You Don't Know What I'd Do For You (Love you like oxygen)

twenty-two

*A/N* Hello! No trigger warnings that I could think of for this chapter, but if you spot any, definitely let me know and I will add them immediately. Just a little explanation for this, I've pretty much scrapped the timeline, yes, Freya has just joined the family and Hope is a little baby but I put lot of events into this chapter that in the actual series wouldn't happen until much later. I know it's confusing, just go with it, I tried my best. Also, happy pride and Indigenous peoples month! Just a none-too-gentle reminder that if you are purposefully not supporting someone's content because they are part of the LGBTQ+ community and for some reason you don't like that, get off of my platform, love, you are going to absolutely hate me. Now, on with the story!

In Elijah's Mind

The next door looked the same as all the others on the outside, but upon entering the darkness, they could immediately tell that something was off. There was no light, it was like stepping into a wall of black ink, no images leapt forth before them. Despite all their enhanced vision, they couldn't make out anything, it was as though they had all suddenly gone blind. Opening their eyes as far as they could go or squeezing them tightly shut made no difference. They had abruptly been robbed of all their senses, it was eerily quiet, their breath and their footsteps made no sound, they couldn't talk, their entire body was numb. Like they had all just disappeared, like they weren't even real anymore, and that was the scariest part.

All around, from every direction was a strange, humming vibration, fading in and out, rising and falling until they could make out the blurry, far-away voices. Small blooms of colour and light started appearing, but this time, it was all they could see, as though they were standing inside the new memory rather than just watching it like a film. Fuzzily, they blinked bleary eyes open and into a new existence, a familiar scenery that they were beginning to miss dearly. It was one of the many studies in the compound, Elijah and Klaus were idly examining a large object on a table in front of them, the older standing still while the forever-restless hybrid circled around as they exchanged quiet words with each other.

The strange hum faded out, sound returning clearly once more. "In my desire to reclaim this town," Klaus continued, turning his body towards Elijah and slowly approaching, "to steal from Marcel that which he holds most dear, I have realized one, massive vulnerability, one weakness that Marcel could exploit."

Elijah, calm and collected, even though the glint in the hybrid's eyes sent dread running through all of them while they could do nothing but watch. "And what is that?" the eldest asked, meeting his younger brother's eyes.

"You," Klaus said, simply, before driving a dagger straight into Elijah's chest, "Forgive me, my brother. There is no power in love. Mercy makes you weak, family makes you  weak."

Rebekah and Kol both couldn't help but silently gasp at the memory. They had both been daggered by Klaus enough times to know the feeling. But the look of hurt on Elijah's face just registered differently to them. It just felt different, it was one thing if it was Finn, or Kol, or even Rebekah, but it was entirely another matter when it happened to Elijah.

Elijah, their brother who supported Klaus endlessly again and again and never gave up, who loved and cared so deeply for so many no matter what, who had been the parent that all of them had never had, for his siblings, for Marcel, for Davina, even for Hayley and Hope. It rang through that no one was safe from Klaus, no amount of loyalty, no amount of obedience, was ever enough to satisfy. Not even Elijah's hundreds of years of undying service, time and time again pushing Klaus back onto a path to redemption, never losing hope, following wherever the hybrid led. Dropping everything the moment that Klaus lifted a finger, living solely for the purpose of serving their brother, bending to every whim and will no matter how steep the sacrifice, not even all of that was enough to please Klaus. It was never enough.