eyes watered up and I started to sob. He seemed stunned.

"What…Are you alright?" he asked.

I couldn't understand why I was crying; I zoomed in front of the sofa and jumped on Klaus, wrapping my arms around him. His whole body tensed, but he tried to clumsily tap my back.

"There, there…" he muttered. "Please stop that."

"I am trying to, but I cannot," I sobbed. "Why I cannot?"

He sighed and kept tapping my back.

"Well, you are a child, if I have understood correctly your kind cry a lot and you are also a vampire, some of us feel differently than humans."

I pulled away and looked at him.

"What…what do you mean?"

He touched my shoulder and wiped my tears away with his thumb.

"You are still a young vampire, your feelings are probably stronger than they would be if you would be a human."

I rubbed my eyes and swallowed my tears.

"Are your feelings stronger?"

He snorted contemptuously.

"No, I do not have feelings."

I tilted my head and looked at him closely.

"How is that possible?"

He sighed and tapped my shoulder.

"Feelings are a weakness and I am not weak."

I was confused, how could he not have feelings?

"Well, in any case, is there some specific reason why you are crying, little girl?" he asked carelessly.

I lowered my head and touched the hem of my dress.

"I ruined my dress."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Is that all? That is not your only dress, is it?"

I shook my head.

"No, but I should not have wore it when I went hunting, now Rebekah is angry at papa because of me."

Klaus was quiet for a moment, he seemed quite uncomfortable.

"Alright… I am sure they have worked the whole thing out already, there is no need to worry."

I looked up and swallowed more tears.

"Really?"

He seemed more and more uncomfortable, but he managed to smile.

"Yes."

I felt relieved, but also exhausted, all my feelings had worn me out. I couldn't understand them and I didn't know how to handle them. Another thing I had to learn about the new me. I yawned, since papa wasn't here, I leaned my head on Klaus' chest and curled into a fetal position on his lap.

"Hey," he protested. "What are you doing, little girl?"

"I am tired," I muttered and placed his hand under my cheek.

"Just a minute here…" he started tensely, but I couldn't really hear him, I was almost asleep already.

"Oh great…" he muttered, but before I fell asleep, I felt him stroking my hair. That was a nice thing to do, especially since he didn't have any feelings.