Youth ☽ ☾ Klena

10.

Stefan found himself in London two years later after searching much of western Europe and Northern England. He had scoured and come up blank for any signs of the little girl.

Of course, even with Damon at his side, this was a slow process and finding a little girl- who had rather generic features when describing them- who had been kidnapped a few years previous.

Stefan had a lack of information. He knew that someone powerful had taken her, the families lack of knowledge that this was not an accident proved that, along with the fact that Elena seemed to have left this world altogether.

Stefan, making his way down Oxford Street, pulled his phone out and dialled his brother's numbers. He had just found another dead end but he knew they were getting closer. They were definitely getting closer.

-

Klaus' fists were clenched as was his jaw. His eyes were flaming as he smashed his fist down on the ebony wood of his desk. He cried out as Elijah entered the room, a look of panic masking his usually impassive features.

'Klaus?' Elijah couldn't say anymore as a glass was thrown in his direction, smashing on the wall just by his head. He craned his neck to see a dent in the wall behind him and he had learnt that it was best to stay distant and silent.

Elijah, already being in the room, was about to become a punching bag and he knew it. He readied himself as Klaus' fangs protruded from his gums, a sign of pure rage. Klaus grabbed another glass and threw it at the same spot.

'I had it! I had the bloody moonstone and they bloody took it!' He roared, throwing another two glasses, these two landing not far from Elijah's legs.

Elijah could feel a piece of glass sticking into his calf but made no move to take it out, fearing moving would only lead to a glass landing on his head. A scar, no matter how quickly it healed, was always hard to explain. It took a lot to scar an original but it seemed Klaus often had the power to do it.

Elijah only hoped that Elena could not hear. She was becoming more aware of her surroundings, now being ten-years-old, and there was no doubt that she would investigate if she heard.

'Please calm down, Klaus.' Elijah panicked, raising his arms in front of him to protect himself. Klaus' fangs grew longer as he approached Elijah, stalking him as if he were a predator to its prey.

In that moment, the door creaked open and there stood Elena, dressed in her pyjamas and a look of terror on her face. She could see what was happening. She saw Elijah's calm façade break and Klaus' ignorance to her existence at all.

'Get out!' Klaus screamed, still aiming himself at Elijah but his senses still detecting another person present in the room, despite not knowing who it was.

'No.' Elena stood her ground, unknowing of just how strong Klaus was. She had no idea just who had taken her. She had no idea of supernatural as a whole. She had never believed, even when it came to those childish fantasies of Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

Klaus, somewhere deep inside his mind, recognised that voice but made no move to check. 'Get out, get out, get out!' He screamed, his eyes flaring as he grasped for another glass throwing it at the door, only missing Elena due to her still petite stature and height.

'Klaus stop it! Please!' Klaus' head swerved to meet eyes with the young girl at the door and it all came dawning on him. Elijah let out a breath and swiftly left the room, tempted to drag Elena with him but knew Klaus would not her, not now at least.

Klaus' eyes widened and he fell to his knees. His eyes remained as they were, his body remained still as broken glass pieces dug into his legs.

'You're hurt!' Elena called out, approaching him but Klaus put a hand up to stop her.

'I'm fine. I heal fast.' Little did she know just how fast that was until Klaus stood up again, his body freeing itself of its self-inflicted paralysis. His leg's strained as he limped over to the pair of pliers he kept on his desk.

He stuck it in his leg, the blood spilling out, not caring at this point that a ten-year-old was watching. She gasped and went to help again, not fearing the blood, but he held up another hand. 'I'll explain, just let me take these out.'

Five minutes later, the pieces were out and Klaus had fallen back into his office chair, watching Elena's face cautiously as she stared at the blood-stained floorboards she was standing on.

'What are you?' She whispered, more to herself that Klaus.

'I'm a vampire.' He lost all nicknames and just left the end of his sentences hanging. He didn't want to see how Elena would react but it certainly wasn't what he thought it would be. She stared at him with amazement, not fear.

She had once called them vampires as entertainment to her own young mind, never did she think that she would be correct.

'We're the original vampires, to be exact. The oldest there are.' Elena took a few steps towards Klaus, who still looked withdrawn and scared, and hugged him.

'You're the coolest daddy I could ever wish for.' Klaus laughed at that. He had laughed a lot lately, as he did with smiles.

'How are you not afraid? I'm over a thousand-years-old, Elena. You should be scared.' She shook her head and looked up to him.

'You're my daddy. Even then you didn't hurt me. You would never hurt me. All a thousand years means is that you are very, very clever.' She giggled childishly, holding her gaze with his. He smiled as did she and they simply sat in a comfortable silence.

Klaus didn't understand but he didn't need to. As long as Elena was happy, he was happy to not understand. He hated being confused but he had learnt to control his urge to find the truth with Elena because he knew he would never understand her emotions- or anyone's emotions- so he let his thoughts be and simply enjoyed the moment.

This was all he had wanted, to be accepted. He had finally been accepted.

word count: 1052

published: 14.02.17