warnings of domestic abuse for this chapter*

Chapter 4

Elijah POV

After going back to Tatia after meeting the Forbes family, I agreed to accompany her to the village market for some supplies. It wasn't a secret that Tatia anf I were together, it was just that nobody approved. But then again, I never really did care much for the opinion of others.

"What more do you need, sweetheart?" I asked while walking arm and arm with her past the stalls.

"Just some grain and yeast for bread and some things for Thyra," she said, remembering she was running low on fabric for her little girls clothes. "What do you think of this colour, Eli?" She asked, holding a piece of green fabric, and received no response. She looked up, "Eli?"

But I wasn't paying attention. I was smiling and waving to someone who Tatia did not recognize, who was standing with my siblings.

"Elijah. Elijah!"

"Oh, hmm?" I said, finally hearing her. I turned from greeting my siblings who were walking closer.

"Who's that?" she asked, suspiciously.

"Oh! How rude of me, come let me introduce you."

The two of us walked to meet my siblings and Caroline. As they approached, I once again admired her beauty and tenacity. I may have been a taken man, but I could still appreciate the finer things in life, and Caroline Forbes was beautiful. Her wit made me laugh and the fact that she could handle both Rebekah and Kol, at the same time, was a feat not many could accomplish and something I greatly admired. Looking down at Tatia I could see she did not share in my observations as she had a irritated look on her face.

"Brothers, Rebekah, Caroline. I hope you are being well met by the people of the village, Ms. Caroline?"

Caroline laughed lightly. "No need to be so formal, Elijah. It's just me. And yes, everyone has been most welcoming. It's refreshing being able to walk around and not have people making snide comments or ignoring me all together. But time will tell," she joked. I laughed with her but we were interrupted by a throat clearing.

"Oh, Tatia, please, let me introduce you to Miss Caroline Forbes, newest arrival to our fair village. Caroline, this is Tatia Ulfsson."

Caroline smiled warmly and held out her hand to Tatia. "Hello, Tatia, it's so very nice to meet you"

Tatia looked at her hand, and with obvious reluctance, shook her hand briefly before dropping it.

"Yeah. So. Elijah I need to finish up here and head to pick up Thyra," Tatia said, completely dismissing Caroline.

Caroline just shook her head.

Rebekah scoffed. She whispered to Caroline, being purposely loud enough for everyone to hear, " don't worry about her, Caroline, she's a bitter hag with an overly high opinion of herself."

"Nice to see you to, Bekah," Tatia snapped back.

I wiped a hand down my face with a sigh before looking back up. "Bekah, must you? And what are you laughing at Kol?" I grumbled.

Kol had his hand covering his mouth, his body shaking with silent laughter. "oh nothing brother, im just quite enjoying the show."

Nik slapped him upside the back of the head.

What I didn't see, and Caroline did, however, was the look shared between Tatia and Niklaus.

Before things got out of hand, I bid goodbye and steered Tatia in the opposite direction.

Caroline POV

"What in the world is her problem?" I asked, confused at the stuck up behavior of Elijah's friend.

"She's a wretched bitch and I can't stand her," Rebekah said.

"Now, Rebekah.." nik started.

"Don't start Nik! Don't you even start!" Rebekah snapped.

I focused my attention on the direction Elijah went, noticing Tatia glare over Elijah's shoulder right at me.

We arrived back at our huts, which were a few feet from eachother and Kol and Rebekah went on their way to do some chores. Nik stayed to sit with me.

I noticed that Nik wanted to say something but was looking unsure as to whether he should.

"Just ask me, Nik," I laughed.

Nik laughed quietly back. "I guess I'm not as subtle as I like to think." I laughed again. We both became quiet as he collected his thoughts.

"Caroline, how did you get the cut on your lip?" he asked quietly.

At the mention of it, I reached up to touch the healing cut. I laughed, uncomfortably. "couldn't ask me something easy like what my favorite colour was, could you?" Nik sat and waited for my answer. I sighed. "Sometimes, I talk out of turn. I don't seem to have a filter and if it pops into my head it usually comes out of my mouth. My father….he…..he doesn't appreciate it much," I murmured the last part, hoping he might not hear. He did. He sighed and reached for my hand.

"I get it. Trust me I get it," he said while he pointed to his lip. "I 'let' Henrik fall out of the tree while picking apples, according to my father. He didn't appreciate that much either."

