Lost Boy // The Originals

// chapter one //

I held the calm infant's tiny body in my broad arms, cradling him close to me. His head of hair brushed up against my arms as he made a sucking noise with his quivering lips. After sucking on air for a few moments he threw his head back and let out a single, loud wail. I pouted my lips as I ran my hand along the back of his head, quietly rocking him back and forth. A bout of anxiety ran through me as I then realized that I knew absolutely nothing about infants.

"Shh, quiet now Alexander...." I whispered as I continued rocking him in my arms. He whimpered a few times before opening his eyes wide and looking up to me in wonder. He searched my eyes as I searched his, hoping to find the answers to all of my questions. This poor boy was relying on me now and I wasn't even sure that I was any help to him. Perhaps saving him from Niklaus' men was a bad idea. Maybe I had caused him more harm than good by scooping him into my arms and claiming him as my own.

He whimpered a few more times, clutching his eyes tight together as his face reddened. He was on the verge of a rather large tantrum if I didn't get him under control and soon. The last thing that I needed was bringing attention to my cottage in the village from Niklaus. I walked to the edge of my cottage and dipped my pinky finger in a boiling pot of water.

I then shook the excess water off from my pinky and placed my finger in the mouth of Alexander. He then quieted, the red in his face draining away. He began sucking again for a few moments when another presence entered my cottage. "I have reason to believe that Katerina is heading west," Niklaus announced as he entered my space.

I had my back turned to him so he couldn't see the infant that was resting in my arms. "Is that so?" I questioned, watching as Alexander began to toss and turn in my arms, now rejecting my finger as a soother. I felt his eyes watching me the way that a hunter watches his prey before he releases his arrow. I slowly turned to face Niklaus, his eyes going from me, to Alexander.

"Elijah," he muttered, his eyes dark, "what are you doing with a child?" I pursed my lips together, preparing for my explanation. I knew that Niklaus would fight me on this but that was okay, I was willing to fight for this child. I was sure that it was the first of many fights that I would have over him, and that was fine. I was his father now. It was my job.

"Niklaus," I said firmly, glaring back at him, "you sent your men to kill this child and his parents. What did you expect me to do? Leave him to be killed?" Niklaus' eyes widened as he pressed his lips together. He held his right hand above his hip as he paced slowly along his side of the space. "Elijah, you and your nobility," he spit.

"You can't keep a child here!" He shouted, his face now as red as Alexander's was before he threw his own tantrum. "Niklaus," I began before he interrupted me, raising a finger to my face. "No, brother!" He shouted. "You cannot keep him here! You vowed to help me find Katerina and I will make sure that you carry out your word...."

"I will not go back on my word, Niklaus. I promise you that," I said to him calmly, hoping to relieve him of any stress through my voice. "However, I have also promised to care for this child and I too will keep that promise. You see Niklaus, I don't plan on going back on either of my promises. I intend on keeping both." Niklaus' chest rose and fell slowly as he peered at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. He then quietly nodded his head as he tilted his chin, looking towards Alexander, who was growing restless in my arms.

He took a few steps towards me and Alexander as he looked the child up and down. He gently placed a finger along Alexander's arm and dragged it down to his fingers. Alexander flung his clumsy head to look towards Niklaus, his lips drawing a straight line. His expression was quite comical as he glared up at Niklaus, confused by his presence. I too had held the same expression towards Niklaus many times before.

Niklaus didn't smile at the infant, nor did he frown at him. He simply stared at him. "This poor boy was born into a world full of devils and monsters," he whispered as he looked up to me. I nodded my head subtly as I looked back down towards Alexander, who continued to be both confused and intrigued by Niklaus. "That may be true...." I whispered, "but I promise to protect him until his last human day, and even after that if I have to."

Niklaus stood quietly, considering our conversation. Niklaus never really cared for children. To him, they served no true purpose to the world. They were dependent and relied on others, he couldn't stand that about them. Plus, he couldn't stand wailing. If we walked through a village with a wailing child he was quick to approach them, compelling them to "shut their small traps." I found this at times humorous as Niklaus was an adult child, but of course, I kept those thoughts to myself.

Rebekah entered my cottage going on about some handsome boy that she had just passed before she stopped in her tracks, looking over to her two monstrous brothers caring for a small child. She stared at us in disbelief, and in fear that we may intend to hurt the child. "What are you-," she began before I interrupted her, curing her fear.

"Rebekah," I began as I took a step towards her, "meet Alexander." I smiled at her, knowing that she, unlike Niklaus, would welcome this child with open arms. She turned her head, still confused. "Elijah," she whispered, "what are you doing with this child? Where did you get her from?" I smiled again, looking back towards Niklaus before carrying on with my story.

"I saved him," I whispered, "he is a he." I laughed quietly with the end of the sentence. It felt good to laugh. It had been awhile since I had. Rebekah smiled back at me, still confused but willing to play along. "So...." she said as she approached us, placing Alexander's hand in her own, "you're going to keep him then?"

"Good heavens Rebekah," I laughed, "he's not an animal that we're going to domesticate. He's a child." She shook her head, her blonde hair falling around her shoulders as she laughed with me. "Of course," she laughed, "I'm sorry." She continued to hold Alexander's hand as she shook it playfully and gazed over him.

"Hello Alexander...." she whispered, "welcome to the family." I couldn't help but smile again. Maybe this could really work. Maybe we could all raise Alexander, together. Niklaus slowly walked around us, towards the exit of my cottage. "Niklaus...." I said as he continued walking towards the door. He slowly turned around, a look of pout and unhappiness across his face.

"You could help us raise this child," I nodded, "we can all be a family." Niklaus sucked in a breath of the fresh European air, flaring his nostrils as he did this. He then licked his bottom lip before opening his mouth again. "We already were a family," he spit as he glared at me once more and turned on his heel to leave us.

"Don't mind him Elijah," Rebekah said reassuringly, "we don't need him anyways. Alexander would be better off not knowing a devilish man named Niklaus." I sucked in my own breath of air and nodded with her words. She was right. No child in this world would be better off by knowing Niklaus. Not even a man in this world would be better off by knowing him. He wasn't even better off knowing himself.

Alexander began sucking on nothing again as he turned again in my arms, his face reddening. Another large wail escaped from him as he thrashed his arms around. Rebekah began shushing him as she shrugged her shoulders, unsure of what to do next. "Shh, shh Alexander...." I whispered, rocking him again in my arms as I slowly began to walk around my small cottage.

"I'll get him some milk from the goat," Rebekah said as she began to leave the cottage. I responded silently by nodding my head with her suggestion, but I kept my attention on the crying infant in my arms. "Alexander...." I whispered as he cried a little more quieter, his tiny palms clutching onto my chest, "don't worry Alexander. Elijah is here now. You needn't have a fear in this world....not a single one, my small prince."

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