The Second Choice

Welcome Home

"You're supposed to be asleep."

"I want to talk." Elijah enters the room and shuts the door behind him. "You've been avoiding me." I sighed and rolled my eyes. Great. Now I sound like a sixteen year old.  "Well not avoiding, but distancing; since we've left the loft." I suddenly find my nails very interesting. Painted a dark plum to match the lipstick and the shoes; perfectly rounded. All but one. The one I chewed off earlier. Nasty nervous habit, I know. I continued to speak. "Slater, he called you... an Original? Are you like, the first or something? The first of you kind..."

He finally speaks, "one of them yes." This only brought more questions.

"So there's more of you?"

"My family, yes." More? You've got to be shitting me. I hugged my knees.

"I guess- I guess I didn't think you had a family..." He laughed and took a seat on the bed facing me.

"Yes, one sister and three brothers." I smiled at the thought of a young Elijah playing with his siblings.

"You missed a spot." His eyes followed mine to a spot of blood on his knuckles. "Business looks messy."

"It can be." I smile. It can be.

"The message you sent. Slater's dead body. Just more messy business?" He nods. "Most girls prefer flowers." He smiles. "How did it happen? Surely you weren't born like this," Elijah adjusted himself; his back was now rested against the headboard. I leaned against him; he placed his arm around me and began. 

Then he told me everything. The werewolves that killed Henrik.  Fin's pure loyalty to their mother Ester. The snatching of young Rebekah's innocence. And Klaus's current hunger for power. "You mustn't worry about your sister. The Salvatore brothers loyalty to you sister is strong. They will do anything to keep her safe."

"And what about everyone else? While my sister is guaranteed protection, everyone else around us dies."

"No one will harm you." His hold on me tightened.  

"You don't know that."

"We've had an early start tomorrow. You'll be seeing your family." I scoffed and shook my head, my eyes starting getting bury from the tears forming.

"They're not my family." Elijah brushed the back of his hand on my face; his thumb catches the stay tear.

"Sometimes it may seem so, but deep down you still care. That's something you just can't shut off." For the first time I realized his eyes. They're not the dark brown I originally believed they were; they were more of a honey color. But the longer you looked a light green would appear. "They care for you Amelia." I couldn't help but let out a dark chuckle.

"What about your siblings, where are they now?"

"They're gone"

"Do you forgive them? For leaving." He sighs and strokes my hair.

"I have to."

My home looks the same. Why wouldn't it? I don't know why but I can't bring myself to go in. Actually, I do know why. I don't trust them. I lightly rocked myself on the porch swing. I fumbled with the loose thread on the top I borrowed from the mystery woman from the Martin's.

Elijah said he would be back. He never told me when. But soon. 

The front door opens. "Ames! Your back! How was your trip?" My trip? That's what they're calling it? Aunt Jenna takes a seat next to me. "You know a little heads up would be nice next time. I know your all about you shopping trips but come on. I tried calling a couple of times, I think your phones dead." A shopping trip. You've got to be kidding me. Aunt Jenna looked around. "Where's all your stuff?" I smiled.

"They'll be sending me my stuff soon. A lot of the stuff is custom." Aunt Jenna rolls her eyes and jokingly hit my thigh.

"Only you. We'll I've got to head out Carol Lockwood wanted to meet up with me. Something about your mom's stuff with the Historical Society. No one else is home; I think Elena and Jer went to the boarding house." I simply nod and pull her in close to me. I can't hate her. She didn't know.

She pulled back slightly and tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "Hey are you okay?" I didn't even notice I was crying.

"Ha, umm yeah. Sorry. I think I'm just overly tired or something. I'm going to go cleanup" Jenna just nods, I head towards our dark blue doors.

"Cute top by the way."

It felt nice to smell like me again; to wear my own clothes.

I applied the usual makeup. Light foundation, liquid eyeliner; winged and only on the top lid. I fill in my eye brows, apply chap stick and mascara.

I knew I was stalling.

Then hair. I kept it natural. Straight and down.

I open my dresser and pull out necessary garments; bra, underwear, socks. I pull out a dark blue panelled lace tank from the closet and a pair of black ae skinny jeans. Next was my favorite pair of black leather biker boots and a black three quarter length sleeved leather jacket.   

My jewelry stays the same as always. A jade pendant hung from a gold chain. I wore a pair of matching jade studs in my ears. They belonged to my mother. On my wrist, gold Michael Kors watch.

I grab my keys and wallet. It's not like I had a phone.

I knew I had to face them. I thought the longer I waited, the easier it would be. I was wrong.

I pulled up to the Salvatore plantation.

The longer I waited, the angrier I got. The more I thought about what happened.

I open the front door. I can hear them. Arguing. Planning their next move. Sounds like the whole gang is here.

I take a few steps. Enough so that I can see them all. But I didn't bother entering the room. I just watched.

They continue to argue. Jeremy looks frustrated.

"We can't keep doing this! We can't keep act like everything is fine! Amelia is still missing and apparently you two didn't do a good enough job of making sure Elijah was dead." Jeremy throws a book across the room. It hits the wall by my head.

No one pays attention to his outburst. But his eyes follow to book. To me. He gasp.

"Amelia?" My glare is still fixed on the rest of the group, who looked just as surprised. I smirk.

"I'm back."