I smiled sadly at him. "Well aren't we a pair?" I laughed. Nik laughed as well. "Nik, I want you to know I'm always here, for whatever you need whenever you need it. Think of me as a safe haven from Mikael."

Nik looked at me and squeezed my hand. "The same goes for you. Whenever, wherever. Always and forever, as we mikaelsons say," he laughed.

They sat for a moment in contemplative silence.

Nik barked out a laugh. "So this is what it's like. I've never had this before."

I looked at him curiously. "had what?"

Nik turned and smiled at me while putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to his side. "A best friend."

I smiled and hugged him back.

Little did I know, father was silently fuming watching through the window.

I walked into the hut to wash up before helping mother prepare for dinner. I had just passed the threshold when I was yanked roughly by my hair and thrown to the ground inside the hut. I let out a startled yelp.

"We're not here more than a few hours and you're already throwing yourself at the Mikaelson boy like a bitch in heat?" my father asked, furiously.

"Father! I didn't-"

Before I could finish my father yanked me up by my arm, leaving finger bruises, and backhanded me across my face. I fell to the floor again with a cry.

"I watched you, Caroline. Whoring yourself out to the nearest man. You make me sick," he spat.

I sat on the floor holding my face and crying.

"Father it's not like that, Niklaus is just a friend."

My father didn't answer. Instead he began removing his belt.

"Father, no. Please. Mother, please. I'm telling the truth!" I cried

"On your knees," father stated.

I began to sob harder.

"On. Your. Knees!" father yelled.

I knew I had no choice. I knew it would be much worse if I didn't listen. I crawled over and got on my knees infront of my father, presenting my back to him. I untied the ties on my dress and opened the back and braced myself.

"No daughter of mine will be known as the village slut," he said, before pulling back and lashing me hard with the belt.

I tried not to cry out. But I knew my father. He had a sadistic streak in him. If I kept quiet, he'd lash me harder until I couldn't.

Fathar kept it up. Hit after hit with his belt until my back was a mess of welts and gashes and I was sobbing painfully on the floor.

He finally stopped and wiped his belt off on a cloth from the mantel and walked away into the back rooms. "Elizabeth, clean her up and then prepare our dinner."

Elizabeth waited until he was gone before getting up to tend to me. She reached out for me but I slapped her hand away.

"Don't! Don't you dare touch me," I said, quietly. It took me a few attempts but I finally stood to my feet. I was so dizzy I was afraid I would faint. I turned to slowly make my way out the door.

"Where are you going?" mother asked.

I didn't answer. I just kept walking out into the evening and into the forest.

Elijah POV

The sky was starting to dim, so I knew I was needed at home for supper.

I left Tatia's house to begin the journey through the forest back to our home. As I neared the river I heard splashing and something else. Who would be crying out here? I thought. I slowly crept closer to the noise and peered through the trees. I was shocked by the view infront of me. Caroline was kneeling in the river, quiet sobs escaping, and trying to wash her back. While I stood there I noticed she began to sway before her eyes suddenly rolled back and she fell into the river.

"Caroline!" I yelled, and ran straight for the water and scooped her up, being careful not to touch the wounds I now noticed down her back. I carried her back to the shore and laid her on the grass.

"Caroline. Caroline it's Elijah."

Her eyes slowly opened and she groaned turning on her side. "Elijah? Elijah it hurts," she whimpered.

"Caroline I'm taking you to the village, my mother and your parents will be able to help," I said while reaching for her.

With a strength I didn't know she was still capable of, she grabbed my hands. "No! No, Elijah please. Please don't take me there."

I was confused at her reaction.

"Caroline, sweetheart, you need help," I said helplessly.

"Nik. Get Nik. Please," she whispered.

I stood for a moment contemplating my choices. She was terrified and so very hurt. I looked at her back once more and got a better view of the welts and cuts. I gasped in shock. I'd seen those marks before. Except they were on Niklaus after a disagreement with his father. I knew then why she was scared. And I was furious.

"Caroline, I'll be right back, okay? I'll be but a moment" I said gently, while moving a wet, blonde curl out of her face. I waited for her to nod her understanding before I leapt up and ran the rest of the way home.

AN:

so the stories going to pick up pretty fast from here and it may seem rushed but theres just so much going into this story that what happens in the past is just a small slice. i know my grammer etc sucks but i will be going back to edit properly. the story is going to jump into basically The Originals but with Elijah and Caroline and not Klaus and Hayley!