Breathe Me [Klaus Mikaelson]

Chapter 4. Come Back

T H I R D  P E R S O N

HOW DO YOU tell someone that the people who gave you life and took care of you, are gone?

How can you hurt someone whose already been hurt so much?

Jenna stares back into the eyes that she had missed so much. Although she had lost a lot of people in her life, nothing was more painful than not knowing what truly happened to her niece.

"Why won't any of you tell me where they are?! Where is mom and dad?!" Ava screams, now awake and very sober.

The doctor had allowed her to leave the hospital that day but not without instructions. Ava wasn't bothered by her pain, she had been through much worse. What she was bothered by, was the fact that no one would tell her where her parents were.

Her siblings and Aunt were able to avoid her questions for a while. However, as soon as they reached home, she exploded.

"Ava, please calm dow-" Her younger sister tries to sooth her anger but Ava refuses.

She has tears building in her eyes because deep down she knows what happened to her parents hut she refuses to acknowledge it. She refuses to believe it may be the truth, "No, I deserve to know! Where are they?!"

"They're gone Ava." Elena cries out softly. She pushed back her own tears as she watched her older sister fall apart. It wasn't fair on any of them, but for Ava to have found out this way. Right after she finally escaped from her kidnapper.

It just wasn't fair.

Ava's breath caught in her throat as soon as she heard those words. Her body was shaking as a pain, so much worse than the physical pain she was already feeling, gripped her. Her heart was literally aching as she let out a strangled sob. Her siblings sat on either side of her and wrapped her into a hug. She could feel their own bodies shaking as they cried. They were hurting just as much as her.

It made her frustrated because she was supposed to be comforting them. She was supposed to be strong for them. But right then, she just couldn't. And just like she always had done, Ava needed to deal with the pain on her own. Her family called after her as she abruptly stood up and basically dragged her broken body up the stairs to her room. The young woman needed to come to terms with everything before she could be strong for anyone else.

. . . .

Two days had passed since Ava locked herself in her room. Everyone worried about her but she refused to answer the door to anyone.

The Gilbert family were not only stressed about Ava but about the fact that John Gilbert decided to show up out of the blue. He had no idea about Ava being home and vice versa. The middle Gilbert child was angry and frustrated because she had yet another thing to worry about. As if evil supernatural creatures and her sister weren't enough. She now had to deal with her 'dad'.

Everyone in the household dreaded the visits of John Gilbert. Except for Ava-- who oddly enough was quite close with their Uncle. No one ever understood why that was but just assumed it was because of Ava's kind and forgiving nature.

"What are you doing here?" Elena demands, as she stormed into the kitchen.

The oldest surviving Gilbert blatantly ignores her question, "Coffee?"

This immediately gains a frustrated response from his niece, "We're not doing that. We did that last night. No more avoiding."

"Why are you here?" She demands once again while leaning on the counter in a confrontational posture.