*This is a filler chapter but I felt it was still important. For my peeps worried about an Elijah, Ellie, Nik love triangle, I can promise you that's not where I'm going with this. I hope you guys enjoy! As always, let me know what you think.*
The clear sunlit sky shone bright, blocked only by the thick cover of trees as I passed through the woodland. My focus was sharp as I scanned my surroundings, searching for my prey. I could hear her heavy breathing, the air coming out in deeply strangled gasps, and knew she wasn't far ahead. As I stepped forward, I nearly tripped as my dress was captured by the roots of a nearby tree. I ripped the worn cotton material free, grimacing at the ugly dirt brown color - and all the memories associated with it - and pushed forward. There was no sound on the wind apart from the chattering of birds and crunching of leaves under booted feet a few yards away.
Lifting my gown, I hurried forward, rushing to beat the group I could hear approaching from the east. My lungs burned as I finally made it to the river's edge, and a moss-covered overturned tree - where a young girl dressed in brown hid, her body trembling. Slowly, I bent down and scooted closer to the tree, placing my hand against the rough bark. I glanced over the side, my eyes wide as I caught a glimpse of the red-haired girl hunched into a small ball, her face pressed into her knees. I tilted my head to one side, my forehead crinkled and chewing on my lower lip. A loud splash sent the girl lower to the ground, her eyes widening and choking on air. My brows rose and I glanced over my shoulder toward the river bank.
"Lannie!" a young boy shouted, his voice full of gleeful mischief.
I sat back on my heels as the younger version of myself flattened her palms against the muddy rock-strewn ground, her face scrunching up in discomfort as she tried to make herself invisible. With bated breath, I watched as a small handsome boy came into view, kicking rocks with abandon - his shoulder-length brown hair hid his face as he watched the rocks fly into the river. Henrik Mikaelson's eyes narrowed as he glanced around the bank, a brilliant energetic smile overtaking him as soon as he zeroed in on the overturned tree. Walking over to the edge of the river, he casually bent over and picked up a long withered stick, brandishing it like a sword out in front of him - posing in the perfect fighting stance. With a careless shrug, he twisted it in the air as he walked toward the tree, whistling nonchalantly.
"I know you're around here Lannie, I saw you heading this way. You can't hide from us; you and Rebekah always lose. Kol already found her," Henrik taunted merrily.
As his voice drew closer, the younger Elandra's expression grew wary, and her right cheek was pressed into the dirt as she glanced toward the sky - rolling her eyes. I laid my head on my knees, my cheeks burning due to the gigantic smile plastered on my face. Henrik's stride slowed and he started to creep closer, his steps calculated, the stick lifted above his head. With one final step, he leaned over the tree, brandishing the stick with a giant swing - smacking the younger me against the ass.
A firey shield of red curls was all I could see as the young Elandra jumped up, screaming bloody murder - fists swinging.
"I found her!" Henrik yelled, avoiding young Elandra's fists as he hopped backward, running toward the water.
With a carefree jump, he splashed into the river, knee-deep. Younger Elandra laughed gleefully, kicking water toward him as she modestly lifted her dress, stepping into the water to get closer. I stood to my feet as a group of people came from the treeline, varying degrees of joy shining in their eyes. Elijah was at the head, his long dark hair was disheveled and he was wearing his deep brown leather body armor. Behind him, dirt-smeared along his cheek and nose stumbled Kol - with a smug grin on his face. He had his brown shoulder-length hair tied back into a bun at the nape of his neck, and he wore a tan long sleeve shirt and brown slacks - dusted with mud and leaves. To his left stood Rebekah and Niklaus. Niklaus wore a simple dirt-stained white button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a brown vest and slacks. Rebekah wore one of her favorite dresses - a simple corset top dress in light blue. Rebekah sent Kol a heated glare as she pushed past him, hurrying toward young Elandra and Henrik. She bundled her dress into one arm as she neared the water and reached out, snapping her fingers to capture young Elandra's attention.
"El, you should not be in the river! You'll get soaked through and mother will be angry," she warned, eyes filled with fear.
Elandra's laughter died down, and reluctantly she bunched up her dress, carefully exiting the water. "I am sorry, Bekah. I blame Henrik; he is a bad influence," young Elandra said, throwing a wink over her shoulder at the approaching boy.
