Chasing the storm

24

Somehow, Scarlett managed to drag Elijah to the nearby, empty cabin. She managed to lift him onto the bed. Maybe it was the adrenaline still running through her veins.

"I don't know what to do" she remarked, panicking at Elijah's sweating body, he was twitching and groaning in pain. "I don't know what's happening"

"Werewolf bites are poisonous to vampires, it won't kill me, I need to wait it out" Elijah managed to gain his voice for a few moments "please, Scarlett, I'm going to become something I'm not, in this state I have no control..."

"Sh" she said, opening a window and trying to let some fresh air into the room "it's my fault you're here, let me look after you"

Elijah tried to protest. But the venom manifested itself Further into him, causing the burning to ignite and spread around. "Please" he begged

Scarlett reached into Elijah's pocket as she helped him get his jacket off, pulling out the makeshift stake "either you or Tristan attack me I'm not going to hesitate to use this" she said, waving the stake in front of his face "did you see what I did? I saved you, I actually fought and won!"

Elijah groaned again "please..." He begged "I don't want you to see me like this"

"Well tough, you've helped me when I needed it, but didn't want it. Now I can return the favour" Scarlett knelt down and tried to brush Elijah's hair from his forehead "you're going to be okay"

Elijah knew that, but the pain he was feeling told him otherwise. He was glad that she chose to stand by him, the fight giving her the push she needed to finally climb out of the hole she's been living in. Her eyes were bright and the smile that crossed her lips when she spoke to him was genuine.

Maybe it's because she knew that what she was doing now, was what Alex had done many times before. Maybe, by doing this, she somehow felt connected, and closer to him.

But at that moment, surprisingly, Alex didn't cross her mind once. All she was thinking about was Elijah, and how he needed her, just as she needed him. She knew that she was going to get told off when they got back, but she might as well soften the blow by helping him out.

A wave of hunger washed across Elijah as if he was the shore on a beach. He used all of his might to try and suppress it, he didn't want Scarlett to see him like that. He didn't want her to see his face change.

But it did. The veins grew dark and popped, his eyes dilated and his fangs clicked out.

Scarlett didn't know where to look, was it offensive to stare? But she couldn't help it, Elijah looked so different, so dark. But somehow she was more drawn to it than chased away.

"I don't want you to see me" Elijah tried to turn his head, he didn't want to dirty Scarlett's clean (ish) image of him

"It's not that bad" she shrugged "it kind of suits you"

Scarlett placed her hand on his forehead to check for the temperature, but instead, she was plunged into Elijah's past.

Elijah stalked the forest in Mystic Falls. He had heard of many villagers being slaughtered by a mysterious beast in the woods.

And Niklaus was missing.

The daylight ring that his mother had made him, allowed him to walk through the village and through the woods.

"Niklaus" he exclaimed as he saw his brother curled up, his knees against his naked chest, over a man's torso.

"I don't know what is wrong with me, brother" he cried

"I wish I could tell you" Elijah sympathised "but I do not know either"

He placed his hand on Klaus' shoulder and gave him his torn jacket "mother may know"

"Elijah" a girl's voice broke their conversation, and Elijah stood up immediately and turned to see the girl's face turn from delight to fear.

"Tatia" Elijah's eyes widened as hers danced around the scene

She didn't say anything. What she did next was something expected, she ran. Elijah being Elijah, followed her, he needed to explain.

"Don't" she shouted, realising that her recent fall had destroyed all chances of getting away "don't come near, what are you?"

"I am who I have always been" Elijah raised his hand in surrender "the one who loves you"

His eyes directed to the blood on her hand, she tried so hard to conceal it, but the smell was so strong.

"Run" Elijah whispered, giving Tatia a second head start before catching her and diving straight in.

Scarlett jumped back "what? How?" She asked, in shock of seeing Elijah's past.

"I've let you into my head, I didn't mean to" Elijah said as his eyes looked at the ceiling "Scarlett, I'm only going to get worse" Elijah tried to make her leave again, even though he knew the answer

"Elijah, no" this time her voice was stern and sharp "what are you so worried about? Me running away? Elijah, I'm not that girl I have just seen, I'm not going to run away from you"

She took his hand in both of hers as she raised it to her lips to quickly kiss it, she didn't know why, it just felt right.

"Everything I love dies" Elijah blurted out "everyone who loves me always gets
Killed"

"And I'm not going to be one" Scarlett's voice grew soft, she didn't deny that she loved him, because she did "Elijah I'm not going to die because I love you"

Focussing on the sentence she just said, she said she loved him. He looked at her, his brown eyes turning black again before returning to normal.

Scarlett glanced down at her wrist, mirroring Elijah. "Blood?" She asked herself quietly, realising that Elijah might need it to gain his Health.

She couldn't find anything to cut herself with, nor anything to put blood in. So instead, she held her wrist close to his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Elijah asked, turning his head away "I'm not..."

"I don't care" she said "you need blood, I have loads of it"

"I'm not guaranteeing I'll be able to stop" he replied

Half of her just wanted to see Elijah's vampire face once more, the other wanted to genuinely help.

"You will" she smile "I trust you"

Maybe that was all he needed, her trust. Elijah pushed himself to bury his fangs into her wrist, but as the warm liquid hit his tastebuds, all barriers dissolved and he couldn't stop.

It felt like pins in her wrist at first, but the real pain came when the blood left her body. "Ah" she moaned, taking a sharp breath in. She knew that her body couldn't take this amount being taken away.

Elijah opened his eyes and looked up at her with black eyes. His mouth was still on her wrist, and somehow, he wasn't processing why she was almost crying and trying to pull away.

All he could hear was her pulse and the faint sound of her trying to get him off her. All he could feel was the warmth of the blood, and not the force Scarlett was using to pull away.

And he only realised that he had gone too far, when she collapsed.