Mismatched // Elijah Mikaelson

I

"And I feel it running through my veins.
And I need that fire just to know that I'm awake."

***

'So who is this again?' Elena asked as she looked at Zari.

Alaric sighed, 'She's sort of the other teenager under my wing.'

Zari pointed her flashlight at Alaric's eyes, 'Watch it, I'm in my twenties. You're the alcoholic under my wing.'

'I like her.'

Alaric shot Damon a glare and Elena frowned, 'I still don't get it, you never told us about her!'

Zari smiled, 'He's not one to brag.'

Damon's eyes widened, 'Yeah, Ric, I really like her.'

Elena rolled her eyes as Damon stopped walking, Zari noticed and smiled. Apparently the Lockwoods had protected their land from the people they despised. 'Vampire, huh? Alaric, your friends really get more interesting by the minute.'

'Yeah, I know,' Alaric sighed as he pointed his light at the wall, 'Here we are.'

'Viking script, that's why you brought me here!'

'She can read it,' Alaric told Elena, a bit of pride in his voice.

'How?' Elena asked.

'Got bored, one day, Alaric had this alphabet laying around. I gave it to a friend so we could have a secret code.'

'Wow,' Elena said.

'Interesting,' Zari muttered and she looked at Damon and Elena, 'does the name Niklaus mean anything to you?' Elena stiffened, Alaric's eyes widened and Damon balled his fists. 'I see it does.' She traced the wall with her fingers, 'Elijah, Rebekah and Mikael.'

Elena shook her head, 'Mikael, the vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus?'

Damon smirked, 'Why don't we call him: Papa Original?'

Zari glanced at Alaric, 'Oh my god, seriously? The Originals? You're messing with them?'

Alaric nodded, 'Yeah, sorry, it's a bit complicated.'

Zari smirked, 'Oh don't apologise, I just can't believe you didn't call me in earlier. I've always wanted to meet them, possibly kill them too, depends on my mood.'

Damon shook his head in disbelief, 'Have I said I liked her already?'

'Yeah, you have. But please, say it again.'

***

'Oh, you don't need me for that,' Zari said as she looked through the photographs of the story of the Original family in drawings.

'I thought you were so interested in them?' Alaric asked.

'Of course I am, but you'll send me the translation anyway and I need to get an apartment if I'm going to stay here.'

'You can stay on the couch.'

Zari shook her head, 'It's not your house, it's that of your other troubled teens. And I don't know them, it's awkward.'

'Fine, go and find yourself an apartment.'

'If you need me, I'm at the first diner I can find.'

'I thought you were going to find an apartment?' Alaric said as he raised his eyebrow.

'Yeah, well, can't do that on an empty stomach.'

'You could just eat-,' Alaric started until he shot her a smile, 'Got it, awkward. Only diner in town is the Mystic Grill, you'll know when you see it.'

***

'I'd like a cheeseburger, no sauce, please,' Zari said as she sipped on her water.

'Excuse me, but can I sit with you? Every other table is already claimed and you're the least dreadful out of everyone,' a blond commented.

Zari looked up and sighed, 'Whatever.'

'I'm Rebekah, I'm new.'

Zari smiled, 'I'm Za'Rijah, Zari for lazy people, including myself. I'm new in town too.'

'Really? Family here? I did, but they left me. They're all backstabbing arseholes.'

'Yes, I do, sort of. Alaric Saltzman.'

'That's my history teacher! Is he your dad or your boyfriend?' Rebekah asked, sipping her drink.

Zari choked lightly on her water, 'Dad, he's my dad.'

'Why did you follow him to this pit?'

'Because I like adventures,' Zari answered, 'I took a quick glance at the unexplained animal kills.'

Rebekah smirked, 'You should come by my house one day, you're the only bearable person under Mr. Saltzman's care.'

Zari smiled at the burger that was placed in front of her, 'My semi-siblings are that bad?'

'The worst,' Rebekah replied as she drank from her scotch, 'they have this little gang and they gang up together at school, against me.'

'That's terrible, sadly for you, I don't go to school anymore. So, I'm pretty useless.'

Rebekah grinned, 'That's okay, I can take care of myself. But from now on you're my friend outside school.'

Zari frowned, 'I kind of go by myself most of the time, why'd you want me to be your friend?'

'You're a weird loner, good enough for me.'

Zari smiled, 'Cheers to that.'

Rebekah glanced at Zari's glass of water and rolled her eyes as they clinked their glasses, 'I'm starting to regret this to decision.'

'Cheers to that too.'