Rebekah huffed, her expression softening as her youngest brother sauntered forward, proudly smiling at his brothers. "Yes well, be that as it may, Henrik should know how angry mother will be if you come home with your dress ruined," Rebekah said, her brow raised as she glanced down at Henrik.
Henrik rolled his eyes, a bright smile engulfing his face, his eyes shining with carefree happiness as walked backward toward his brothers - hands folded into his pockets.
"You're both just angry that you lost the hunt. Kol found you only moments after we started, and I found Elandra not but a few minutes later," he said, a small smirk on his lips.
Niklaus guffawed, bending forward as he placed his hands on Henrik's shoulders, face red with his laughter. Young Elandra placed her hands on her hips, her nose wrinkled with displeasure.
"Rebekah and I are always at a considerable disadvantage when we play this game. It's four against two, and two of you are hunters. I think we do well considering..." she said, narrowing her eyes at Niklaus's continued laughter.
Henrik rolled his eyes, leaning his head toward the sky, and released a giant sigh. "Ugh, you both say you want us to treat you like we treat each other but then you whine about it," he said.
Rebekah scoffed, her eyes widening as her jaw dropped. "We do not whine!" she shouted in disbelief.
Kol leaned down, his lips close to Henrik's ear, and theatrically widened his eyes. "You better run, Henrik," he said.
Elijah stepped to the side - raising his hands at young Elandra when she glared at him as if he had been the offender - and Henrik stepped back, his eyes racing around for help as Rebekah advanced. Henrik dashed up the nearest hill, his head tilted to the side as he shouted over his shoulder. "Lannie, I didn't mean it; call her off!"
Young Elandra lifted her hands, cupping them around her mouth, and stepped onto the tips of her toes. "Sorry, Henrik but if Rebekah wants to thrash you, it's going to happen!" she shouted.
Elijah walked up beside young Elandra and I came closer, watching their interactions closely. Niklaus stood off to the side, laughing merrily with Kol as they both watched Rebekah chase Henrik.
"Are you having fun, Lannie?" he asked, lips curled teasingly.
With a good-natured sigh, young Elandra covered her face with her hands. "Goodness, I cannot believe he still calls me that, and you just spur him on," she said, nudging Elijah with her elbow.
Crossing my arms, I watched as Niklaus glanced over his shoulder, an uneasy expression flashing across his face. Elijah laughed, his hazel eyes sparkling, and my stomach twisted with regret.
"It just stuck, and I think he likes having something he alone shares with you." Elijah looked on at his youngest brother, fondness in his gaze, and shrugged. "He knows I only use the nickname to irritate you," he said, nodding toward Henrik - who stood in the middle of a patch of wildflowers, laughing at an exhausted Rebekah.
Smiling lovingly, young Elandra brushed a piece of errant hair from her line of vision. "I guess so - I just wish his mispronunciation had led to a cuter nickname," she said, giggling.
Elijah laughed, his cheeks dusting pink, and I felt my face heat with embarrassment. How had I not noticed this? At the sound of young Elandra's laughter, Niklaus joined them, his eyes darting between the two - a deep frown marring his face, eyes crinkling as he fought to hide it.
"Has Elijah finally developed a sense of humor, El?" he asked, placing his hand on young Elandra's hip and pulling her against his side, almost possessively.
Young Elandra shook her head affectionately, swatting playfully at Niklaus, but that's not what kept my main focus - I continued to watch Elijah's expression, something I had never noticed before. His features twisted painfully as he lowered his head, avoiding the baleful gaze of his brother. Niklaus's fingertips danced along young Elandra's hip, his focus sealed on Elijah, and I felt sickened that I had not noticed the heat between them. When had things changed so drastically? I couldn't begin to fathom what Elijah could be thinking, or when his feelings toward me had become distorted.
"Don't be cruel Nik. Elijah has always had a sense of humor," young Elandra chastised.
Glancing up, Elijah's hazel eyes danced happily and Niklaus, noticing the change in his brother's expression, quickly stepped in front of Elandra - placing his palms on her cheeks. Tilting his head, he met her gaze, his thumbs running along her cheekbones.
"You're always so sweet, love...like honey," he said, placing his lips against hers.
