Double Trouble

17

Lena was tossing and turning in her bed, murmuring about Elle, her Mom and Paris. Elle walked up to her, sat beside her and held her hand.

"Hey Lena! It's okay, I'm here now! Can you see me? It's me, Elle!" she spoke to her sister. Lena looked at her and smiled through her fever. Without saying a word, she squeezed the other girl's hand.

"Hey Elle!" a soft voice greeted the girl. When she looked up, she saw her aunt Freya standing in the threshold of Lena's room, smiling gently at her. "I guess I don't have to introduce myself to you. Since you lived with us for a few months." the blonde woman added, joking slightly. "But can I just say, it's really nice to see you again and know it's you."

Elle looked at her aunt and saw sincerety in her eyes. She smiled a little. "For me too. But Dad isn't happy."

"What? Why would you think that?" Freya asked, confusion and sympathy evident on her face.

"Because he left me and Mom. He never came to visit us and when I came here today he barely said hi. I don't think he wants me near him." Elle said, trying her best not to let her voice quiver while she voiced out what she had been afraid of.

Elijah appeared next to Freya, looking at his daughter with disbelief and pain in his dark orbs. "You think I don't want you?"

Elle looked away from him, focussing on her hand resting on her sister's. She did not want her father to see her sadness. But, she soon felt a warm finger under her chin that turned her head back to Elijah who was now sitting on the bed next to her.

"Listen to me, my darling. Leaving you and your mother was the most difficult thing I ever did in my life. It killed me to say goodbye. The only reason I haven't come to visit you was the thought of having to say goodbye to you again. I couldn't stand it. I just couldn't. Because I love you! Do you hear me, my little Elle? I love you so so much!" Elijah softly told his daughter, stroking her cheek in the process. When he finished his speech, he tenderly enfolded the little girl in his arms, holding her close to him. Elle snuggled into her Dad, her sadness disappearing.

Lena smiled a little at the two. "So, if you love her, why do you want to go to Paris?" she asked.

The dark-haired man looked at his sick daughter in surprise. "Paris? How do you- oh! You've been to see Hayley, haven't you? That's why you left."

The girl did not answer.

Finally, Elijah sighed. "Look, honey, there's nothing for you to worry about. Yes, we were planning on going to Paris, but not permanently. It was supposed to be just a holiday, you, me and Hayley going to Paris for a few weeks. We would never have stayed there. New Orleans is our home, don't you know that? This is where our family is!"

"Promise?" Lena insisted, still a tad suspicious.

Elijah smiled. "You have my word!"

In that moment, the doorbell rang again and Freya went to open the door. When she came back, a woman with dark, curly hair and eyes in the colour of coffee followed her. The blonde Mikaelson woman seemed somewhat nervous all of the sudden.

"Hi! I'm Dr. Keelin Malraux. I take it you are the patient?" the newcomer greeted everyone and then focussed on Lena. The little girl nodded.

A few minutes later, the doctor had her diagnosis. "She is running a nasty fever which seems to be the result of hypotermia. The girl must have been out in the rain for hours! And, if you don't mind me asking, is there something going on in her life that troubles her right now? She doesn't seem too happy. This might effect her recovery too."

Elijah looked at his sister with a pained look in his eyes. Freya, however, was only looking at the woman before her.

"She did have some troubles lately. But, I'm pretty sure those troubles are about to be solved. Besides, she has her family by her side. We love her." Freya told Dr Malraux, in a sweet, mellow tone.

The dark-haired woman smiled at her and gave her a small bottle of medicine. "Give her two tea spoons full of this, every day until she recovers. One at breakfast, one before bed. She'll probably be fine in a few days though."

"Thank you so much, Dr Malraux."

Freya escorted the doctor back to the door. And just when she opened it, another woman came rushing up to the house, obviously exhausted.

Freya stared at her for a second, only mildly surprised, but still taken aback.

"Elena!"