"Can you all move your ass down here, we don't have much time!" Klaus' voice echoed through the Mikaelson house in New Orleans. You hurried to throw some clothes into your bag and then ran down the stairs. Since months you were living in the house, since you were close friends with Rebekah and a vampire as well.
There had been struggles and fights over these months between witches and vampires. But now the situation seemed to get worse. Hope, Klaus' and Hayley's daughter, was in danger. The witches of New Orleans wanted her as a sacrifial offering to the ancestors. Of course, Klaus and Hayley were alarmed and wanted to do everything they could to protect the eight months old girl.
"Alright, Elijah, you and Y/N will drive to the manor house with Hope. Hayley, Rebekah, Marcel and I will find the witches that want our daughter's life. Don't come near the city until they're dead, okay?" Klaus looked at all of you. And you all nodded. There was no way you would disagree with Klaus. He was angry; everyone could see and feel it. And he couldn't wait to spill blood.
You took Hope out of Hayley's arms. "Please take good care of her", Hayley whispered. You nodded. "I'll protect her with my life, I promise." Then you followed Elijah out of the house and to the car that was ready and packed with the stuff you would need in the manor house.
Two hours later, you arrived at your destination. While you took Hope, Elijah grabbed all the bags that had been in the back of the car. For a moment, you remained standing next to the car and just stared at the house in front of you. It was huge. And beautiful. You already loved it and a little smile creeped on your lips.
You glanced over at Elijah, who was carrying all your bags. Not for the first time since you knew the Mikaelsons, you imagined how it would be to kiss him. How his lips would feel on yours and how it would feel to be in his arms. Of course, you had hugged in the past, but that wasn't the same.
You tried to hold back a sigh as you followed Elijah towards the house. You couldn't figure out if he liked you the way you liked him. And you were too much of a coward to just ask him. One didn't just ask a Mikaelson about his feelings. All of them – except of Rebekah – rarely talked about how they actually felt.
When Hope started to wriggle in your arms, you hurried to get into the house. The baby had been sleeping in the car and now she seemed to be hungry. "I'm gonna prepare Hope's baby bottle", you said as you stepped into the entrance hall and looked around. Elijah nodded and pointed to the left. "The kitchen's there. I'll bring our baggage upstairs." He gave you a little smile and then went upstairs. You watched him for a moment, but when Hope started to whine, you turned to her again.
"Shhh, everything's good, baby girl. We'll make you some food now, okay?" You kissed her head and then went towards the kitchen.
~
Two hours later, Hope was laying on her baby blanket and babbled while you and Elijah watched her. You both smiled. This baby was the hope for the whole family. And to see that there were witches looking for her and trying to do her harm, made your heart hurt.
"Can you believe that something so innocent can be in such danger?", you whispered, more to yourself than to Elijah. But he replied anyway: "They will find a way to save her, Y/N. And...we'll do everything we can to protect her."
You nodded and glanced at him. The smile on his face, while he was looking at the baby, woke up a thousand butterflies in your stomach. He looked up and your eyes met. You swallowed. If your heart would have been still beating it would have jumped out of your chest right now.
"Don't you...miss that opportunity?", Elijah asked. You leaned back in the armchair you were currently sitting in and frowned at the man next to you. "What do you mean?"
"Well...having children. We're vampires. We can't change. We're not able to make babies. Did you ever want to have children?" He leaned back as well now, still looking at you. His brown eyes were so warm and he leaned a bit towards you.
"I...have thought about it when I was still human. But I haven't been in a relationship. I was always unlucky when it came to men and...I didn't have much hope to have a family myself one day."
"Those men...must have been real assholes to have let you go or not treat you the way you deserve it", Elijah quietly said. Your eyes widened. What? What did he just say? You didn't know what to say right now, but you hadn't to. Elijah had put your hands in his and a new smile had grown on his lips.
When Hope started to cry, you both turned your attention back to the baby again. You picked her up from the ground and rocked her in your arms. Her blue eyes just stared at you and you couldn't help but kiss her forehead and press her against you. Yes, you would have wanted children once. But now it was too late. Instead, you had gotten a family. And you felt comfortable with that family. They understood you and how you felt most of the time since the Mikaelsons were vampires as well.
When you looked up again, you could see Elijah watching you, a smile on his face. You hadn't seen him smiling that much within the last two months or so – although you had to fear for Hope's safety.
~
Only an hour later you had put Hope to sleep and stood at her crib and watch her. She was truly a miracle. And you knew, all of you would give their life to protect her. "Ah, here you are." Elijah's voice sounded from somewhere behind you and you turned around. With his hands in his pockets, he slowly stepped closer to the crib. "I just...like to watch her sleeping. She looks so peaceful then", you quietly explained. Elijah nodded as he gazed at Hope too.
Both, yours and Elijah's hands were lying on the wooden grid of the crib. Suddenly, you felt his hand on top of yours and you slightly winced. With a nervous feeling growing in your stomach, you looked at the man next to you.
"You know...not only this baby is a hope for us", Elijah said. "From the moment I saw you the first time, I...I knew that there was something about you. Maybe even about us. And I still feel like this. Klaus' and Hayley's daughter might be the hope for our whole family. But you, you are my personal hope. The hope of...love and a better life." Elijah turned to you now and you did the same. You stepped even closer to him and now your faces were so close, you could feel his breath on your skin.
"I felt the same from the beginning", you whispered breathless as you could feel Elijah's arms slowly wrapping around your waist. And when his lips crashed on yours, the whole world seemed to stop for a moment.