I hastily followed Elijah as he swiftly turned on his heel, heading toward the riverbank. Rebekah, Kol, and Henrik were all lounging on the hill, surrounded by wildflowers. Rebekah glanced up as Elijah passed, lowering the flower crown she was creating back into her lap. Her eyes scanned Elijahs's tense form, brows furrowed in confusion, and her lower lip caught between her teeth. I stood behind Elijah as he stopped at the edge of the river, small stones crunching under his feet as he rotated his weight from leg to leg. His shoulders were tense and his posture rigid with stress. I felt my shoulders slump in defeat.
"Elijah! Are you just going to stand there all day being pensive?" Kol shouted, leaning back onto his elbows.
Elijah's shoulders rose as he took a deep breath, before he turned around, his eyes clouded and hollow. Henrik bounded over, taking Elijah's hand and pulling him toward their little circle. Shortly after, young Elandra and Niklaus joined them, sitting down beside Rebekah - who placed the finished flower crown atop young Elandra's head. With a bright and flirtatious smile, she turned to Niklaus, placing her hands out beside her face.
"How do I look?" she asked.
Niklaus leaned close, whispering something softly in her ear, and young Elandra's face darkened. I smiled, remembering exactly what he had said, "You look beautiful, Elandra. I could eat you up."
I was amused by how easily flustered I used to be. With shaking fingers, she pulled up a few wildflowers near her feet and proceeded to twist them together.
"Your turn, Bekah. Let's turn you into a princess," she said.
Rebekah snorted, sitting up straighter and tossing her blonde curls over her shoulder. "A princess? I think not; I am a Queen," she playfully said.
Widening her eyes, young Elandra placed her hand against her chest. "My apologies, your majesty! I will be sure your new crown is befitting of your station," she said, her tone exasperated as she pulled up more flowers.
Rebekah nodded, swatting Kol away as he lowered to his knees, sarcastically bowing before her. Henrik laughed, falling onto his back as Kol continued to poke at Rebekah, pulling her hair and dress, all the while avoiding her irritated swats. I sat down next to the ever silent Elijah, crossing my legs and eyeing him carefully. He watched his siblings carry on, one leg stretched out before him, his other raised so that he could lean against it. I felt terrible that somehow my relationship with Niklaus had started to cause him pain. I wasn't sure if it was because of jealousy toward what we had, or if he had developed feelings for me at some point, but I was determined to find out. It had been hard for me to admit that I had missed something so monumental, and that was the reason I had started on this path - falling into my own memory. Rubbing my legs anxiously, I took one last look at my family, their content and happy faces - save one. These few shared moments had been what got us through the rest. With a resigned nod, I closed my eyes, falling backward into a deep black pit of blurred images and misty voices.
-------------------------------------------------
With a rush of breath, I swiftly sat up, my hair flying around me. My hips ached as I stood from the hard floor, rotating my neck and shoulders. I glanced down at the clock, surprised by the time. I had been absent for over an hour. Slowly I inched toward my bed, palm pressed against my lower back. I heard a rush of air near my window, and knowing I hadn't left it open, I released a sigh. I sat down and leaned up against my pillow, my eyes rising to find a saddened Rebekah.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked.
I turned away from her, placing my hands upon my face. "Yes and no. I found out that I am a blind fool. How could I have missed his pain?" I asked, my words muffled but clear.
Rebekah sighed, sitting at my feet, and her body fused with my mattress - she almost blended in with the comforter. I winced, looking instead at her sad blue eyes. "You are no fool, Ellie. None of us understand what he is feeling except for him. I don't think...he isn't..." Rebekah fumbled with her words, her lips pursed. "I don't think his feelings are what we all assume. You need to find a moment to speak with him," she finally said.
I nodded, my throat tight, and laid my head against my bed frame. She was right; I knew I needed to speak with Elijah alone, but I doubted that was going to be easy with everything going on. Rebekah's hand hovered above mine, her lips pulled down into a sympathetic frown.
"We will get through this...together," she said.
I stared into her eyes - avoiding the sheen of her grey skin - and tried to remember the bright carefree smile she had worn in my memories. "Always and forever," I said, my eyes burning.
"Always and forever," she echoed.