Home || Elijah Mikaelson ||

Chapter One

 This was my favorite time, when everyone would come out for the night, ready to dance and to drink. To come out and make memories that they would soon forget, either due to their drunkenness or my compulsion. It made things easier for me, to use them for my own gain, to feed. The hunger I had was quelled after such a night, I would be able to go on about my day without a problem.

I didn't necessarily like to feed on humans, but I've discovered over the years as a vampire that neither animals or blood bags truly satisfied me. Whenever I tried, the urge was almost stronger to feed and kill a human, and killing was something I always tried to desperately avoid. Over time I realized it was easier to go out at night to a club, dance, and feed on a human and make them forget. The crowds were large here in New York, and most people didn't care to notice that my mouth was latched onto someone's neck in a dimly lighted venue.

Which was where I was tonight, already feeding on my second person of the night.

I pulled away from whom I was feeding on and quickly gave them my blood to heal the wounds I had created.

Looking them straight in the eye I gave them clear directions, "Before your next beer get some water, and forget all about what just happened."

They nodded their head and off they went.

I went deeper into the crowd and started scoping out who would be next. What happened next was odd, I could feel the small hairs on the back of my neck stand up, someone was watching me; and it wasn't an ordinary someone.

As a vampire, my intuition was much stronger then when I was a human. I remember I could feel when things were wrong, and I could sense when something significant was going to happen. I wouldn't call it being psychic or anything, but I knew I should always follow my gut. When I became a vampire, that feeling was intensified and I always knew better then to question myself.

Which was why I knew it was time to leave.

I quickly made my way to the door and pushed past people to made sure I got out of there. Being a vampire gave me strength, but since it's only been a few years since I was turned, an older vampire could easily gain the upper hand, and I wasn't keen on taking chances.

I made my way out of the club and proceeded to walk as fast as any regular human could, I made a turn down a small alley when I felt someone take a hold of my shoulder and shove me against the side of the building. Immediately I fought back, I grabbed the hand that had my neck and twisted it and stepped out of their reach. I went to grab them but they were too fast and managed to grab ahold of both of my shoulders and again shoved me against the brick.

When faced with my attacker I froze, it couldn't be.

"Rebekah?" I said in disbelief.

Rebekah's eyes were wide with the same confusion that I held.

"Natalia, it's you," she gasped. "It's really you." Rebekah released the hold she had on me and took a step back, staring at me like she didn't believe I was standing in front of her. "This can't be." She said shaking her head.

Finding my voice I spoke up, "It's me."

The last time I saw Rebekah was ten years ago, when I was still human. And although it had been ten years, the anger I'd buried inside of me was still there.

"You're a vampire." She said, shocked.

"I am." Wanting to keep my answers short, I needed to get out.

Rebekah shook her head. "No, no, no this wasn't supposed to happen to you." She nearly shouted with tears brimming in her eyes.

"But it did, Rebekah. Maybe if you all hadn't of left this wouldn't of happened." I said bitterly.

"We had to, to protect Hope!" She countered back.

"That didn't mean you had to leave me behind!" The anger was starting to surface. The last thing I wanted was to dive into the past, that part of my life was over and I was moving on.

"We thought we were protecting you," she said quietly.

"And look how well that turned out."

Rebekah closed her eyes but I still saw the tears fall.

At one time, Rebekah had been my best friend, and her family my own.

"What are you even doing here?"

Rebekah gathered her composure, "It's over, Hope is safe." She took a step closer. "I came to find you, to bring you home."

I scoffed, "And you thought I would just come running back?"

"No, but I thought you would want to return to your family, to Elijah." She added.

"Do NOT speak of him." I stepped forward. "I want nothing to do with your family, or with him."

And with that I ran as fast as I could, away from Rebekah. I didn't stop until I had reached my apartment. Once inside I poured myself a glass of bourbon and downed it, and then another.

"Shit." I sat down on my couch, letting myself remember the first time I had met Rebekah.

I just closed up the bar I worked at and was walking home back to my apartment. It was then that I noticed two men following close behind. Never to be one caught off guard, I reached into my purse, armed and ready with my pepper spray. Before I knew it one of them had grabbed me, and the other reached for my purse. I sprayed the one who had grabbed me, but the other who went for my purse then punched me, knocking me to the ground. I remember being hit again, and then being kicked in my stomach.

They were strong, one held me down while the other tried to remove articles of my clothing. I screamed, screamed as loud as I possibly could before I was hit again.

It was then that all of a sudden the men were off of me, when I looked up I saw a girl, breaking their necks with such ease it almost seemed unnatural. She then dropped them and came over to me.

"Are you alright?" She asked, helping me up.

When I got up I realized I recognized her, she'd been in the bar earlier having a drink by herself.

"I, I think so." I looked down at my torn clothes and the gravity of the situation I was just in hit me like truck, and next thing I knew everything went black.

When I came to I noticed I was in a bed that was not my own. I sat up, completely unaware where I was. I remembered what happened and figured I passed out and the girl must have taken me to her home.

My thoughts were interrupted when said girl came in bearing a tray with food.

"You're awake," She said smiling.

"Yeah, um, thank you. Thank you for saving me back there." She sat the tray on the nightstand next to the bed.

"You're welcome," she said with a smile. "I'm Rebekah."

"Natalia." I remember being floored with the kindness she showed me. I was merely a stranger and she had brought me into her home to help me.

"I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't of showed up back there."

Rebekah's smile faltered. "They had it coming, they were vile," she said disgusted.

"You snapped their necks." I stated.

"I did, you don't seem to be too concerned that I did that."

"Well you're right, they had it coming." I said, angry with what those men had clearly tried to do to me. "How did you do it?" I said curiously.

"Adrenaline," She replied quickly.

I shook my head in agreement, adrenaline truly could make people do nearly the impossible at times.

"I can't thank you enough, if their is anything you need please don't hesitate to ask."

Rebekah gave me large smile. "Your thanks is enough."

At that point Rebekah and I had become inseparable friends, and it was because of that friendship my entire world was changed.