Second best (An Elijah Mikaelson Love Story)

Chapter 24

"Thank you for your time" Elijah smiled as he stepped inside Josephine Laroux's house with his brother close behind

"Don't thank me" she turned away and walked to her lounge "if it were fully my decision, you'd be out of this city once and for all, you're like pests"

"And who is it up to?" Elijah asked amused

"The ancestors, they say you have something important to do, and we can offer our help in exchange for something" she smiled

"What do you want in return?" Elijah asked curiously, sitting on a floral patterned chair

"Oh you won't like what we have to say" Josephine nodded her head and smiled to the ground

"Spit it out witch" Niklaus blurted out followed by Elijah elbowing him to shut up

"We want the vampires to leave the city" she said "ever since you've been here, this city has endured nothing but trouble and death"

"Of course not" Klaus raised his voice "a cure in return for everything we have built"

"Everything the witches have built, Mr Mikaelson, you merely took it from us" Josephine retaliated "we want it back, in return for someone you care deeply for"

"Elijah, we can work this out ourselves; these witches just want to use us" Klaus looked at Elijah who stared into nothing, thinking and weighing up his options

"Can we really Niklaus?" He snapped his head to the side "Dahlia is dead and we have no other way of saving Clarissa from that curse"

"Brother, we are not giving this city up" Klaus replied

"This city that had brought nothing but trouble for our family" Elijah stood up to face Niklaus with Josephine watching eagerly

"This city has brought us closer together, brother, you, me, Clarissa" Niklaus never pleaded, but his voice cracked in desperation

"If we weren't here then Clarissa wouldn't be in this situation" Elijah turned, knowing that she would still be under that curse if he hadn't had met her "Josephine, I expect the cure by the next month" the full moon was tomorrow and Elijah knew that giving a month would give him time to figure out how to keep this city "once Clarissa is back to her normal self, we will leave"

Klaus looked at Elijah with hatred as Elijah turned and walked out of the door. "What the hell was that?"

"I will do anything to get Clarissa back..."

"...even giving away our city with a little bow on top?" Klaus interrupted

"We have a month, we can either find our own way to get a cure, get something on the witches or get ready to murder each and every one of them after the cure is known to work" Elijah finally released his plan to Klaus who stood and glared

"I'm a fan of the last option" he said

"I'd like to figure out our own cure first" Elijah replies "the full moon has almost reached its apex, I need to see Clarissa" and without a word he slipped away from the company of Niklaus.

-

"Elijah" Clarissa breathed and ran to him, jumping into his arms.

Elijah lifted her and held her tightly as they both embraced for a while. "Elijah thank god you're here" she spoke into his neck

"You're getting the cure next moon" Elijah finally built up the courage to say to her

"Really?" She exclaimed "I'm getting out of this, how?"

"The witches and I struck a deal, they will get the cure for you" he smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear to get a better view of her face.

"What are you giving in return?" She asked curiously, placing her hand on the top of his arm

"It doesn't matter" Elijah turned away slightly but was caught by her hand, which gently pushed him back to look at her

"It does and if you're not telling me. It's something serious, Elijah, please tell me" she pleaded with him

"I've traded the city to the witches in exchange for you" he murmured

"What?" Clarissa stepped backwards "All you have worked for just given to the witches? Elijah you can't do that"

"It's done, Clarissa" he stepped and embraced her again "anything for you"

But Clarissa wriggled out of his grasp and dodged the kiss that he was about to plant on her cheek bone "Elijah I'm not letting you do this for me, this is exactly what I thought would happen if I told you about my curse, don't do this"

"Clarissa, I'll get the city back, I just need you by my side first, we can win the city back, when you are back to your normal self" he explained

"But you wouldn't have to win the city back if it wasn't for me, I can get through this myself , cancel your deal with the witches" she demanded

"No" Elijah refused point blank. "I will not give this up, if I cancel now they will not help me and I cannot take that chance, I can't let you live like this"

Clarissa walked up and kissed Elijah gently, her hands caressed his cheek and slid down to touch his neck. "I love you" she whispered "Just think about it"

"I've thought, I'll look for a cure myself and if not I'll take it from the witches and then when we know it works, we'll fight" Elijah explained his plan.

Clarissa pressed her lips together "I don't approve of it" Elijah knew her opinion, she was just voicing it out "but I can't stop you" her eyes flicked down to his wrist and then back up to his eyes

"You're hungry" he nodded, extending his wrist

"I don't even remember who I've eaten as a wolf" she laughed quietly "are you sure?"

"Anything for you" he smiled

She smiled back and then extended her fangs, causing her eyes to dilate and the veins under her eyes to pop out. She lifted elijah arm to her mouth and bit in as gently as she could.

Once she had finished she quickly wiped her mouth and went back to her usual state.

Elijah couldn't help but feel attracted to her vampire side, the fangs, her eyes only made her irresistible. Even if her hair was messy and she didn't have any make up on.

Elijah crashed his face into hers, all of the time he could bury his urges, but everything about her grew on him, even though he thought it was impossible to love her more, she always surprised him.

She kissed back, her arms wrapped around his shoulders as he sped her against the nearest tree.

The buttons of her shirt were quickly undone and eventually it fell to the floor, leaving her clad. The tree scratched her back, but she didn't realise it.

Her fingers worked so his buttons were undone and his clothes were on the floor.

Clarissa took the time to admire Elijah's chiseled features. Her dainty fingers traced up and down his chest before Elijah started leaving fiery kisses on her neck.

He constantly closed his lips on her collar bone, and raised to her jaw bone and back down. Obviously it wasn't the most comfortable area to be doing this in, but Clarissa could work with it.

Eventually, Elijah and Clarissa lay on the damp, leafy floor of the bayou, in each others arms just staring at each other.

"I have to go" she stroked his hair and smiled sadly at him

"This is the last time you have to do this" Elijah sat up with her and kissed her deeply before she stood up and left.