Second best (An Elijah Mikaelson Love Story)

Chapter 23

A month passed, Elijah had searched Niklaus' room and wherever else he could find that linked his brother there. Nothing.

Another full moon and Niklaus was feeling a bit more agitated than his usual every day self. He muttered in about finding witches and reversing something.

But even when Elijah asked what it was about and if he could help, his brother just brushed him off and told him to keep searching for Clarissa.

"Niklaus" Elijah had finally had enough, he walking into the compound and interrupted a very important meeting between Josephine Laroux and Niklaus.

"What is it brother?" Klaus asked angrily "don't you see I'm busy"

"As am I, sir Mikaelson and... Sir Mikaelson, I am in no mood to be messed around" she slowly explained looking from Klaus to Elijah

"This will only take a few seconds" Elijah re assured her

"A few seconds of my time are very valuable, maybe you can find me when you're not as busy" she stood up and walked out the door.

"You absolute fool" Klaus huffed "do you know how much coaxing that meeting took?"

"I apologise, maybe I could help but I don't know what you're in need of" Elijah taunted

"What I need is something you can't provide, Elijah now will you leave well enough alone?" Klaus now shouted in rage

"Will you stop looking at me as if I am about to break brother, I know you are looking for Clarissa, or something to do with her" Elijah retaliated and Klaus looked absolutely horrified, Elijah was catching on and he didn't have anymore witty remarks or dead end jobs for him to do. "You know where she is" Elijah finally realised

"What?" Klaus couldn't tell Elijah, he just couldn't

"You have kept this from me? That night when I found you in her room, she was with you, you lied to my face, you let me believe that she would never come back" Elijah felt infuriated with his brother

"I don't know where she is!" Klaus exclaimed, he didn't want to break his promise, but it wouldn't hurt to lead him to where she would be "I heard she was to be with her pack when the moon rises tonight" Klaus remembered that Clarissa told him that she would tell her pack the next full moon, which is tonight. They had obtained new rings and would be human.

"Is this the truth?" Elijah's breath came to a sudden halt. Klaus nodded, it was only an hour until the moon rises and Elijah wanted to be there as soon as possible.

"Thank you" he said sarcastically as he turned and walked quickly out of the door.

-

"Okay" Clarissa breathed as she buttoned up her shirt "deep breaths" she was planning on telling her pack tonight.

Obviously it wouldn't have been her pack anymore, some other person would take charge because she abandoned them.

She felt nauseous. But she had to do it, just one small step at a time, first Klaus and now her pack. Soon enough she might be able to tell Elijah, maybe in her actual skin on a night that isn't a full moon.

She came up to the small opening that lead to the camp. She heard the fire crackling and people talking.

Clarissa jumped out of the way when she saw Elijah stood with the wolves. She took another glance and then just ran the opposite way.

Elijah heard her footsteps getting further away. But he knew what he was looking for and who he was looking for. His senses could focus on the outskirts of the camp and he can recognise any signs of movements.

His vision tried to home in on the source but he couldn't quite see, so he took off in pursuit of her.

Clarissa exhaled. She had gotten away from the camp and into an enclosed area with trees almost touching.

She stopped to breathe.

"Clarissa" she heard his smooth voice. It made her freeze and butterflies rose in her stomach. "It's you"

She daren't turn around. If she did, she had to explain, she had to put him through everything she thought would happen. The pain, the waiting, everything.

"Please" Elijah stepped forward, which caused Clarissa to turn all the way around.

It reminded Elijah of the night her first met Clarissa, wearing the same shirt, same curse, under the moonlight. Still looking absolutely breathtaking.

"Elijah" her voice cracked as she clapped eyes on him. She walked forward and hugged him. Her arms around his shoulders, resting her head on his neck.

Elijah held back a bit, not really thinking it was real. One hand wrapped around her waist and the other caressed the back of her head.

"Thank goodness your safe" he breathed into her hair, giving her a small kiss.

"I am" she managed to push out without urging in to a flood of tears "I'm safe"

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked once he managed to pry himself away. "Niklaus knew, why not me?"

"Klaus caught me in an alley way, I couldn't not tell him; I didn't tell you because you need the witches blood to cure this and Dahlia is dead, there's no other way of getting out of this, and I don't want you to wait for every full moon just to have me back"

"I-" Elijah couldn't speak "I can't deny the fact that I'll wait for you to change back every full moon"

"That's what I was afraid off" Clarissa stated "I don't want you to spend your time waiting for me" she tried to turn her head away but Elijah placed two fingers under her chin and held her so she looked at him.

"Listen, Clarissa I have been on this earth for 1,000 years and I have gone most of it without love" his hands lowered to grasp hers tightly "as long as I have the hope of seeing you, I would wait another 1,000 years, it's worth it"

"Are you sure? Because you can always..." Clarissa begun

"... I'm sure Clarissa, and now that you've got both me and Niklaus, plus your wolves soon enough, we can find something" he interrupted

"Thank..." Clarissa began but was immediately interrupted by the sound of her own leg snapping "agh" she yelped as she fell into Elijah's arms.

"It's alright"he comforted her, stroking her hair "shh you're okay"

Minutes later, as the moon fell. The last thing Elijah saw of her for the next month was her brown fur and piercing eyes.

She walked off into the darkness after staring at him for a while.

And Elijah sped home to confer with his brother.