SAFE & SOUND | THE ORIGINALS

twelve

Alana ran up the stairs to her room in under 10 seconds after finally arriving back in the compound. The teen dumped her bag onto the floor, not caring for where it landed as she slammed the wooden door shut as she threw herself onto the large bed.

Sobs racked her body and her bright blue eyes soon closely resembled a river.

Elijah had parked his car and rushed out as quickly as possible, following the sound of his daughters sobs upstairs where he quietly twisted the metal handle and swung open the wooden door.

"Alana?" He called out softly, still standing in the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it," came her muffled reply.

The Original slowly made his way over to the bed and sat on the edge, leaving a little bit of room between them. He reached out and placed a large out on the small of her back comfortingly.

"Was it that boy? I told you to stay away – " he cut himself off. "Sorry. You don't need to hear that right now."

The teen slowly sat up and shrugged, tears still glistening in her big blue eyes, "No, you're right. I should have listened to you. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, none of this is your fault," he reassured her softly. "Boys your age don't aren't mature enough to appreciate girls like you."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Alana's plump lips as her father's words of comfort slipped from his mouth. Her slim fingers reached up and swiped under her large blue eyes, wiping away the salty water droplets that had escaped them.

She abruptly changed her position on the bed and wrapped her long, thin arms around him in a tight hug. It had been their first but certainly wouldn't be their last.

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you lately. You didn't deserve any of that."

"Yes I did. I should have been making more of an effort to spend time with you. I'm sorry," Elijah apologised as she pulled away from the hug. "Why don't you and I go get dinner? I know a great diner not too far from here."

"I'd like that," she smiled widely and he was filled with a joy he had never felt before. "Let me just grab a jacket, yeah?"

Elijah didn't respond verbally but gave her a curt nod as she grabbed a denim jacket from her wardrobe. They headed for the stairs that lead to the courtyard where Elijah stopped walking and held his arm out.

"Shall we?"

"We shall," Alana responded with a giggle, unable to wipe the grin off her face as she linked her arm through his.

Rebekah joined Klaus who stood in a doorway observing the pair as they set off for their dinner date.

"Since when have they been close?" The blonde questioned, a perfectly plucked eyebrow raised.

"I've no idea," her brother shrugged, "but I'm glad they're finally getting along. They need each other more than they realise."

"You're not wrong," Rebekah chuckled before turning on her heel and leaving her brother alone once more.