Too young, too fragile (Klaus Mikaelson ff)

Chapter 1

The phone rang on the empty counter in the kitchen. Elijah was tired and almost fell asleep on the couch when he heard the sudden music of his ringtone, he hurried to pick it up as soon as possible.

It was Hope.

-Uncle Elijah... It happened again... Please come fast - Hope cried, making Elijah's heart ache

Elijah couldn't hurry enough to get to his brother's side.

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Hope was Niklaus's daughter, she was just 3 years old, but smart for her age. She wasn't born from love as you would expect that, no. Elijah made the mistake to hire a nurse for his baby brother when he was about thirteen or fourteen years old and his health started to deteriorate, it was just for the time Nik learned to care for himself. Niklaus protested, but he forced him to accept the help. They were surprised when months later the nurse suddenly wanted to quit after Niklaus refused to talk for days. It was all too suspicious for Elijah, so he started to pressure both Klaus and the woman and it turned out she raped him and is pregnant with Niklaus's child. Elijah made the decision for Klaus to get custody over Hope when she was born and it proved to be a good decision. The baby made Niklaus happy and have hope again, they moved out later with the help of Elijah, to start a new life on their own despite Elijah's, Freya's and every of their siblings' disapproval. Elijah made Niklaus promise to call him anytime he needed help and later he got Hope a baby phone with pictured buttons so she could call him as well.

Niklaus's health was fragile and he barely managed to keep it together for Hope. He didn't tell for years how bad he really was feeling. He would faint multiple times a day and made Hope promise she doesn't tell it to any of her uncles and aunties, which she complied to until this point.

Her father collapsing in the middle of their kitchen, hitting his head badly and bleeding, Hope had no other choice, but to call Elijah for help. She figured it's better to deal with his fathers anger, but having him alive than watching him die.

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Elijah was covered in sweat as he got to his baby brother's apartment. He didn't bother to knock on the door, just kicked it in hoping his niece was not right behind it.

-Hope! Where are you?

-Here, uncle Elijah, in the kitchen.

Elijah ran as fast as he could just to find Niklaus on the ground, he immediately called 911, he thought it was just a fainting spell, not a bloody injury, that needed urgent treatment. The paramedics arrived and took the still unconscious Niklaus to the hospital. Elijah stayed behind with Hope to gather a few things to take to the hospital.

-Hope, can I have a question?

-Yes of course, what is it? I like quizzes!

-When you called me, you said 'It happened again'. What did you mean by that?

Elijah sat down on the edge of the bed and took Hope on his lap.

-Can you keep secrets? - she whispered

-Oh yes dear, I'm great with secrets! You can tell me anything.

-Thank Godly! I have so much to tell you uncle Elijah! I was really worried about daddy before you came, he had his ground kissing game pretty often lately and he said to keep it our secret. I thought maybe he wanted to play something else but it still happened, even while we played Candyland! I thought we were having fun...

-Oh sweety you know that's not really a game. You know daddy has a nasty elf in his body, that sometimes behaves naughty and makes him feel bad, the elf thinks it's just a game, that might be why daddy told you it was a game. Anything else you noticed?

-Hmm... Daddy doesn't like pancakes and bacon anymore I think, and he is in the bathroom every morning cleaning, before he let me help but now he doesn't. I'm a good helper uncle Elijah! I want to help!

-You helped more than you could think. What do you think, would daddy and you like a sleepover at my place?

-YEEEEEEEEES!!! I'd love a sleepover, can we have pizza? You make the best one.

-Sure sweetheart. Let's get these to your dad and make sure he doesn't wake up alone, then we can have pizza together.

-I don't want to go to the hospital, it's boring there.

-Hmm... Then what if I call aunt Freya and you go and play with uncle Henrik?

-Okay, that sounds good.

They gathered some stuff for hope as well and left the apartment. Elijah took Hope to Freya's house then ran after Niklaus to the hospital. By now he surely knew he would move his baby brother and niece to his home.